The ad tech industry is changing at lightning speed. It can be hard to keep up with the new tools in automation, mergers, partnerships, and acronyms, but attending industry conferences is key to keeping pace with this rapidly changing market. The following 5 events have been hand-picked, tried and tested by our internal ad tech specialists.
We look to come away from these conferences with actionable insights and to meet knowledgeable professionals looking to leverage the latest trends across programmatic and mobile to stay ahead of the curve. So here is a guide to the top not-to-miss ad tech events coming up this year:
Adage Marketing & Technology Summit
Date: April 14-15
Location: Pier 26, New York City
Speakers include:
Omar Johnson - CMO of Beats Electronics
Adam Broitman - VP, Global Digital Marketing, MasterCard
Tressie Lieberman - Senior Director Digital Marketing Platforms, Taco Bell
Bob Rupczynski - VP, Media, Data and Consumer Engagement, Kraft
Why Attend:
Ad Age’s iconic Digital Conference started 9 years ago but is undergoing a change this year. While digital was the next best thing in 2004, come to the April event to see what’s coming next. Presentations and panels will tackle the issues that are impacting advertising’s growth, such as the new call for ‘attention metrics’ (is time the new currency?), understanding the changing demands of the CMO role and creating new mobile experiences using time-tested storytelling models.
Expect to see attendees that span the advertising ecosystem, executive speakers from both consumer and enterprise markets, and even some of Hollywood’s finest (Rosario Dawson will be presenting on Story Making and getting the brand/celebrity equation right).
Register here
Programmatic I/O
Date: April 16, 2015
Location: Westin St. Francis Hotel, San Francisco, CA
Speakers include:
Emily Scott Frankel - VP of Digital Marketing & Innovation at Kayak
Jane McDonough - Exchange Director at Twitter
Jonathan Nelson - CEO of Omnicom Digital
Chris Pirrone - GM of Sports DIgital Properties at USA TODAY
Why Attend:
Focused entirely on programmatic media and marketing, you can expect presentations to give a detailed look into the future state of the industry, as well as how to manage the newest data sources available. Google, AOL, Omnicon Group and AdExchanger’s leading analysts will shed light on what to expect next, but those wanting more hands-on training will get their fix by hearing about implementing DMPs and assigning meaningful measurement to your data sources.
Attendees should book by April 3rd for their San Francisco visit if they’d like to take advantage of the group rates offered by the Westin St. Francis Hotel.
IAB Ad Technology Marketplace: Spotlight - Programmatic
Date: May 11, 2015
Location: Crowne Plaza Hotel Manhattan, NY
Why Attend:
IAB events draw some of the best and brightest of the advertising space, and with an event in the center of New York be sure to expect a lively crowd. Spotlight: Programmatic’s focus is on Automation and Creativity, and plans to explore the growing opportunities for delivering creativity at scale given the expansion of the mass automation of relevant advertising.
Brand marketers and advertising agency executives should submit a request for a free pass for this
Admonsters - OPS
Date: June 9, 2015
Location: Metropolitan Pavillion, New York
Speakers include:
Lori Lebas - Business Operations Sales & Marketing at ESPN
Mike Germano - Chief Digital Officer of Vice
Seth Rogin - Chief Revenue Officer at Mashable
Rick Webb - Co-founder of the Barbarian Group
Why Attend:
OPS New York is less focused on industry predictions and more about how ad operations teams can improve profitability and manage its many shifting demands. Expect attendees who lead the advertising space to talk about viewability metrics, SSP management, and alternative revenue streams worth exploring.
If you’re a digital strategist looking for new ways to stay competitive and create a more efficient media system, this is a must-attend event. Register by April 9th for the best ticket price.
MMA Global: SM2 Innovation Summit
Date: September 2015
Location: New York City (Venue TBD)
Why Attend:
The MMA hosts events with industry leaders worldwide to cover what's new in mobile marketing, and the SM2 Summit is one of the best. The September event will bring together leading brands and ad tech executives to discuss the best opportunities in mobile and how to establish the right infrastructure to fully leverage what’s new. Check out the #SM2Innovation hashtag to see what was discussed in 2014.
Stay tuned for more information on the event, but plan to be in New York this September for what’s historically been an information-packed 2-day affair.
