Agenda

Customer Experience 3.0 is here - but is your brand ready? This session will explore what CX 3.0 really means in an era of AI, hyper-personalisation and connected journeys. Our expert panel will discuss how brands can evolve from transactional touchpoints to truly immersive, emotionally intelligent experiences - and what the rewards will be for those who get it right. Discover how CX 3.0 can unlock deeper engagement, stronger loyalty and sustainable growth in 2026.

2025 was the year marketing bedded in AI. 2026 is when it blows everything apart. A perfect storm is brewing: agentic systems and predictive decisioning are compressing planning cycles, while consumers are abandoning traditional funnels for AI-led discovery. But most organizations are still built for a slow, linear world of fragmented teams and data. This session reveals why marketing now faces a reckoning, why incremental automation is no longer enough, and how the next generation of leaders are re-architecting marketing for orchestration, not efficiency.

As the industry sets its sights on 2026, Brand and Marketing Director at Currys, Dan Rubel, will lay out his New Year’s resolutions for marketers - urging brands to be bolder, braver and more imaginative. He’ll explore why creativity must reclaim its seat at the top table, how marketing can better engage the C-suite and how data, measurement and personalisation need to evolve in the year ahead. Expect sharp insights on how marketers can raise their game - and their impact - in 2026.

In an age of digital overload, the brands cutting through in 2026 won’t be the loudest – they’ll be the ones audiences can feel. This panel will explore the sensory shift reshaping creativity and communications, including tactility, physical experience and performance print that delivers relevance, efficiency and measurable impact. Discover why emotion, touch and physical media are becoming powerful drivers of both connection and performance.

Consumers aren’t always rational - and in 2026, they’re behaving more unpredictably than ever. In this eye-opening session, one of the UK's leading behavioural scientists will unpack the real forces shaping consumer decisions, from the recent UK budget changes to emotional triggers and social influence to sustainability and digital fatigue. We'll reveal what’s driving buying behaviours in 2026 - and how brands can harness behavioural insight to engage smarter, build lasting loyalty and ultimately turn unpredictable consumers into passionate advocates.

In this rapid-fire session, one of The Drum’s regular columnists Tom Goodwin will dial in from Miami to shares his insights on how AI will continue to change the game from brands, marketers and consumer. Expect fast analysis, bold provocations and clear takeaways as he offer his thoughts on the trends, tensions and opportunities that will define marketing’s next twelve months.

Social media is entering its next phase - less about chasing attention, more about earning connection. This panel explores what 2026 holds for social media marketing, from the trends set to endure to the platforms, formats and behaviours reshaping audience growth. Our speakers will examine how brands can use social to build genuine loyalty, not just reach, and how AI will transform content creation, community management and measurement in the year ahead.

In this rapid-fire session, one of The Drum’s regular columnists shares their insights on what 2026 will bring for brands and marketers. Expect fast analysis, bold provocations and clear takeaways as they decode the trends, tensions and opportunities that will define marketing’s next twelve months.

We explore The Drum Awards 2026 Programme, covering Marketing, Commerce Media, B2B and our Awards Festival. Featuring a panel of The Drum judges and previous winners, this session will unpack what's changing, what judges are really looking for, and why entering the awards can make a genuine impact on your business and career. Expect honest advice, future-focused insight – and a clear view of how to turn great work into award-winning entries.