AGENDA
9am
Registration, networking & coffee
10am
Welcome
Leave your B2C and D2C at the door - today is all about B2B. The Drum’s global editor Cameron Clarke sets the tone for the day ahead and previews the key themes that our B2B marketing specialists from some of the biggest spending brands will explore at B2B WorldFest 2025.
10.10am
Opening keynote: state of the B2B nation
Where is B2B marketing, the key challenges and opportunities for B2B marketers and brands in 2026.
10.30am
Performance vs. brand: Is B2B getting the balance right?
Short-term results may keep the C-Suite happy, but what’s the long-term cost on the brand? Our experts will passionately debate whether B2B marketing has tipped too far into performance at the expense of brand equity. Expect candid views on attribution addiction, budget battles, and why brand building remains essential in a metrics-obsessed world.
10.50am
The future buyer: What Gen Z and millennials expect from B2B brands
Tomorrow’s B2B buyers are digital natives with new rules of engagement. This session will dive into how Gen Z and millennial behaviours are reshaping the buying funnel - from TikTok to Slack channels - and what B2B brands must do now to stay culturally relevant and emotionally resonant in the face of generational disruption.
11.10am
Oxford-style debate: B2B buying decisions are driven by emotion not logic
The Motion: 'This house believes that modern B2B buying decision are actually driven by emotion and fear and not rationality and logic as was once believed.' Brand and agency leaders go head-to-head to challenge one of B2B’s most deep-seated assumptions – that unlike most consumer buying decisions, B2B buying decisions are always based on sound logic – they aren’t. Are B2B buying decisions as emotional and B2C buying decisions? You decide.
11.30am
BREAK
12pm
AI, automation & attribution: cutting through the noise
Is AI marketing’s shiny new savior - or just more tech hype? This panel will separate signal from noise, exploring how marketers can use AI ethically and effectively to drive outcomes without killing the creativity that B2B marketing has been embracing in recent years. Learn how to build intelligent automation into your stack without losing the human touch that makes brands memorable.
12.20pm
Building an always-on B2B content engine
Forget campaigns - B2B content now demands ‘always-on’ strategies that scale. Hear from brands and agencies doing it on how they’ve built (and maintained) content machines that keep audiences engaged without burning out teams. They’ll share real-life lessons on formats that convert, content that lands, and avoiding the trap of endless quantity over quality.
12.40pm
B2B communities: the new growth engine?
In an age of scepticism and signal overload, community is becoming the new trust currency. This session unpacks how B2B brands are building, nurturing, and activating communities to drive pipeline, loyalty and advocacy. Discover what it takes to move from CRM lists to truly connected audiences that grow with you.
1pm
LUNCH
2pm
Under pressure: inside the modern B2B marketing job
Budgets, boards, burnout - being a B2B CMO has never been tougher. To get you fired up again after lunch senior B2B marketers pull back the curtain on the high-stakes, high-velocity world of B2B leadership. From shifting remits to talent challenges and shareholder expectations, they’ll share how they’re adapting, surviving and reshaping the role for the future. Explore the evolving remit of the B2B CMO and how to survive it.
2.20pm
Game on: why B2B is betting big on sport
Once the domain of big consumer names, sports marketing is fast becoming a powerful platform for B2B brands. In this session, agencies and brand leaders unpack why more B2B marketers are investing in sponsorship, sport-led content, and partnerships to boost visibility, build emotional connections, and engage hard-to-reach audiences. From F1 to football, discover how B2B is playing to win on and off the pitch.
2.40pm
The brand power of comms in B2B
What does it take to build and protect a B2B brand in today’s always-on world? In this session, top communications directors reveal how smart PR, strategic storytelling and reputation management are driving growth and trust. From crisis response to CEO profiling, hear how comms leaders are shaping the narrative, cutting through the noise, and making B2B brands more human, visible and resilient.
3pm
BREAK
3.30pm
Guess the B2B headline
So, you think you know your B2B advertising straplines? We put two ‘experts’ head to head to find out if they can recognise some of the most iconic B2B headlines of all time. Audience participation and heckling welcome.
4pm
The B2B martech stack: rationalise or rebuild?
Tool overload is real. In this session, martech leaders explore how to evaluate your stack, cut through the clutter, and focus on tech that actually moves the needle. Whether you’re scrapping redundant platforms or building for scale, this is your guide to avoiding stack sprawl and tech fatigue.Navigating bloated stacks and aligning tools to real outcomes.
4.20pm
What’s next for B2B: 5 predictions that will shape the next 5 years
To close our B2B day, a heavyweight thinker takes the stage with five fearless predictions for the future of B2B. From the rise of entertainment-led marketing to the death of the funnel, expect bold ideas, big-picture thinking, and a dose of optimism for where B2B is heading next. A future-gazing talk to end the day on a provocative and optimistic note.
4.40pm
Closing remarks
4.50pm
Drinks & networking
Drinks, informal chats, and time to debrief on the day’s big ideas.
XXam
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