Why you’re in the right room at the right time.

The media industry is being rewritten. The next five years will belong to those who spot the shifts early and move fast.

AI is rewriting the rules, economic pressure is raising the stakes, and new media channels are opening fresh battlegrounds. In this environment, skills are no longer just a nice-to-have – they are the dividing line between agencies that win and those left behind. The industry must decide: will fortune favour the bold risk-takers or the hyper-measured strategists? Media planners, buyers, platforms and owners are no longer simply optimisers of spend they are expected to be storytellers, strategists and curators of influence.

From those powering today’s campaigns to new professionals stepping into leadership, this opening fireside reveals which skills will determine success and how agencies can arm their talent for the fight ahead.

• The new arsenal: AI fluency, data mastery and the technologies transforming planning, buying and creativity

• Human edge: adaptability, collaboration, influence and leadership: traits that machines can’t replicate

• Securing tomorrow’s talent: how the UK media ecosystem attracts, retains and grows the professionals who will dominate the next decade

• New career frontiers: retail media, the creator economy and client-winning skills that turn graft into growth
  
  

Find out how the role of media planner and buyer is changing way beyond data into a brand new playbook for planners

Forget the straight-line career path, real journeys are made of bold moves, unexpected setbacks and the relationships that change everything. This session lifts the lid on how careers towards the doers to the leaders in media really unfold and the strategies that turn wrong turns into long-term success:

• The Hidden Playbook: Succession strategies and navigating industry shifts with confidence

• Unwritten Advice: The tips you won’t find on LinkedIn from making bold leaps to asking for sponsorship at the right time

• My Best Mistake: Squiggly paths into media and why the wrong turns often matter most

• Relationships That Made Me: Mentors, sponsors and allies who shape the journey

• Career Myths Busted: From ‘clients only care about price’ to ‘AI will replace the grunt work’: decoding the advice you shouldn’t follow blindly
  
  

We’ll wrap with 10 minutes of open Q&A. Submit your questions to the panel anonymously if you prefer and get the advice that really matters for your next steps.

Marketers are under pressure to deliver growth with precision, creativity and accountability. That means their expectations of agencies and media owners are changing fast. From the pitch room to long-term partnerships, what do CMOs truly value today and what will they demand tomorrow?

• The CMO wish list: insight, innovation, transparency, and speed of execution

• How AI is reshaping briefs, media plans and campaign measurement and where human judgement is irreplaceable

• The new pitch rules: what makes clients lean in, switch off, or sign on the spot

• Building trust: why marketers care more about outcomes and audiences than decks and jargon

• What senior marketers really notice from junior talent — and how it shapes client confidence

• Q&A lightning round: “What’s the most exciting pitch you’ve ever heard… and the one you’d rather forget?”

Speed networking corner: five-minute rotations with peers across agencies and media owners. Bring your coffee, leave with contacts.

Speed networking corner: five-minute rotations with peers across agencies and media owners. Bring your coffee, leave with contacts

Optional “Lunch & Learn” tables hosted by industry mentors. Pull up a chair to talk programmatic, AI tools, career tactics or client diplomacy.

• CTV and streaming are capturing the share once held by linear, offering reach with precision — but at the cost of fragmentation

• Programmatic tools, data collaboration, and shoppable formats are redefining performance and accountability

• As creators, influencers, and immersive retail platforms move into core media plans, AI-driven optimisation and measurement are deciding which channels scale, merge

The UK media ecosystem is being transformed by new technologies, from AI and automation to advanced analytics, retail media platforms and immersive experiences. But what does this mean for the future of campaigns, client relationships and the roles of buyers, planners and media owners? This panel will unpack the big shifts, weighing opportunity against disruption, and debating how to balance innovation with human insight.

Discussion points:

• Transformation in action: How automation, data platforms and new tools are reshaping media buying, planning and measurement

• Redefining roles and relationships: What does this mean= for agencies, brands and media owners as technology takes on more of the workflow

• Pinpointing the next wave of disruption: Which processes, platforms and channels are set for the biggest shake-up

• The human factor: Where creativity, judgment and relationships remain irreplaceable in the media value chain

Stay tuned for further information... 

When media leads the idea, not just the buy

Campaigns where the media plan was the creative idea.

When media leads the idea, not just the buy. This masterclass panel discussion explores how planners can elevate media beyond placement into a central creative force.

• Campaigns where the media plan itself was the creative breakthrough from stunt placements to platform-first storytelling

• How strategists, creatives and clients work together (and clash) when media drives the concept

• Lessons from pitch rooms: what sells in 15 minutes vs what drags

• How juniors can contribute fresh ideas and spot overlooked opportunities across channels

• How should you balance art and science: using data to justify bold creative media bets

What does change and growth look like from the a position of power – CEOs interviewed by Emerging Media Planner Leaders 

Chief execs reflect on the creative leaps that helped them grow their businesses — from reframing client challenges to reinventing models in moments of disruption. They share why creativity remains the defining skill in media’s future, and what they’d urge the next generation to do differently.

• Why CEOs see creativity with resilience as the currency of future leadership

• How collaborative thinking can shape business growth in uncertain times: Can the right mix of minds unlock new market opportunity?

• When data wasn’t enough: When do key creative decisions and risk-taking made the difference

• What creativity means in media today: blending art, culture, and technology

• Advice to their younger selves on keeping creativity alive under pressure

A final note: media’s transformation isn’t abstract. It’s happening now, and the people in this room will shape where it goes.