Start your day by connecting with fellow marketers over coffee before diving into a day of insights and innovation.

Kick off the day with a warm welcome from the Performance Marketing World editorial team as they set the stage for an exciting event ahead.

Gain insights from industry leader Les Binet on balancing short-term tactics with long-term brand strategy.

An engaging discussion on content creation and audience engagement in the digital age.

This fireside chat will explore how Barbour, a brand with over 130 years of heritage, continues to evolve while maintaining its authenticity. The conversation will highlight the role of audience segmentation in shaping Barbour’s marketing strategy, the impact of digital transformation, and the balance between data and connection with your audience.

Key Discussion Points:

• Balancing Legacy & Evolution: How Barbour stays true to its roots while adapting to changing consumer expectations.
• Understanding the Barbour Audience: Insights into segmenting diverse audiences, including fashion and function.
• Navigating the Modern Media Landscape: The role of personalisation, key platforms, and balancing brand storytelling with performance marketing.

• The Future of Barbour: Emerging trends, audience engagement strategies, and advice for other brands.

Fuel up with coffee and engage in lively conversations to spark new connections and ideas.

Join this forward-thinking session with Sophie Miller of Pretty Little Marketer. We will tackle the biggest challenges—such as evolving privacy regulations, increased competition, and tech advancements—and learn about setting strategic priorities for growth. From future trends and measurement innovations to talent development, this discussion will set the tone for the next era of marketing, offering invaluable insights to keep your business ahead.

- Adapting to 2025’s challenges and opportunities

- Future trends shaping performance marketing

- Evolving strategies for measurement 

- Developing the talent and skills needed for the future

With the advent of Meridian and the continued development of Robyn amongst others, the costs and barriers to entry of media mix modelling have collapsed but how far can these off-the-shelf models take you and what does the immediate future of the science look like?

• When off the shelf MMM makes sense
• What are the dangers and pitfalls of publisher-built models?
• How you can use AI in modelling
• Does MMM effectively evaluate brand spending?
• Test and learn to make MMM actionable
• How long should custom MMM take, who should do it, and what should it cost in 2025?

The digital landscape is evolving rapidly. Are your team's skills ready for the future? Join our expert panel as we explore the essential skills that will define success in tomorrow's performance marketing landscape.

• Building an AI powered team/ Upskilling for success: how to train your team and new applicants to learn how to use AI and gain those skills early in their careers
• Data-Driven Decision Making: Understand the importance of data interpretation and analytical thinking for driving insights and optimising campaigns
• Fostering a Culture of Creativity: Putting more trust into perspectives from younger members of the team that are more fluent across social media. Taking more of a lead on campaigns and using that knowledge to build authentic connections with audiences
• Navigating Privacy Challenges: Learn how to equip your team with the skills to thrive in a privacy-focused landscape using first-party data and other innovative strategies
• Upskilling for Success: Discover the essential skills that will position your team for long-term success in performance marketing

Moderated by Reem Makari 

We're finalising the details for this session. More information will be available shortly.

Ageism remains a pervasive issue in the workplace, and marketing is no exception. Young marketers often struggle to overcome perceptions of inexperience, while mid-career professionals increasingly face age-related discrimination, sometimes driven by budgetary pressures. The consequences of ageism are far-reaching, impacting team dynamics, career development, and overall business outcomes.

This session will explore how ageism manifests at both ends of the career spectrum, with a special focus on what’s fuelling ageism towards professionals over 40, and why so many are leaving the industry.

• Fostering age-inclusive cultures: How can companies balance experience with innovation, reducing age-related biases?
• Mentorship and reverse mentoring: Encouraging intergenerational knowledge exchange to enhance skill development and creativity
• Upskilling and retaining mid-career professionals: Offering training and support to keep seasoned employees relevant in an era of cost-cutting
• Understanding budget-driven ageism: Examining how cost-saving measures may be contributing to the marginalisation of older professionals
• The business impact of ageism: Exploring how age-based discrimination affects morale, engagement, and company reputation

Enjoy a delicious meal while networking with fellow attendees.

Kick off the afternoon sessions with insights from our stage chairs:

Stage 1: AI, Tech and Data Stage -  Joseph Arthur, Multimedia Editor, Performance Marketing World

Stage 2: Paid Media Stage - Robin Langford, Editor, Performance Marketing World

Stage 3: Culture Stage - Reem Makari, News Reporter, Performance Marketing World

Stage 4: Influencers, Partners, and Affiliates Stage - Scott Gurthie, Director General, IMTB

Stage 5: Ecommerce Stage - Marie-Clare Puffett, Industry Development & Insights Director, IAB Europe

Ready to unlock the power of AI in advertising?

Join Quantcast’s lead data scientist, Sermet Baysal, as he explores how advanced AI is transforming the way we navigate the open internet. Discover how to reach your ideal audience with precision, gain deep insights, and drive real results using AI and Machine Learning.

This keynote and fireside chat will provide a front-row seat to the impact of AI-driven advertising, offering actionable insights to elevate your marketing strategies and keep you ahead of the curve.

Moderator: Ellie Lane, Head of Client Strategy UK, Quantcast

• Unlock AI's full potential: discover how letting go of traditional control unleashes scalable growth and maximises the impact of PMax campaigns.
• Overcome hidden barriers: address the unseen challenges holding back your campaigns with cutting-edge AI solutions.
• Be part of the future: join the movement redefining performance marketing by adopting AI to manage AI, positioning your team as industry leaders.

Moderator: Steve Warrington, SVP Client & Industry Engagement, Upp.ai

Marketing often fixates on youth and fleeting trends, but genuine cultural integration demands a deeper understanding. This fireside chat explores how brands can move beyond simply jumping on TikTok trends to truly embrace their authentic identity. by engaging with the full spectrum of culture - its history, context and layers- brands can provide real value to subcultures and their surrounding fandoms. Join Perla Bloom, to discover how this approach fosters meaningful connections and lasting impact in an increasingly saturated digital landscape.

Interviewer Reem Makari, News Reporter, Performance Marketing World

Influencer marketing is more than just a trend—it's a powerful tool, but many brands still struggle to unlock its full potential. In this dynamic panel, we’ll cut through the noise and dive into strategies that work. From choosing the right influencers to tracking the metrics that really matter, we’ll show you how to turn influencer partnerships into genuine business drivers.

You’ll walk away with actionable insights on how to:

• Pick the perfect influencers: Learn how to find influencers that truly align with your brand and audience
• Measure what matters: Ditch vanity metrics and discover smarter ways to track engagement, conversions, and brand sentiment
• Build authentic relationships: Explore how to foster real, lasting connections between influencers and their followers for greater impact
• Maximise ROI: Get practical tips for boosting the performance of your influencer campaigns

Moderator: Scott Guthrie, Director General, IMTB

Retailers are making a strategic play for dominance in the retail media landscape, poaching top talent from the programmatic world to fuel their ambitions. But as competition heats up and new players flood the space, the question looms: can retail media truly live up to its promise? With high stakes and an increasingly crowded landscape, brands are left to navigate a maze of opportunities and challenges.

• The rise of retail media: Understanding the factors driving the growth of this channel and its impact on the marketing landscape
• The role of first-party data: Exploring the value of high-quality customer data in retail media campaigns
• Closed-loop attribution: Discussing the benefits of measuring the direct impact of retail media investments
• Navigating the retail media landscape: Understanding the challenges and opportunities for brands looking to invest in this channel
• The importance of scale and targeting precision: Examining the factors that contribute to the success of retail media campaigns
• The future of retail media: Exploring potential trends and developments in this rapidly evolving space

We're finalising the details for this session. More information will be available shortly.

Interviewer:  Reem Makari, News Reporter, Performance Marketing World

As retailers build their own data walled gardens, accessing valuable customer insights has become one of the toughest challenges for performance marketers. In this session, we’ll uncover strategies to break through these barriers, empowering you to tap into actionable, first-party data that fuels targeted campaigns and maximises ROI.

We’ll dive into the changing landscape of retail media networks, exploring how to:

• Unlock Hidden Data: Leverage innovative partnerships, data-sharing agreements, and API integrations to access retailer data
• Enhance Targeting Precision: Combine retailer data with your own first-party data to build more complete customer profiles
• Maximise Collaboration: Navigate the complexities of working within retailer ecosystems while maintaining control over your own data
• Harness AI and Machine Learning: Supercharge your campaigns by integrating AI to predict customer behaviour and optimise spend

The customer journey is no longer linear—69.3% of consumers discover new products weekly, yet they engage with brands at least three times before purchasing. With research happening online but 83.8% of retail spending still in-store, how can brands effectively track, measure, and optimise their affiliate, partner, and influencer strategies?

This panel brings together partnership marketing leaders to explore how brands can leverage partnerships to bridge the discovery-to-purchase gap, refine attribution models, and drive performance beyond last-click measurement.

Join us for practical insights into maximising partnership marketing impact, improving cross-channel measurement, and future-proofing affiliate strategies in an increasingly fragmented digital landscape.

AI isn’t just another tech trend—it’s rewriting the playbook. But most companies are playing it safe, using AI to boost efficiency, and missing the point. AI isn’t just about cutting costs. It’s about transforming how customers interact with your brand, driving real innovation, maximising every marketing pound, and getting better and faster business insights. 

Learn how brands like Just Eat, Foot Locker and Rituals are harnessing AI to solve problems, fuel growth, and unlock value. Sick of playing catch-up? This session will show you how and where to get the most value with AI today.

Join Tug Agency and Zipcar for a case study on how a bespoke measurement tool was used to prove the value of podcasts in driving new registrations for Zipcar.

We're finalising the details for this session. More information will be available shortly.

In an industry where every click, conversation and engagement counts, we want to recognise those whose dedication and commitment has elevated the world of performance based marketing.

This session will showcase winners of the PMW Awards.

In this lively debate, an agency and a brand will go head-to-head to argue which is the best performance marketing model: in-house, outsourced, or hybrid. Each side will present their case, with the brand advocating for in-housing, citing control and alignment with company goals, while the agency champions outsourcing for flexibility, expertise, and scalability. The hybrid approach will be discussed as a compromise, but which side will make the most compelling case?

Key Debate Points:

• In-house vs. Outsourced: Which model offers better control, cost-efficiency, and results
• Aligning Models with Business Goals: How do different structures fit into varying stages of company growth
• C-Suite Buy-In: How to present and defend your chosen model to leadership
• ROI and Cost Management: Which approach is truly the most cost-effective
• Team Evolution: How each model adapts as your performance marketing needs evolve

Micro/nano influencers are rewriting the rules of influencer marketing, offering brands unmatched access to hyper-targeted, highly engaged audiences. In this session, we’ll explore why partnering with niche creators is your secret weapon for driving real results.

• The Power of Niche: How micro-influencers connect brands with loyal, high-impact audiences
• Authenticity First: Building genuine, long-term relationships that feel real—because they are
• Performance Metrics That Matter: Beyond vanity numbers—learn how to track engagement, conversions, and brand sentiment
• Micro vs. Macro: Why smaller influencers can deliver bigger returns than their superstar counterparts
• Executing with Precision: Essential tips for running killer micro-influencer campaigns that hit the mark

The rules of commerce have shifted once again. Today brands can no longer afford to let commerce and performance remain siloed. Success demands a cohesive multichannel experience, powered by a technology first approach.

In this session we will explore the top 5 things brands can do to unlock their commerce ambitions and break down the barriers between commerce and performance marketing for a more connected customer journey.

Take a break, grab a coffee, and continue the conversation with peers.

We're finalising the details for this session. More information will be available shortly.

We're finalising the details for this session. More information will be available shortly.

We're finalising the details for this session. More information will be available shortly.

As algorithms dominate more of the digital landscape, marketers are faced with the challenge of staying in control while major platforms (walled gardens) increasingly dictate terms. This session will explore how performance marketers can navigate, optimise, and maintain control over their campaigns. Learn strategies to tame the algorithm, ensure visibility, and protect your marketing autonomy in an ecosystem built by data giants.

• Strategies to maintain control over campaign performance and measurement
• Navigating platform-driven algorithms while protecting your data
• Best practices for optimising campaigns across both closed and open platforms

Is AI about to usher in a new age of enlightenment… or an ‘enshittification’ of marketing? 

In this ultimate human versus machine debate, we pit a senior marketing expert against PMW’s own AI chatbot, live on stage. 

Everyone’s heard the adage that ‘AI won’t take your job, but someone using AI will’. But is that still true in 2025? Marketing stands out as an industry heavily impacted by automation, both in terms of internal skills and consumer behavior. Do all marketers need to become ‘creative strategists’ to succeed - and can human ingenuity remain a key differentiator in an increasingly automated world?

Key debate points:

• Will AI be a net job creator or job killer for performance marketing teams in the UK? 

• What jobs are most at risk and which will benefit?

• Is AI making problems such as wasted ad spend and MFA sites worse?

• Does AI mean the death of the specialist marketer? 

• What will a typical marketing job look like in 5 years time? 

• 
  

Can a PMW special guest outfox AI in a quickfire Q&A? The audience will decide in the final debate of Day One at Unlocked.

Join us for the end of day one after party!