Begin your day by connecting with fellow marketers and exploring exhibitor offerings at the Business Design Centre.

Join us as we officially kick off day two of Performance Marketing Unlocked 2025 with a warm welcome from our event chair. Get an overview of the day ahead and insights into what’s in store!

Join Dr. Grace Kite, esteemed economist and founder of Magic Numbers, as she shares groundbreaking insights into the evolving landscape of performance marketing. Expect data-driven strategies and expert analysis to help you navigate the future with confidence.

Join Reem Makari, News Reporter at Performance Marketing World, as she sits down with Jordan Schwarzenberger, CEO of Sidemen, for an insightful fireside chat. Expect an engaging discussion on brand-building, digital influence, and the evolving creator economy.

What's it like to cover the performance marketing industry as a journalist? In this special session, the PMW team will reveal how they deal with off the record exposes, industry secrets and their favourite marketing scoops while covering adland.

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

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

• AI, Tech & Data Stage: Joseph Arthur, Multimedia Editor at Performance Marketing World
• Paid Media Stage: Robin Langford, Editor at Performance Marketing World
• Culture Stage: Reem Makari, News Reporter at Performance Marketing World
• Influencers, Partners & Affiliates Stage: Natasha Phillips, Founder + Director, Great Things
• eCommerce Stage: Marie-Clare Puffett, Industry Development & Insights Director at IAB Europe

It’s never been harder for brands to forge a clear path through the complexities of modern marketing—understanding your audience and configuring the optimal mix of channels, communication strategies and technology to engage them takes time, effort, lots of data, people and budget. At least it used to.

Join Brave Bison to discover how performance marketers are using AI to bridge the gap between meticulous strategic planning and the need for rapid, data-driven decision-making. Learn how you can use AI to:

• Surface actionable audience insights for faster, smarter decisions
• Prioritise marketing objectives to maximise your budget's impact
• Test and refine strategic approaches and creative ideas at lightning speed
• Achieve better results—faster, more affordably, and with greater confidence
  

Competing with Google on search has never been easy— exhibit A: Microsoft Bing. But the tides are changing with the increasing scrutiny of Google's monopolistic practices, compounded by the developments of AI which bring into question search as we know it. Hear from JP Schmetz, founder of the search engine that in 2021 became Brave Search, now the world's fastest-growing independent search engine since Bing. His talk covers the history of Brave Search on our path to commercial viability with ads, and how we've achieved the scale necessary to perform for the world's leaders in paid search.

Join our expert panel as we dissect the explosive rise of CTV and how it is transforming the performance marketing landscape. With over 19 million UK households now equipped with at least one CTV device, the shift to streaming is creating unprecedented opportunities to connect with highly engaged audiences.

• 80% of UK homes stream content weekly. How is CTV viewership reshaping the media landscape, redefining consumer behaviour, and presenting new marketing possibilities?
• Learn how CTV’s advanced targeting capabilities enable brands to reach relevant audiences with pinpoint accuracy across every stage of the marketing funnel.
• Discover the latest CTV measurement tools – from tracking conversions to measuring offline actions like in-store visits
• Dive into the techniques proven to boost engagement and drive consumer action

Brands are increasingly relying on affiliate marketing for greater control and precision in their performance strategies. This panel will discuss how affiliates deliver clear, measurable results, helping brands overcome the unpredictability of other channels. We’ll explore the key challenges brands face, such as fraud management and partner alignment, and the innovative solutions they have developed to optimise affiliate programs for sustainable growth and success.

• Why affiliate marketing offers unmatched control and transparency.
• Tackling challenges like fraud and partner misalignment.
• Optimising affiliate strategies for scalable, measurable growth.

Moderator: Anna Vassilissin, Director Customer Success, Partnerize

Join us to hear how Charles Tyrwhitt streamlined their global marketing efforts by centralizing product data feeds. Learn about their strategies, the benefits of consistent data across diverse markets, and how they leverage data-driven solutions for enhanced marketing performance. Discover how they refined targeting in the UK and US and boosted product visibility across multiple channels like Google, Meta, CJ, and Attentive.

The search landscape is undergoing a profound transformation, with AI-generated results and zero-click searches reshaping the way people interact with brands on this channel.  

In 2024, nearly 60% of Google searches ended without a click, with users finding instant answers directly on the search results page. This shift has major implications for brands and marketers, as traditional traffic-driving strategies are no longer sufficient. It's time to examine how search is evolving and rethink our approach.   

We identified key opinion leaders in search marketing and analysed their publications on social channels, specialised media, and forums to uncover their views on the future of search and how they are adapting to this changing landscape. 

We'll explore how societal, technological, economic, environmental, and political factors are shaping the future of search, and what it means for you as a marketer.

• How Google is evolving 
  
  

• What are the challenges facing the search marketing industry 
  
  

• How to adapt to continue delivering value 
  

• What to prioritise in such an uncertain time

As consumer search behaviour shifts from traditional search engines to social platforms, brands must adapt or risk losing visibility. With nearly 40% of Gen Z turning to social media for answers, social search is redefining how consumers discover products and make decisions. This session will explore how brands can capitalise on the rise of social search by creating authentic, engaging content that connects with consumers at the top of the funnel.

 - Harnessing Discovery: How to craft content that taps into social search’s unique, inspiration-led journey.

- Emotional Storytelling: Why building connections through storytelling is key to winning in social search.

- Cross-Platform Search Strategies: Adapting to new consumer behaviours and balancing social and traditional search approaches for maximum impact.

- Future Trends: The evolution of social search and its impact on advertising spend and search algorithms.

This talk is aimed at exploring how to create effective marketing communications by understanding human factors. No matter the channel, the fundamental human element stays constant. It’s crucial to tap into our audience's inherent behaviours and tendencies. We’ll discuss the model and practical methods for testing human factors to drive impactful results.

How big is the UK affiliate and partner marketing opportunity and what issues is the industry tackling to guarantee it both survives and thrives? The Affiliate & Partner Marketing Association will give you a whistlestop tour of the £1.7bn affiliate industry that now drives one in ten online retail sales. Whether you’re an agency, advertiser, publisher or supplier, this session has something for everyone, and will cover the core projects shaping the affiliate channel's future. Cookies, affiliate standards, industry trends and best practice all get a nod in this information-packed session that will arm you with the latest insights for your business and affiliate programme.

For e-commerce brands, building a community is more than just fostering engagement—it’s a powerful strategy to boost sales and drive long-term customer loyalty. In this fireside chat, we’ll explore how successful e-commerce brands are creating vibrant, loyal communities that enhance customer retention, increase engagement, and directly impact revenue. Discover how cultivating brand advocates can transform your e-commerce business and improve performance metrics across the board.

• Proven strategies for building and nurturing a community around your e-commerce brand.
• How community-driven engagement leads to higher conversion rates and customer retention.
• The measurable impact of strong brand communities on business growth and performance.

The divide between brand marketing and performance remains a challenge, leading to inefficiencies and difficulty in proving ROI. This fireside chat will explore how brands can bridge this gap, align media activation with customer engagement, and leverage real-time data to drive better conversion outcomes. Expect a practical discussion on overcoming data fragmentation, stakeholder expectations, and the “conversion gap”, along with real-world strategies for unlocking growth. Get insights on AI-driven automation, the future of omnichannel marketing, and precision targeting.

 Key topics include:

- The biggest challenges in managing the conversion journey

- How integrating brand marketing and performance unlocks efficiency

 - Real-life strategies to drive better customer engagement and conversions

- Future trends: AI, first-party data, and the rise of CTV & DOOH

- Practical tips on account-based marketing and audience targeting

Mobile gaming is exploding, and brands that tap into this world stand to win. Join us for a deep dive into bold strategies to elevate your brand in the gaming space—integrating products into gameplay, gamified shopping, and forging strategic sponsorships. Discover how to drive engagement, and stay ahead of future trends in this rapidly evolving landscape.

Gen Z is rewriting the marketing playbook. Born digital, this savvy generation demands authenticity, personalisation, and purpose-driven messaging. Join us for a fireside chat that unravels the secrets to connecting with Gen Z and driving conversions.

- Hyper-Curated Experiences: Discover why 76% of Gen Z want brands to tailor their messages.

- Mobile-First Storytelling: Learn how to captivate Gen Z with short-form video and interactive content.

- Conversions Through Connection: Understand why influencer partnerships and user-generated content are key to driving sales.

- Storytelling that Resonates: Explore how authentic storytelling can build trust and loyalty with this demanding demographic.

Enjoy a delicious meal while networking with fellow attendees.

More information will be available shortly.

In today’s fast-evolving digital landscape, relying on a single paid media channel or strategy is no longer enough to stay competitive. To unlock sustainable growth, brands must diversify their paid media efforts and embrace innovative approaches that reach audiences across platforms. This fireside chat will delve into how performance marketers can drive better results by expanding beyond traditional tactics and exploring new channels, formats, and technologies.

- Breaking Free from Channel Dependency: Explore how brands can reduce reliance on a single platform by leveraging a broader media mix

- Innovative Campaign Strategies: Discover how to push the boundaries with creative formats such as dynamic ads, interactive experiences, and AI-driven campaigns to capture attention and drive higher engagement.

- Testing and Optimising Across Channels: Learn how to experiment with new paid media avenues, from social commerce to video ads, and measure their impact across the funnel with multi-channel attribution.

- Resilience Through Diversification: Understand how spreading your media spend across a range of channels can make your brand more adaptable to market shifts and algorithm changes, driving better ROI and long-term growth.

- Data-Driven Innovation: Use data to identify emerging trends, test new approaches, and refine your strategy to stay ahead of competitors in established and new markets.

As social media channels multiply and the boundaries between entertainment and marketing continue to blur, creators are taking centre stage in driving social strategy. In this session, we’ll analyse the evolving role of creators, how they shape brand narratives, and why their influence is reshaping the landscape of performance marketing. Discover how brands can collaborate with creators to produce engaging content, align with audience preferences, and achieve measurable results in this new era of marketing.

• The rise of creators as key drivers of social strategy.
• Blurred lines between content, entertainment, and marketing.
• Best practices for brand-creator collaborations.
• How to measure success in creator-led campaigns.

The days of one-channel marketing are over. With consumers scattered across multiple platforms, diversification is no longer a luxury—it's a necessity. Join our panel of experts as they break down why, when, and how to diversify your performance marketing channels for greater results.

• Reach More, Spend Less: Discover how a multi-channel approach can increase conversions by 300% while optimising your budget
• Know When to Expand: Understand the signs that it's time to diversify your marketing mix based on consumer behaviour and ROI
• Cost-Efficient Tactics: Learn strategies to allocate budget smartly and leverage emerging platforms for maximum impact
• Real-World Success Stories: Hear from brands that have successfully diversified their channels and achieved measurable gains

In today’s digital landscape, User-Generated Content (UGC) and Employee-Generated Content (EGC) offer unmatched authenticity for brands, helping build trust and engagement. This session will dive into strategies for encouraging and managing UGC and EGC to create compelling brand stories that resonate with audiences. Learn how performance marketers can tap into these organic content streams, maintain quality control, and leverage them for better results in campaigns.

• Encouraging authentic UGC and EGC
• Managing content for quality and brand alignment
• Leveraging UGC/EGC to drive campaign performance

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

Featuring PMW 100 Powerlist winners and 30 Under 30 winners

The performance marketing industry is constantly evolving, yet a generational divide persists. This panel brings together seasoned experts from the PMW Powerlist and rising talents from the PMW 30 Under 30 to explore how different generations can learn from each other. By bridging this gap, teams can build more innovative, adaptable, and future-proof marketing strategies. 

• The Generational Divide in Performance Marketing: Understanding the differences in how older and younger professionals approach the industry and why this gap exists.
• Social Media & Platform Fluency: How Gen Z and Millennials leverage real-time engagement, virality, and creator-driven content on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube—and what older generations can learn from this.
• The Power of Nostalgia & Evergreen Strategies: How seasoned marketers use nostalgia-driven marketing and long-standing principles to foster community and loyalty—insights that younger marketers can integrate into their approach.
• The Evolution of Consumer Behaviour: What different generations understand about shifting consumer expectations, from traditional advertising to the rise of authenticity and community-driven marketing.
• Collaboration for Future Growth: How cross-generational teams can work together, combining innovative digital strategies with time-tested marketing fundamentals to drive success

As Performance Marketing Unlocked 2025 comes to a close, our hosts will reflect on the key insights, trends, and takeaways from the event. Join us for a final word of thanks and a look ahead at the future of performance marketing.