Agenda
Agenda
Day 1
8.30am
Registration, tea & coffee
Welcome, you’re now part of The Drum’s editorial team! Get your ‘Editorial Headshot’ for our flannel panel on your way in, grab a coffee and get ready for two days of dynamic live content creation.
Cameron Clarke
global editor The Drum
Lynn Lester
managing director, events The Drum
9.30am
The Flannel Panel
Meet The Drum’s Editor as he outlines the plan for the day and introduces the key members of The Drum’s editorial, online, podcast and production team. We’ll also outline how you can get involved – appear on a podcast, take part in a research project or a discussion panel.
Andrew Tindall
SVP global partnerships, System 1
Raffi Salama
CEO & co-founder Passionfruit
Mary Keane Dawson
entrepreneur and business mentor
9.40am
News: Morning Editorial Conference
Listen in as The Drum’s senior editors and invited guests discuss the big news stories of the day and plan The Drum’s coverage for the days ahead. What stories should we delve into today? Have your say and help us decide.
Jenni Baker
senior editor – branded content The Drum
Tom Greenhalgh
data & measurement lead Google
Heni Hazbay
director of digital marketing Sainsbury's
Lindsey Wolfryd
managing partner Wavemaker
10.05am
Opinion: Opening Keynote
A UK policymaker talks about the importance of the UK’s marketing/creative industries and what the Government is doing to support the sector as it faces unprecedented change and an increasing numbers of known unknowns.
Cameron Clarke
global editor The Drum
Jamie Brighton
director, product marketing, digital experience Adobe EMEA
10.25am
Analysis: The Omnicom/IPG Shakedown
It's 9 months since the Omnicom and IPG deal was announced. You could have conceived and delivered a baby in that time. So, what has happened and how is the deal shaking out? Who are the winners and losers so far? Our panel of experts will discuss and debate the fallout so far.
Alex Cheeseman
head of enterprise brands for Northern Europe Outbrain
Dan Glynn
programmatic lead HEINEKEN
Michelle Sarpong
commercial lead the7stars
Anthony Crocker
director of commercial success The Telegraph
10.45am
Rapid-Fire Insights: 15-Minute Power Talk
Get ready for a fast-paced, high-energy session packed with valuable insights. In just 15 minutes, industry experts will cut straight to the point, sharing bold ideas, key trends, and actionable takeaways to inspire and inform. No fluff—just powerful marketing insights delivered at speed!
Maria Greaves
assistant editor - branded content The Drum
Jonathan Woolf
chief revenue officer Intent HQ
Eddie Short
founding partner Intelligent Enterprise Partners
Ali Malek
executive director in data and technology transformation (DTT) OMD
11am
Break
11.30am
Analysis: Oxford Debate: This house proposes that the media is more important than the creative.
Which is most important in today’s fragmented media marketplace – the use of media or getting the right creative message. We pit top media strategists against creatives to slug it out to discover whether the media or the message is the most important in building brand engagement and sales.
Cameron Clarke
global editor The Drum
Nicole Kivel
managing director, UK, enterprise Criteo
Florian Clemens
director strategy, proposition & measurement Tesco Media
Patrick Zinga
digital media, data & martech lead HEINEKEN
12pm
Analysis: Contextual advertising under the microscope
This panel explores how context-driven strategies are reshaping digital advertising - offering brand safety, creative alignment and scalable performance. Join us to learn why context is becoming the cornerstone of effective, privacy-first marketing.The Drum’s Editor interviews a leading brand CMO on the issues facing them.
Hannah Bowler
senior reporter The Drum
Eric Melis
VP, global brand marketing PepsiCo
12.20pm
Analysis: Panel Discussion: Show Me The Media Money
With so many media options now available where are smart brands going to be spending their marketing money in 2026?
12.40pm
Analysis: Building trust in a privacy-first era
This panel explores how consent and preference management solutions are evolving to help digital platforms stay compliant while enhancing user trust. Experts will discuss best practices, tech innovation, and how businesses can turn regulatory requirements into opportunities for better customer relationships and ethical data use in a privacy-conscious landscape.
1pm
Lunch
2pm
Feature: The Great Marketing Makeover does The Weakest Link
The Drum's Great Marketing Makeover (GMM) initiative aims to build the credibility of marketing at the C-Suite level. So, if the CEO didn’t exist, would the CMO be best equipped to lead the C-Suite? We invite a CMO, CFO, COO, CDO and CLO/General Counsel to pitch why they feel they have the most relevant skills, understanding and knowledge to lead the entire business. Audience members will vote off The Weakest Link after each round. Who'll be left standing? Will the CMO win the day? You decide.
2.30pm
News: Turning data into growth
This panel explores how commercial analytics can uncover actionable insights, optimise marketing investment, and inform smarter strategic decisions. Experts will discuss the latest innovations in data integration, marketing mix modelling, and ROI measurement - revealing how analytics can move from retrospective reporting to future-focused growth planning in a rapidly evolving digital economy.
2.50pm
Feature: Fireside Chat
We catch up with a leading brand CMO to find out which industry stories/events/challenges are grabbing their attention right now and why?
3.10pm
Rapid-Fire Insights: 15-Minute Power Talk
Get ready for a fast-paced, high-energy session packed with valuable insights. In just 15 minutes, industry experts will cut straight to the point, sharing bold ideas, key trends, and actionable takeaways to inspire and inform. No fluff—just powerful marketing insights delivered at speed!
3.25pm
Break
3.55pm
Analysis: Question Time – Holding Co CEOs under the spotlight
We are inviting leaders from the world’s biggest marketing services agency holding companies to join us for an open Q&A session on what their future holds. Attendees will have the opportunity to submit their questions earlier in the day and hear the CEOs debate and discuss the key issues.
4.30pm
Analysis: B2B has arrived! This is much more than a moment
B2B marketing has now caught up with its B2C cousins. But has it taken over? With smart use of data and insight into customer journeys are B2B marketers now the smartest kids on the marketing block?
4.50pm
Opinion: Closing Keynote
A business heavyweight rounds up the day with what 2026 holds for business.
5.10pm
Diary: It’s a Wrap!
The Drum’s editor brings the editorial day to a close with an overview of what we have covered, published and a few ‘funnies’ from the day.
5.15pm
Hit the bar
Relax and network over a few drinks to bring day one to a close. But don’t drink too much – The Drum Live Day 2 kicks off tomorrow.
Day 2
8.30am
Registration, tea & coffee
Welcome to Day 2. You’re now part of The Drum’s editorial team! If you’re a new recruit then get your ‘Editorial Headshot’ for our flannel panel on your way in, grab a coffee and get ready for another day of live and interactive content creation.
9.30am
The Flannel Panel
Meet The Drum’s Editor as he outlines the plan for the day and introduces the key members of The Drum’s editorial, online, podcast and production team. We’ll also outline how you can get involved – appear on a podcast, take part in a research project or a discussion panel.
9.40am
News: Morning Editorial Conference
Listen in as The Drum’s senior editors and invited guests discuss the big news stories of the day and plan The Drum’s coverage for the days ahead. What stories should we delve into today? Have your say and help us decide.
10.05am
Opinion: Opening Keynote
10.25am
Analysis: Show Me The Funny
We look back at the funny ads that wouldn’t get made today for fear of offending people and hear from brands and creatives on how to approach humour in advertising without crossing the line.
10.45am
Rapid-Fire Insights: 15-Minute Power Talk
Get ready for a fast-paced, high-energy session packed with valuable insights. In just 15 minutes, industry experts will cut straight to the point, sharing bold ideas, key trends, and actionable takeaways to inspire and inform. No fluff—just powerful marketing insights delivered at speed!
11am
Break
11.30am
Analysis: Oxford Debate: This house proposes that by 2030 the Client Services Director will be the most important person in an agency
AI is developing so rapidly right now that the next few years will see untold change to how agencies operate and function. AI and tech will revolutionise research, data, insight, strategy, strategy development, creative and production, but can a machine ever replace the humble Account Manager/Director? We hear from client services team about why they can’t be replaced by technology and the platforms who say they can.
12pm
Feature: Fireside Chat
The Drum’s Editor interviews a leading brand CMO.
12.20pm
Analysis: Going In-House
With AI making research, strategy, creative and production so much faster and cheaper will we see more brands take their marketing in-house? Our expert panels discuss the pros and cons for brands of going ‘in-house’, the unique challenges it presents and look at where in-housing has succeeded and failed.
12.40pm
Analysis - The State of Martech in 2025
What does the sensible tech stack look like in 2025/26 and are brands really getting value from their tech stack?
1pm
Lunch
2pm
Feature: Game Show: A Question of Sports (Marketing)
Two teams of marketing experts go head to head in The Drum’s homage to the top TV games show to discuss the big opportunities around sports and sports entertainment marketing.
2.30pm
News: Afternoon Editorial Conference
Join The Drum’s senior editors and invited guests to update on the day's major news stories and find out if any of the morning’s discussed stories have developed.
2.50pm
Feature: Fireside Chat
We catch up with a leading brand CMO to find out which industry stories/events/challenges are grabbing their attention right now and why?
3.10pm
Rapid-Fire Insights: 15-Minute Power Talk
Get ready for a fast-paced, high-energy session packed with valuable insights. In just 15 minutes, industry experts will cut straight to the point, sharing bold ideas, key trends, and actionable takeaways to inspire and inform. No fluff—just powerful marketing insights delivered at speed!
3.25pm
Break
3.55pm
Analysis: Question Time – CMOs on the Spot
We host an open Q&A session with global brand CMOs to discuss and debate the challenges and opportunities facing them in 2025/26. Attendees will have the opportunity to submit their questions earlier in the day and hear the CMOs answer their questions.
4.30pm
Analysis: Under The Influencers
Have the rules changes in 2025? With Unilever revealing more than 50% of its budget is now spent on social and influencers what does that mean for the future of advertising and media? Our panel of advertising experts, influencers and social specialists look to the future.
4.50pm
Opinion: Closing Keynote
A business heavyweight rounds up the day with what 2026 holds for business.
5.10pm
Diary: It’s a Wrap!
The Drum’s editorial team brings the editorial day to a close with an overview of what we have covered, published and a few ‘funnies’ from the day.
5.15pm
Hit the bar
Relax and network over a few drinks to bring The Drum Live to a close for 2025.
11.45am
Privacy centric growth – everything a marketer needs to know in 2024
In partnership with
From regulation changes to customer demand and an AI-led tech evolution, brands looking to grow in 2024 are adapting to a new marketing landscape with data privacy at its core. Join Google and industry leaders for a deep dive into everything you should be thinking about as a brand to maximize the privacy-centric growth opportunities for 2024, with key insights, strategies and tools to drive value with consent-based first-party data, while respecting customer privacy.
Jenni Baker
senior editor – branded content, The Drum
Judy Dinmore
performance industry manager, Google
Charlie Edge
senior marketing strategy and planning manager, The Open University
Katie Eyton
chief ethics and compliance officer, Omnicom Media Group UK
Stay tuned...
Our exciting agenda will be revealed soon. In the meantime see the range of topics that will be covered at the event below.
Consumer Technology
Retail Media
Entertainment and Sport
Food and Drink
