FIRST LOOK AT THE 2026 CONFERENCE AGENDA
MEDIA WEEK LIVE | 28 JANUARY 2026
Please note the agenda is subject to change
Emerging Leaders: The Path to Success For the Next Generation in Media
09:00 - 09:05
Opening Remarks from Campaign
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.
09:05 - 09:50
Panel Discussion: View From the Top - Navigating through Challenging Times
Keynote
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
09:50 - 10:20
Fireside Chat: Career Spotlight: The Strategic Journeys Behind Different Paths to Leadership Success
Panel Discussion
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:
- 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.
10:20 - 11:00
Panel: Being Creative In Media
Panel Discussion
More information to be confirmed
13:30 - 14:10
Panel: Marketers Unplugged: What Brands Really Want From Agencies and Media Owners
Presentation
Closer Partnerships or Smarter Tools?
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
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
14:10 - 14:35
CASE STUDY: Brand storytelling in the age of social commerce
Panel Discussion
This session will explore how brand storytelling must evolve as social commerce reshapes the path to purchase. Drawing from Wavemaker & Remington’s global content strategy program, we’ll examine what it takes to build a unified narrative while coordinating with local markets.
Developing storytelling without reducing the brand to transactional content.
The operational and strategic implications of designing for platform-native formats where entertainment and shopping coexist.
14:35 - 15:15
Masterclass Panel Discussion: How to Answer and Pitch a Brief
Case Study
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 you can contribute fresh ideas and spot overlooked opportunities across channels
Balance art and science: using data to justify bold creative media bets
15:45 - 16:10
Presentation: Taking Risks, and Pushing Yourself Out of Your Comfort Zone
Presentation
More information to come...
16:10 - 16:55
Panel Discussion: The Planner of the Future. New Skills In the Battle for Media 2026
Presentation
AI is rewriting the rules, and new media channels are opening fresh battlegrounds. Media planners, buyers, platforms and owners are no longer simply optimisers of spend they are expected to be storytellers, strategists and curators of influence. This session will look at the new skills that will be needed, and how automation, data platforms and new tools are reshaping media buying, planning and measurement
The new arsenal: AI fluency, data mastery and the technologies transforming planning, buying and creativity
Developing tomorrow’s talent: how the UK media ecosystem attracts, retains and grows the professionals who will dominate the next decade
What does this mean for agencies, brands and media owners in a world of AI generated content and as technology takes on more of the workflow
Find out how the role of media planner and buyer is changing way beyond data into a brand new playbook for planners
