Texas Border Business
McALLEN, Texas — Academy Award–nominated actor Terrence Howard will deliver the opening keynote on Day 2 of Social Fest 2026, Friday, November 13, at the McAllen Convention Center. He takes The Viral Stage (Main Stage, Exhibit Hall A) at 10:00 AM, kicking off the second day of keynotes, panels and workshops for creators, marketers and business owners.
Howard earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for Hustle & Flow and led Fox’s hit drama Empire as Lucious Lyon. His film credits include Iron Man, Crash, Ray and The Best Man, and he has also released music as a recording artist. Across three decades, he has built a career on reinvention, a theme at the heart of Social Fest’s 2026 focus, #TheYearOfTheCreator.
“Terrence Howard has spent his career proving that your story is your power,” said Yaw Sam, Co-Founder of Social Fest. “Opening Day 2 with him on the Main Stage tells every creator in the room that there is no ceiling on what they can build, whether they are starting in Hollywood or the Rio Grande Valley.”
Howard joins a Main Stage keynote lineup that includes:
- Case Kenny, opening Day 1 with “Stop Waiting to Feel Ready” (Thursday, Nov 12, 10:00 AM)
- Keith Lee, closing Day 1 with a live podcast, “Built From Nothing,” hosted by Bob Lozano (Thursday, Nov 12, 4:45 PM)
- Leo González, closing Day 2 with “Culture Is the Content,” hosted by Leah Wise (Friday, Nov 13, 4:45 PM)
Social Fest will feature more than 30 sessions across five stages and four tracks, featuring 60+ speakers including independent journalist Aaron Parnas, Chef Abbys, Google Cloud’s Hash Syed, Stan co-founder Vitalii Dodonov and the mayors of Brownsville and Edinburg.
Follow the link for the full schedule at socialfestexperience.com/schedule-2026.
Event details: Thursday–Friday, Nov 12–13, 2026
McAllen Convention Center, 700 Convention Center Blvd, McAllen, TX 78501 ·
Tickets: socialfestexperience.com/event-details/social-fest-2026
About Social Fest: Social Fest is the Rio Grande Valley’s premier social media and digital marketing experience, bringing 1,000+creators and attendees together with 60+ speakers in McAllen. Born in the RGV. Built for creators everywhere.
Information source: Social Fest
