Social shopping is becoming a $19 billion business in the U.S. SoCom wants to be its #1 industry event.

Back in 2021, we wrote about how social ecommerce, which was doing billions of dollars in sales in China, was struggling to find a foothold with U.S. shoppers despite significant potential. Marketing companies (especially influencer marketing companies) and brands wanted social shopping to catch on in the West, but just couldn’t find the catalyst that would get American audiences to embrace it.

Then, in 2023, TikTok Shop happened.

Now? Live shopping in the U.S. is growing faster than any other market, and is projected to hit $19 billion in sales this year.

Ecommerce startup Orca is one of the companies at the forefront of this movement; in the last 12 months, it’s sold over $100 million on TikTok Shop with brands like e.l.f Beauty, Esteé Lauder, Joy Mangano‘s CleanBoss, Alicia Keys‘ Keys Soulcare, SKINN, and KimChi Chic Beauty. So if there’s someone who understands the current scope and prospective future of social shopping, it’s Orca’s co-founder and CEO Max Benator.

This understanding is why Benator launched SoCom, a conference dedicated to social ecommerce. During SoCom’s inaugural event in February, it hosted 600 industry professionals and content creators, with talks, panels, and workshops by C-suites and senior leaders at platforms and brands like TikTok Shop, YouTube, Snap, Pinterest, e.l.f., Gap, Athleta, and LTK.

For SoCom’s second event, it’ll return to Venice Beach for a full day of programming, including social commerce workshops and a livestream gifting suite for content creators.

“It’s wild that, even today, we’re all still forced to shop online by reading product descriptions and clicking on photos,” Benator tells Tubefilter. “Obviously, the technology exists for livestreams, short videos, creator content, etc to be shoppable with a click. AI advances will make shopping within video an even more seamless experience. It’s no surprise that social commerce will be a one trillion dollar industry in 2026.”

He adds, “Given the response from our first SoCom last year, and our advisory board this year, SoCom ’26 is shaping up to be the best place for leaders in the space to connect, learn and stay at the cutting edge of social commerce.”

The advisory board he mentions is packed with a dozen execs and senior leaders. Here’s the full roster:

• (new) Julie Haleluk, Amazon Shoppable Video, Global Head, Growth
• (new) Alanna Baruch Essig, TikTok, Head of TikTok Shop Partner Activations
• (new) Rashmi Paul, Pinterest, Merchants & Shopping Lead, Global Content
• (new) Noah Wieseneck, Snap, Senior Manager, Creator Business Partnerships
• (new) Brian Wessel, SVP, Media & Data Strategy, Sony Pictures Entertainment
• (returning) Damon Berger, Gap, Head of Consumer Digital Engagement, Gap Inc.
• (returning) Madison Luscombe, The Creator Society, Co-Founder and CEO
• (returning) Amy Neben, Partner, Select Management Group
• (returning) Ethan Kramer, President, Agital
• (returning) Drew Baldwin, Founder, Tubefilter, Executive Producer, Streamy Awards
• (returning) Max Benator, Co-Founder & CEO, Orca
• (returning) Lauren Stevens, Co-Founder & Chief Content Officer, Orca

“With the guidance of our new and returning advisors, we’re confident that SoCom 2026 will be an unmissable event for anyone in the social commerce space,” Benator says.

SoCom 2026 will take place Feb. 26, 2026, at 57 Windward in Venice Beach, California. Tickets start at $399 and are available here.

Tubefilter is the official press partner for SoCom.