From 7 to 9 July 2026, ABU Confest 2026 took place at Royale Chulan Damansara, Malaysia, under the theme “Next-Gen Content & Culture”. The event is a key annual gathering organized by the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU), bringing together creators in video, audio, and digital content alongside media organizations from across the Asia-Pacific.
Journalist Ta Bich Loan speaks at ABU Confest 2026, a gathering of content creators, media leaders, and broadcasting professionals from across the Asia-Pacific region.
According to the organizers, ABU Confest is a flagship event for the region’s content community, bringing together more than 350 participants to connect, exchange ideas, and explore the future of storytelling, media innovation, and cultural expression. In 2026, the event was positioned within ABU Media & Culture Days and raised a timely question: how will the next generation of content be created, distributed, and anchored in cultural identity within a rapidly changing media environment?
Journalist Ta Bich Loan, Media Executive, Educator, and Founder of Media AI Lab, joined the program with a presentation from Vietnam. Media AI Lab’s presence at ABU Confest 2026 reflected the direction the Lab has consistently pursued: placing people, creative capability, and professional responsibility at the center of how technology is applied in media.
In the official program, Ta Bich Loan appeared in Session 8: “From Experiment to Impact”. This session introduced creative content projects in a concise format, highlighting experiments capable of generating new audience experiences and meaningful public impact.
Speakers gathered during a session on emerging content initiatives, where Media AI Lab contributed a perspective from Vietnam.
For Media AI Lab, conversations at events such as ABU Confest 2026 matter because media is entering a new phase of transformation. Technology, especially AI, is reshaping how topics are discovered, how ideas are developed, how content is produced, and how communities are engaged. Yet the lasting value of media still lies in close observation of real life, understanding audiences, protecting cultural identity, and maintaining final responsibility for the message being communicated.
The theme “Next-Gen Content & Culture” also resonates strongly with the spirit of Media AI Lab. Next-generation content is not simply content that is faster, shorter, or more dependent on platforms. It must also be content that builds connection, invites dialogue, and enriches cultural life.
ABU Confest 2026 created space for dialogue among media practitioners, creators, and content experts from across the region.
ABU Confest 2026 featured speakers from media organizations, creative platforms, and international content initiatives. The program ranged across communications strategy, digital community building, short-form content, micro-drama, copyright, AI, and new ways of reaching younger audiences.
Media AI Lab’s participation in the event created an opportunity to connect with the regional media network while sharing a perspective from Vietnam on content innovation, media education, and the responsible use of AI. It also marked another step in bringing Media AI Lab’s human-centered, creative, and accountable media practices into wider international conversations.