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Digiday’s guide to what’s in and out for Advertising Week NY 2026

Keep up to date with Digiday’s annual coverage of Advertising Week in New York. More from the series →

Advertising Week New York opens Monday at The Penn District, and the industry has moved on since last year. Creators now pitch brands without an agency in the room. AI agents have started doing the shopping for their owners and OpenAI has an ad sales team. Here’s what’s in and what’s out.

In
OpenAi’s vp of monetization
Out 
Perplexity’s head of publisher partnerships

In 
Making Dhar Mann chief creator officer
Out 
Making Dhar Mann a speaker

In
Selling AI-made UGC
Out 
Selling creator-made UGC

In 
Pitching podcasts in a deal room
Out 
Pitching podcasts on a panel

In 
Asking if the shopper is a bot
Out 
Asking if the viewer is a bot

In
VIZIO pitching with Walmart
Out 
VIZIO pitching aline

In
Sending the team CMO
Out 
Sending the point guard

In 
Pitching creators to answer engines
Out 
Pitching creators to algorithms 

In
Snap sending researchers 
Out 
Snap sending its president of Americas

In 
Microsoft XBox selling ads
Out  
Microsoft Advertising selling Microsoft ads 

In
Uber sending its measurement lead
Out 
Uber sending its ads chief

In
Model makers hoisting dinners
Out 
Chip makers sitting on panels

In 
Journalists who left the network
Out 
Journalists still at the network

In 
Zero degrees of Kevin Bacon
Out 
One degree of Kevin Bacon

In 
Bravo cast members
Out 
Love Island cast members

In 
Robots handing out samples
Out 
Brand ambassadors handing out samples

In 
Christina Milian at Kareoke 
Out 
Omaron on the main stage

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