Digiday Publishing Summit: Prices rise Aug. 5

Hear from execs at The New York Times, Thomson Reuters, Trusted Media Brands and many others

SECURE YOUR SEAT

Digiday Media Buying Summit

October 15-17, 2025 || Phoenix, AZ

If you don’t know the meaning of the phrase agentic AI, you may already be behind the times. Generative AI’s explosion across media and marketing has ushered in all sorts of new innovations – but also challenges – to the media agency world. Search is being upended, talent and staffing are already feeling the impact – and the industry has been playing with machine-learning for a decade now but still finding new uses.

Beyond AI, the challenges and opportunities shaping media buying and marketing are myriad: the power and inconsistencies of the creator economy, connected TV’s massive growth but confused marketplace, retail media’s surge as a full-funnel channel, the increased ability to invest programmatically, new measurement tools that come with asterisks in their quality or use and the cloud over diversity as an initiative but its continued importance to the media agency ecosystem.

The Digiday Media Buying Summit equips you with the knowledge, strategies and connections you need to navigate this ever-changing media buying and marketing landscape through keynote and fireside discussions and informed panelists. And our signature agency-only Town Halls enable the sharing of pain points as well as solutions to overcome them that you can take back to your colleagues who aren’t lucky enough to attend.

Prices on passes increase after August 5. Add a calendar reminder.

Speakers

  • speaker
    Allison BakkenCOLLECTIVE MEASURESCO-PRESIDENT, MANAGING DIRECTOR
  • speaker
    AMANDA DEVITOBUTLER/TILLCHIEF MARKETING OFFICER
  • speaker
    Eric BeeneVML CHIEF ANALYTICS & DATA OFFICER
  • speaker
    Evan HorowitzMOVERS + SHAKERSCHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
  • speaker
    Nili KlenoffMASTERCARDEVP, NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT & CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE, DATA & SERVICES
  • speaker
    Will MestayerSIERRA NEVADA BREWING COMPANYDIRECTOR OF CONNECTED COMMERCE
  • speaker
    Sara OwensAXM (Ars X Machina)SVP, ANALYTICS & DATA SCIENCE
  • speaker
    JENNY PENICHINFLUENCERPRESIDENT, NORTH AMERICA
  • speaker
    Kern SchiresonKNOWNCHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
  • speaker
    Tim RingelMEET THE PEOPLEGLOBAL CEO
  • speaker
    Christine SchraderWPROMOTEVICE PRESIDENT, STRATEGIC INNOVATION
See all Speakers

Agenda

1:30 p.m.
Registration Opens

Please pick up your badges at the registration desk.

2:00 p.m.
Opening Remarks

Join us as the editorial team kicks off the event with the state of the industry.

speaker

Michael Bürgi

SENIOR EDITOR, MEDIA BUYING AND PLANNING

DIGIDAY

speaker

Sara Jerde

MANAGING EDITOR

DIGIDAY MEDIA

2:15 p.m.
The Shifting Sands of Media Buying

Join Will Mestayer of Sierra Nevada Brewing Company and Sara Owens of AXM as they discuss the power of data in a privacy-first world. With first-party data being the new north star, Sara and Will will discuss alternative identification and measurement solutions, including contextual approaches.

speaker

Sara Owens

SVP, ANALYTICS & DATA SCIENCE

AXM (Ars X Machina)

speaker

Will Mestayer

DIRECTOR OF CONNECTED COMMERCE

SIERRA NEVADA BREWING COMPANY

speaker
Moderator
Sara Jerde
2:35 p.m.
The AI Revolution in Search

Search as we know it is being fundamentally upended by AI. Christine Shader, VP of Strategic Innovation at wPromote, will explore how AI’s deep integration into search engines and user interfaces is transforming the way people discover information, products, and services.

speaker

Christine Schrader

VICE PRESIDENT, STRATEGIC INNOVATION

WPROMOTE

speaker
Moderator
Michael Bürgi
2:55 p.m.
Sponsor Workshop
3:10 p.m.
AI Regulation: Driving Transformation or Stifling Innovation?

The evolving landscape of AI regulation (or its absence) will profoundly shape the future of technology and business. In this session, Tim Ringel, Global CEO at Meet the People, will discuss the potential impacts of various regulatory approaches on innovation, ethical AI development, and industry transformation, examining how compliance and policy will drive strategic decisions.

speaker

Tim Ringel

GLOBAL CEO

MEET THE PEOPLE

speaker
Moderator
Sara Jerde
3:30 p.m.
Sponsor Workshop
3:45 p.m.
Influencer & Creator Marketing: Building Authentic Connections at Scale

Jenny Penich, President NA at Influencer, will discuss  effective strategies for influencer and creator marketing, including how to identify the right partners, craft compelling campaigns, measure impact beyond vanity metrics, and foster authentic relationships that resonate with target audiences and drive measurable results.

speaker

JENNY PENICH

PRESIDENT, NORTH AMERICA

INFLUENCER

speaker
Moderator
Michael Bürgi
4:05 p.m.
Networking Break

Grab a coffee and connect with your peers before the Town Hall.Enjoy a cold beverage before publishers head into 8-Minute Meetings.

4:20 p.m.
Town Hall & Challenge Board
Agencies & Brands Only.
Join us for a Town Hall session where we will create a challenge board and have an open and candid discussion about the industry.
speaker

Michael Bürgi

SENIOR EDITOR, MEDIA BUYING AND PLANNING

DIGIDAY

speaker

Sara Jerde

MANAGING EDITOR

DIGIDAY MEDIA

5:15 p.m.
VIP Cocktail Reception

Enjoy a cold beverage before publishers head into 8-Minute Meetings.

5:30 p.m.
10-Minute Meetings

The 10-Minute Meetings are designed to help connect participants with innovative technology platforms and build valuable business relationships.

6:35 p.m.
Cocktail Reception

Join us for a cocktail to wrap up Day 1. Open to All.

8:30 a.m.
Breakfast

Grab a bite to eat before Day 2 sessions begin.

9:00 a.m.
Opening Remarks
speaker

Michael Bürgi

SENIOR EDITOR, MEDIA BUYING AND PLANNING

DIGIDAY

speaker

Sara Jerde

MANAGING EDITOR

DIGIDAY MEDIA

9:05 a.m.
The Rise of Retail Media

Hear from two brands as they discuss how strategic retail media investments can be seamlessly integrated into an omnichannel approach to drive measurable growth and enhance the customer journey across all touchpoints.

speaker

Nili Klenoff

EVP, NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT & CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE, DATA & SERVICES

MASTERCARD

speaker
Moderator
Sara Jerde
9:25 a.m.
A Case for Employee-Owned Agencies

In this session, Butler/Till’s Amanda Devito and Collective Measures ‘ Allison Bakken will discuss how employee-owned agencies are fostering talent, driving transparency, and building sustainable growth in the digital age.

speaker

AMANDA DEVITO

CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER

BUTLER/TILL

speaker

Allison Bakken

CO-PRESIDENT, MANAGING DIRECTOR

COLLECTIVE MEASURES

speaker
Moderator
Michael Bürgi
9:45 a.m.
Sponsor Workshop
10:00 a.m.
The Evolving Role of Data in Modern Media Buying

Join Eric Beane, Chief Analytics and Data Officer at VML, as he explores the dynamic landscape of data utilization in today’s media buying. This session will delve into the latest trends and ever-evolving use cases, revealing how data is continuously reshaping strategy, optimization, and measurement in the pursuit of greater media effectiveness.

speaker

Eric Beene

CHIEF ANALYTICS & DATA OFFICER

VML

speaker
Moderator
Michael Bürgi
10:20 a.m.
Sponsor Dialogue
10:30 a.m.
Cracking the Virality Code: How We Get Millions of Organic Views and Drive Fandom

Come behind the scenes and learn how we consistently drive viral reach for brands like e.l.f. Cosmetics, Tinder, and Adobe. There’s an art to reading the cultural tea leaves, building social-native creative, and unleashing it in the right place at the right time. Creative agency Movers+Shakers will open up its playbook so you learn how to create culture, not just follow trends. This is the path to millions of organic views and passionate fandom.

speaker

Evan Horowitz

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

MOVERS + SHAKERS

speaker
Moderator
Michael Bürgi
10:50 a.m.
Networking & Coffee Break

Grab a coffee and connect with your peers before the Town Hall begins.

11:00 a.m.
Town Hall & Challenge Board
Agencies & Brands Only.
Join us for a Town Hall session where we will create a challenge board and have an open and candid discussion about the industry.
12:00 p.m.
Lunch

Open to All.

1:00 p.m.
Afternoon Activities
5:15 p.m.
VIP Cocktail Hour

Grab a cold beverage before 8-Minute Meetings Begin.

5:30 p.m.
10-Minute Meetings

The 10-Minute Meetings are designed to help connect participants with innovative technology platforms and build valuable business relationships.

6:35 p.m.
Cocktail Reception
Join us for a cocktail to wrap up Day 2. Open to All.

Today’s Highlight

5:30 p.m.
10-Minute Meetings
8:30 a.m.
Breakfast

Grab a bite to eat before Day 2 sessions begin.

9:00 a.m.
Opening Remarks
speaker

Michael Bürgi

SENIOR EDITOR, MEDIA BUYING AND PLANNING

DIGIDAY

speaker

Sara Jerde

MANAGING EDITOR

DIGIDAY MEDIA

9:05 a.m.
Unlocking New Audiences with Creator-Led CTV Strategies

This session will explore the strategic imperative of moving creator content from traditional social platforms to CTV, demonstrating how this shift can lead to deeper engagement, richer storytelling, and more impactful brand integrations.

9:25 a.m.
Data Privacy in the AI Age: Consumer Sentiment and Trust

This session will explore public perceptions, concerns, and expectations regarding how AI utilizes personal data. Understand the implications for brand trust, ethical data practices, and building consumer confidence in an AI-driven world.

9:45 a.m.
The AI Revolution in Search: Reimagining Discovery and Intent

This session will explore how AI’s deep integration into search engines and user interfaces is transforming how people discover information, products, and services. Understand the implications for SEO, content strategy, and the very nature of consumer intent.

10:05 a.m.
A Look at one Agency’s AI Platform

This session will provide an in-depth examination of the capabilities, limitations, and real-world applications of one agency’s AI platform.

See Full Day

Past Attendees

Sponsors

Venue

JW Marriott Desert Ridge

5350 E Marriott Dr Phoenix
AZ 85054

Pass Options

Connect Pass
$3,145
  • Super Early Rate
    Price increases to $3,395 after Aug. 5
  • • Access to three days of key insights and honest discussion
  • Three one-on-one 8-Minute Meetings with executives of your choice
  • • Early access to book the one-to-one meetings of your choice
  • • Networking functions including meals, cocktail receptions, attendee activities and more
  • • Access to our meeting scheduler to help you find the perfect prospects
  • Media buying execs: You may be eligible for a discounted Agency Pass. Contact us here to find out.
Buy Now
Best Value
Premium Connect Pass
$4,745
  • Super Early Rate
    Price increases to $4,945 after Aug. 5
  • • Access to three days of key insights and honest discussion
  • Five one-on-one 8-Minute Meetings with executives of your choice
  • • Early access to book the one-to-one meetings of your choice
  • • Networking functions including meals, cocktail receptions, attendee activities and more
  • • Access to our meeting scheduler to help you find the perfect prospects
  • Media buying execs: You may be eligible for a discounted Agency Pass. Contact us here to find out.
Buy Now

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