Join us for the 2026 STAR Awards luncheon aboard the iconic Queen Mary on October 1—an event you won’t want to miss.

Get ready to learn, connect, and celebrate excellence in the field!

These awards recognize excellence in government video programming in 40+ categories including Community Event Coverage, Best City | County Services Information Video, Human Interest, Public Safety, PSA, Sports Programming, Social Media, Election Coverage, Parks & Recreation and more. 

View Finalists

Date: OCTOBER 1, 2026

Event Schedule

Time: 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM

• 9:00 AM – Check-In 
• 10:00 -12:00 PM – Compact Symposium
• 12:00 – 1:00 PM – Networking/Lunch
• 1:00 -3:30 PM- Star Awards

Cost:

CAPIO Member Price
$115 – Full Event (Compact Symposium + Awards Lunch)
$85 – Awards Lunch Ticket

Non-Member Price
$165 – Full Event (Compact Symposium + Awards Lunch)
$105 – Awards Lunch Ticket

Deadline to buy tickets:  September 24

Buy Tickets

LOCATION

Queen Mary
1126 Queens Highway
Long Beach, CA 90802
Book Your Hotel Room

Hotel block closes Monday, 9/4/26 or when it is full

Directions

COMPACT SYMPOSIUM

Speakers:

Devin Scott

As generative AI reshapes the video production landscape, filmmaker Devin Scott explores how to use these tools ethically and effectively. Drawing on his 30+ years in television and recent award-winning AI-driven work, Scott covers practical strategies for improved prompt structure, injecting genuine creative input, and communicating visual ideas clearly—equipping filmmakers to harness AI as a storytelling tool without losing their creative voice.

With over 30 years in the television industry, writer-director Devin Scott has honed his craft as a storyteller across dozens of films and more than 700 commercials. His work has earned awards worldwide, including 33 Emmys. In the past two years, he has embraced AI tools for storytelling, winning several film festivals along the way. He now lectures at universities on the ethical and professional use of AI in filmmaking.

Sarah Krieg

The Art of Making Art in Government

How creativity, collaboration and storytelling can make public information impossible to ignore.

Government communication doesn’t have to look like government communication.

As Public Information Officers, we are constantly tasked with communicating information people need to know, but don’t necessarily want to hear. Road construction. Recycling. Budgets. Public safety. New programs. Policies and procedures.

Getting the information out is the easy part.

Getting people to stop, pay attention and care is the challenge.

The Art of Making Art in Government is a 45-minute exploration of what happens when we stop thinking solely like government communicators and give ourselves permission to think like storytellers, filmmakers, artists and creators.

Through real-world examples, we’ll look at how traditionally dry government information can become something unexpected, engaging, and memorable. From turning recycling education into a horror movie trailer designed for the big screen, to creating collectible playing cards, reimagining a State of the Town as a full-scale themed experience, and putting real people at the center of government procedures, this session challenges the idea that professional government communication has to be predictable.

We’ll also explore why creativity is a team sport. PIOs don’t have to be the experts on everything. Our departments and partner agencies bring the expertise. We bring our own strengths to the table, find the human story and build something better together.

Finally, we’ll talk about the rules of attention and what years of creating content, along with lessons learned directly from teams at Instagram and BuzzFeed, have taught me about making social video people actually watch.

Attendees will leave with a simple framework for approaching content. Because our residents don’t lower their expectations for good storytelling simply because the content comes from City Hall.

Government communication can be accurate and responsible while still being funny, emotional, cinematic, surprising and beautiful.

We’re allowed to make good things. Sometimes, we’re even allowed to make art.