Future of Marketing Summit 25 - 27 August 2025
Gold Coast | Australia
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2025 Agenda

iMedia is ready for an insightful exploration into the world of Marketing. Our event features engaging keynotes, interactive panels and fireside chats led by industry experts. Discover valuable insights and actionable strategies to boost your business success. 

*Please note that session details are subject to change and will be updated regularly.

2025 Theme: Adapting to Change: Resilience in Marketing Leadership

Read more about the theme 

Day 1
Day 2
Day 3

Day 1

25 August 2025

9:00AM - 12:00PM
Delegate Registration

Delegates will arrive at the hotel to register and check in ahead of the afternoon formalities. 

* Hotel check in guarantee from 3pm.

12:30PM - 2:15PM
2:15PM - 2:30PM
Marketers and Networkers Check in

Marketers and Networkers will make their way to the Ballroom to check-in and find their tables for Business Connect with first the meeting.

2:30PM - 2:40PM
2:40PM - 3:15PM
3:15PM - 5:30PM
5:30PM - 6:45PM
Free Time

Delegates will be able to use this time to refresh, check-in with work and explore the surroundings. 

6:45PM - 7:00PM
7:00PM - 10:00PM

Day 2

26 August 2025

6:30AM - 8:30AM
Breakfast

Delegates will be provided with an amazing breakfast buffet at the hotel and freshly brewed Barista coffee to fuel up for an action-packed day ahead.

8:25AM - 8:35AM
Opening Remarks
Event Host and Official MC
iMedia
8:35AM - 9:15AM
The Augmented CMO: Leveraging AI to Amplify Human Creativity and Strategic Vision

As customer intent becomes more complex and fleeting, the traditional role of the CMO is under pressure. Consumers now move through decision journeys that are fast, unpredictable, and heavily influenced by context—making old-school marketing models feel increasingly out of step.

This session explores how marketing leadership needs to evolve to keep pace, focusing on the role of AI in decoding and responding to shifting customer expectations.

What’s covered:

  • Why the familiar funnel no longer fits, and what marketing leaders must do when journeys become moment-driven and nonlinear
  • How the most effective CMOs are moving beyond creative oversight to become architects of human-AI collaboration
  • The new skills marketing leaders need—from understanding AI’s capabilities to managing its ethical use
  • The pitfalls faced by CMOs who can’t connect creative instinct with tech-powered execution
  • How forward-thinking teams are restructured to blend imagination with intelligence, ensuring speed and relevance at every touchpoint
This is a look at the past, present, and future of customer intent—and how AI is rewriting the rules. The CMO of tomorrow won’t just use AI—they’ll rethink their entire role to bridge the gap between human needs and machine-powered marketing. Those who don’t risk falling behind, no matter how strong their brand or market share.
Strategic Innovation Consultant & Fractional CTO
9:15AM - 9:40AM
9:40AM - 10:05AM
10:05AM - 10:35AM
Coffee Break

Take a breather and enjoy a refreshing morning tea break. It's a great time to unwind, mingle with other attendees, and prepare for the next set of discussions.

10:35AM - 11:10AM
Marketing Mastermind Roundtables 1

Join us for a series of dynamic roundtable discussions where collaboration leads to innovation. In these 30-minute sessions, you’ll connect with industry peers to tackle common challenges, exchange success stories and explore cutting-edge strategies shaping the future of marketing. Forge meaningful connections, explore best practices, and become an integral part of the marketing community’s evolution.

Round Tables
11:10AM - 11:20AM
Brand Purpose in 2025: More Than Just a Mission Statement
Consumers are done with surface-level promises. Dive into how the most successful brands are redefining purpose—making it actionable, relatable, and central to everything they do.
11:20AM - 11:25AM
Quick Transition
11:25AM - 12:00PM
Marketing Mastermind Roundtables 2

Join us for a series of dynamic roundtable discussions where collaboration leads to innovation. In these 30-minute sessions, you'll connect with industry peers to tackle common challenges, exchange success stories and explore cutting-edge strategies shaping the future of marketing. Forge meaningful connections, explore best practices, and become an integral part of the marketing community's evolution.

 

Round Tables
12:00PM - 12:10PM
12:10PM - 12:20PM
12:20PM - 12:25PM
Transition Time
12:25PM - 1:00PM
Marketing Mastermind Roundtables 3

Join us for a series of dynamic roundtable discussions where collaboration leads to innovation. In these 30-minute sessions, you'll connect with industry peers to tackle common challenges, exchange success stories and explore cutting-edge strategies shaping the future of marketing. Forge meaningful connections, explore best practices, and become an integral part of the marketing community's evolution.

 
Round Tables
1:00PM - 5:00PM
Activity
Sailing in Paradise

Step aboard your very own private catamaran and get ready for an afternoon of sailing through the stunning Gold Coast Broadwater—your new personal playground. Surrounded by sparkling turquoise waters and breathtaking views, you’ll feel like you’ve just stepped into a postcard.

Sail the Gold Coast's magnificent waterways from Southport to Sovereign Islands, cruise past sensational superyachts, visit isolated islands and pristine beaches, experience the thrill of sailing in complete comfort, and if the wind strikes, we will 'raft up' for a party on the water.

It’s the perfect mix of relaxation, adventure, and laughs, all set against the best backdrop imaginable. So, hop aboard for an unforgettable day on the water!

Dress code alert: Swimmers and towel (if you plan to swim), jacket (for cooler days),  sunglasses and sunscreen, and shoes that you can easily slip off.

Paint & Sip

Ready to unleash your inner Picasso? Join us for a 3-hour paint and sip session at the Sheraton Grand Mirage, where you'll get to sip wine, snack on nibbles, and (attempt to) create a masterpiece. Our team of expert artists will walk you through everything from beginner brushstrokes to advanced techniques, but don’t worry—we’ll leave plenty of room for you to go rogue.

By the end of the day, even if your “abstract” art looks like a toddler’s masterpiece, you’ll still leave with something you can proudly hang on your fridge.

5:00PM - 6:30PM
Free Time
6:30PM - 9:30PM
Starlight Reception
Join us for an evening of networking under the stars at the Langham's Coral Moon, featuring gourmet food stations and beverages to enhance your networking experience.

Day 3

27 August 2025

6:30AM - 8:45AM
Breakfast

Day 3 begins with breakfast and barista coffee!

8:45AM - 9:00AM
MC Opening Remarks
Event Host and Official MC
iMedia
9:00AM - 9:35AM
9:35AM - 10:00AM
10:00AM - 10:10AM
10:10AM - 10:45AM
Coffee Break

Need a break from absorbing all this incredible content? Recharge and refuel with some morning tea. It's the perfect opportunity to relax, network, and prepare for the next wave of insightful sessions.

10:45AM - 11:10AM
The New Attention Economy: Cutting Through the Noise
With more content than ever competing for consumer attention, how do brands break through? Traditional advertising is losing its grip, and fleeting digital interactions make it harder to build lasting connections. This session delves into the neuroscience of attention, the psychology of consumer decision-making, and the creative strategies brands are using to hold interest in an era of constant distraction. Walk away with actionable insights to make your brand impossible to ignore.
11:10AM - 11:25AM
11:25AM - 11:35AM
11:35AM - 12:10PM
Survive and thrive: Rediscovering resilience in the age of uncertainty

Don’t mix business and politics? Those days are long gone! Today’s brand leaders must navigate geopolitics, big personalities and the economic impact of disruption at scale. You know this story: Tariffs, interest rates, regulatory threats, psychosocial hazards, and trying to read the room on DEI – what’s right for customers and the business? This unmissable, high-energy closing session brings to the stage two of Australia’s experts in the intersection of politics, marketing and brand strategy to tackle the ultimate riddle: How can marketers survive and thrive in the age of uncertainty?”

 Josh Faulks, CEO at AANA and former dep. chief of staff for the Attorney-General, along and Emma Webster, Director at Hawker Britton and former advisor to Prime Minister Julia Gillard join facilitator and iMedia Advisory Board Chair Mark Jones on stage for a fearless conversation about life for CMOs and marketers in 2026.  

Recording live for The CMO Show podcast, this session will feature interactive audience polls as the panel dissects everything from US politics and its local influence, as well as lessons in personal branding and effective messaging for professional legacy.
 
Key discussion topics:
  • The power of polarisation: What can CMOs learn from President Trump’s branding playbook?
  • Brand strategy in a divided world: How can CMO’s best represent customer interests in 2026?
  • Resilience amid chaos: Why a CMO’s personal brand matters more than ever. 
Key Takeaways:
  • Insights into building a compelling personal brand in a polarised environment.
  • Strategies for corporate brands to engage authentically amidst societal divisions.
  • Lessons from political branding applicable to marketing leadership and strategy.
Join us for an engaging and interactive discussion that bridges the worlds of politics and marketing, offering fresh perspectives on leadership and brand identity in today’s dynamic landscape.
Brand Strategist and Executive Impact Coach
Impact Institute
Director
Hawker Britton
CEO
Australian Association of National Advertisers
12:10PM - 12:25PM
Closing Remarks/Ultimate Networker Prize
Be crowned the Ultimate networker and win a fabulous prize!
12:30PM - 1:30PM
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3

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