At ZCON, Gen Z creators and entrepreneurs controlled the narrative

A creator conference for and by Gen Z just wrapped up its inaugural year of festivities. At ZCON, which took in New York City from October 24-25, the lineup of speakers, presenters, and panelists was filled with Gen Z creators, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders.

ZCON was put on by UTA, the talent agency with a significant foothold in the creator space. As explained on the ZCON website, UTA organized the gathering to “provide business leaders and stakeholders with the tools and knowledge necessary to better understand young people, so they can meaningfully show up for Gen Z.”

To that end, the stage at The Skylight Penthouse featured a rotating cast of twentysomethings. Participants included influencers like Anna Sitar, activists like Amelie Zilber, actors like Moana‘s Auli’i Cravalho, and founders like Cam Kasky of March For Our Lives.

So what did Gen Z choose to talk about when given the floor? On the whole, the cohort’s priorities have remained consistent. Gen Z values sustainability, and its members live in a world saturated with content creators. There are also an increasing number of startup founders and creator-entrepreneurs in the generation born between 1997 and 2012.

ZCON also celebrated some of Gen Z’s most notable tastemakers with an award ceremony held on its first day. Recipients included podcaster Madeline Argy and the fashion hub Depop.

From a business standpoint, ZCON was a well-timed foray into a worth of young small business owners and self-starters. From the perspective of social media content and culture, ZCON’s position is more complex.

Gen Z was once the apple of every influencer marketer’s eye. During its collective tween and teen years, the cohort turned beloved creators like Tyler Oakley 

and Bethany Mota into marketable stars. Back then, agencies and brands took great strides to understand the wants and needs of Gen Z. (We even gave some Gen Z teens a chance to speak about their favorite YouTubers.)

But in 2024, the generational tide is shifting. Gen Alpha came on strong in the early 2020s, and today’s youngsters dominate creator economy discourse with their Skibidi heads and perplexing “brain rot” memes. Marketers are now setting their sights on Gen Alpha beauty queens and Fortnite worlds.

What is Gen Z’s place in that ecosystem? Trends are moving faster than ever before. The word “cheugy” — once Gen Z’s descriptor for dated style — has itself been dated for years. Gen Alpha seems to have a new favorite slang term every week. Just as Millennials like Oakley and Mota created the content that Gen Z teens consumed, Zoomers like Alix Earle and MrBeast are now steering the culture that drives Gen Alpha.

That, for me, was one of the highlights of ZCON. Just as Millennials brought their culture to their Gen Z juniors, we are now seeing how Gen Z will fill a chaotic era with values like sustainability, creativity, and entrepreneurial spirit. I’m excited to see if UTA brings back ZCON next year, but I’m also looking forward to the first Gen Alpha conference, whenever it arrives. I bet it will be hosted in Roblox rather than the real world.