HPA Tech Retreat To Explore Entertainment’s Future

The Hollywood Professional Association (HPA) has announced the focus of its 2027 Tech Retreat, which will run from 14 to 18 February in La Quinta, California. The five-day event will bring together people who create, finish, deliver and preserve media to consider how entertainment is changing and how professionals can prepare.

The programme will examine shifting economics and production tools as storytelling expands across film, television, games, live experiences and AI. Monday's TR-X will look at stories that span multiple formats, while Tuesday's Supersession, chaired by HPA founder Leon Silverman, will consider the industry's direction and professionals' place in it. The main programme on Wednesday and Thursday will address the technologies, practices and people shaping the sector.

"Everyone in our community is asking the same questions right now: Where is this industry going, and where do I fit?" said HPA president Renard T. Jenkins. "The Tech Retreat is where this industry stops guessing about the future and starts building it, together, in one room. This year's program is designed to give attendees a clear picture of what's changing, along with the knowledge and connections to help shape what comes next."

TR-X, titled "From Story to World", will explore the people, production pipelines and business models behind entertainment that extends beyond a single release. Assets captured during production can be reused years later in games, live experiences or AI-driven characters, creating new demands for budgets, staffing and contracts.

Sessions will follow a world from its initial concept to its final sale. "Our Budgets Aren't Ready for This" will examine planning for reusable worlds, while "Scan Once. Use Everywhere." will cover 3D capture, including the Gaussian splats used to plan "Jurassic World Rebirth." "Who Owns the World?" will address rights, provenance and preservation, including Disney's agreement making more than 200 characters available on OpenAI's Sora.

The Supersession, "Help Me See and Build the Future," will explore where Hollywood is heading, how new creators are working, where investment is moving and how professionals can prepare. It will pair "Seers", who will outline what may lie ahead, with "Builders", who will show what is already under way.

"We're all in the same boat, in rocky seas, heading to a new world, and everyone is asking the same question: is there a place in it for me?" said Silverman, chair of the Supersession Planning Committee. "The industry isn't shrinking; it's changing shape. Nobody is going to discover you in this new world. You have to discover yourself. We want everyone in that room to leave seeing a future that includes them."

Further details of the 17 and 18 February conference programme will be announced in the coming weeks. The Innovation Zone will return with its attendee-voted Best in Show award, while winners of the HPA Awards Innovation & Technology will be revealed at the retreat. Nominees are due to be announced on 15 January.

More than 800 people attended the 2026 retreat. Attendance is capped, and the event regularly sells out. Sponsors include Google Cloud, Hexagon's Leica Geosystems, Microsoft, Puget Systems and Signiant, alongside foundation members AMD, Dolby and Sohonet. Registration is open at HPAonline.com.