NASA to Deliver First-Ever Keynote at Creative Operations Summit New York 2026

For the first time in its history, NASA's creative leadership will take the stage at the Creative Operations Summit New York 2026, marking a landmark moment for the global creative operations community.

Taking place on June 16 at Convene, 117 West 46th Street, the Summit will open with "Moon Joy: Stories From Our Universe," a keynote exploring how NASA transforms some of the most complex missions in the world into powerful, globally recognized stories.

Presented by David Rager, Creative Director at NASA, and Sami Aziz, Founder and Executive Producer at Pale Blue Originals, the session offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at creative operations at planetary scale - from rocket launches and solar eclipses to global broadcast events involving multiple agencies and stakeholders.

Rather than focusing solely on inspiration, the keynote examines the operational reality behind NASA's storytelling: how creative teams are built, briefed, and coordinated under extreme constraints, and how clarity, structure, and collaboration make the impossible visible.

This marks NASA's first time speaking at the Creative Operations Summit New York, following their participation at the Creative Operations Summit Los Angeles in 2025, highlighting the growing role of creative operations in global scientific communication.

Speakers
David Rager - Creative Director, NASA
David Rager leads NASA's visual identity and brand systems, overseeing the agency's iconic Graphics Standards Manual and the reintroduction of the NASA logotype. He brings over two decades of experience across NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Disney, the Museum of Contemporary Art Los Angeles, and the New Museum.

Sami Aziz - Founder & Executive Producer, Pale Blue Originals
Sami Aziz is a former NASA Executive Producer and Head of Live Broadcasts, where he led production for landmark missions including the Artemis Moon campaign, OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample return, the 2024 total solar eclipse, and multiple commercial lunar landings. A six-time Emmy Award winner, he now develops science and space storytelling projects that connect global audiences with human achievement.

Moon Joy: Stories From Our Universe
The keynote explores how Creative Operations principles are applied at NASA scale - from coordinating global teams around mission-critical launches to maintaining one of the most recognized visual identities on Earth.
Key themes include:
• Building creative teams around mission-critical moments
• Maintaining brand and narrative consistency in high-stakes environments
• Translating complex scientific missions into compelling creative direction
• Lessons from space exploration that apply to everyday creative operations

About the Summit
Creative Operations Summit New York 2026 brings together leaders from organizations including NASA, Target Creative, Nestlé, Revlon, DocuSign, GSK, Wayfair, and more to explore how teams are scaling creative operations in the age of AI.
Across the day, speakers will examine how organizations are:
• Scaling creative output across global teams and channels
• Integrating AI into real production workflows
• Improving speed, consistency, and governance
• Evolving operating models to meet rising content demand
This is not a theoretical discussion - it is a practical exploration of how leading organizations are building faster, smarter, and more scalable creative systems today.

Event Details
Creative Operations Summit New York 2026
June 16, 2026
Convene, 117 West 46th Street, New York
Register: https://henrystewartconferences.com/creative-operations/creative-operations-summit-new-york-2026

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About Henry Stewart Events
The roles of HS Events (HSE) and The HS Property Hub within the Henry Stewart Group are twofold. HSE delivers worldwide face-to-face events, online courses, and webinars across Digital Asset Management, Creative Operations, Semantic Data, Creative Tech, and Product Information Management/Product Experience Management. The HS Property Hub provides CPD property courses and webinars in the UK.
Visit: https://henrystewartconferences.com/

This release was published on openPR.