Agenda | iMedia Future of Marketing Summit New Zealand

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 1

30 July 2025

9:00AM - 12:00PM

Delegate Registration

Delegates will arrive at the hotel to register and check in ahead of the afternoon formalities. A welcome lounge will be set up with refreshments and snacks.

* Hotel check in guarantee from 3pm.

12:00PM - 2:00PM

Marketers-Only Lunch | The Future of Customer Experience. Making Growth Work.

This isn’t a pitch. It’s a challenge to rethink how we grow, why we grow, and where the real opportunities lie. Growth has never been more complex, or more contested. But with the right clarity and focus, complexity can create opportunity. In this session, we’ll explore how the future of growth is tied directly to the way businesses design and deliver customer experiences that matter.

Forget sweeping transformation programs and vague promises. The next era of CX is about precision:

Insight-led action – smart, incremental moves that drive meaningful progress.
Predictive growth modeling – spotting the highest-impact opportunities across the customer journey.
Focused problem-solving – identifying and tackling the right challenges to unlock sustainable growth.

We’ll share real-world examples and practical tools to help you build a CX strategy that delivers results; growth that’s not just bigger, but better. Growth that’s rooted in creativity, driven by data, and aligned with the values customers care about most. The future of CX is about leading with purpose, cutting through the noise, and finding the levers that move the needle.

Dave Bentley

Managing Director
AKQA

Matt Townsend

Executive Product Director
AKQA

David Clarke

Executive Experience Design Director
AKQA

Networkers Briefing Light Lunch

All networkers will be treated to a light lunch. Discover how to maximise your experience at iMedia, gain valuable insider tips, and ensure all your meetings are scheduled for Business Connect.

2:00PM - 2:30PM

Welcome & Opening Remarks

Join Helena Stylman and the iMedia team for a warm welcome. Helena will guide you through the top industry topics identified by our Advisory Board. It’s a great chance to catch up on the latest trends and insights in the field.

Helena Stylman

Managing Director ANZ
iMedia

2:30PM - 2:55PM

Plugged In: The Creative Spark Behind Retail Media

Retail media is evolving fast—and creativity is becoming the game-changer. Alex Lawson from Market Media sets the scene with a look at the creative opportunities shaping this space, before moderating a conversation with NZ Marketer of the Year 2024 Frankie Coulter, Karla Watts from The Warehouse and Kate Heatley from DDB Aotearoa. Together, they’ll unpack the thinking behind the Vogel’s Toaster campaign and what it reveals about the future of brand, retailer, and agency collaboration.

Alex Lawson

Head of Strategy & Media
Market Media

Karla Watts

Head of Client Partnerships
Market Media

Frankie Coulter

CMO
Goodman Fielder

Kate Heatley

Lead Business Partner
DDB Aotearoa

2:55PM - 5:15PM

Business Connect

The dynamic Business Connect session is an experience in itself and unique to iMedia Summits. Attendees will delve into 10 x 10 minute efficient and purposeful meetings. In these quick yet impactful sessions marketers will get the chance to uncover synergies, tap into innovative solutions, and open the door for a prospective business partnership. This session is all about maximising a marketers networking and tech awareness, and driving strategic goals to gain that competitive edge. Delegates are required to request and confirm these meetings prior to the summit.

5:15PM - 7:00PM

Free time

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

7:00PM - 9:45PM

Welcome Dinner

The official Welcome Dinner & networking reception held on the first night is the perfect way to build relationships with key conference delegates, speakers, and sponsors in a more relaxed atmosphere.

Dinner Keynote - Consumerography: Understanding and Engaging with The Future Customer

What’s really driving the next wave of consumer behavior? In this insightful session, social researcher and trends analyst Sophie Renton unpacks the shifting demographics, emerging mindsets, and evolving digital habits shaping the modern New Zealand consumer. From generational shifts to the impact of global and digital trends, this session will help marketers decode today’s customer psychology and prepare for what’s next.

Key takeaways:

A data-driven snapshot of the future New Zealand consumer and the segments reshaping the market.
How to engage Baby Boomers while staying relevant to Gen Z and Generation Alpha.
The impact of global, digital, and social trends on consumer decision-making.
Rethinking engagement strategies in a mobile-first, highly visual, and fast-changing landscape.
Navigating mega-trends to future-proof your brand.

This session is essential for marketing, brand, and digital leaders looking to stay ahead of shifting consumer expectations and create meaningful, lasting connections.

Sophie Renton

Managing Director
McCrindle

Day 2

31 July 2025

6:00AM - 8:40AM

Breakfast

Rise and Shine! Kick off your day with a buffet breakfast, served bright and early from 6:00am in the Garden Court Brasserie.

8:40AM - 8:50AM

MC Opening

Yvonne Adele

Event Host and Official MC
iMedia

8:50AM - 9:25AM

The AI-Powered Marketer 2.0: Leading Marketing Teams in a New Era

AI is reshaping marketing—writing ads, designing campaigns, and automating creativity. But does it enhance marketers’ roles or replace them?

Join us to explore:

AI as a creative tool or a threat – Does it empower marketers or make them redundant?
The rise of the “1-person marketing team” – Are we upskilling or downsizing?
Authenticity vs. automation – Can AI truly connect with human emotions?
Balancing creativity and efficiency – Is marketing becoming too formulaic?
Future-proofing your team – How to stay relevant in an AI-driven world.

AI isn’t replacing marketers—it’s changing the game. Are you ready to play?

Louise Cummins

Founder
ACAM - Australian Centre for AI in Marketing

9:25AM - 9:50AM

Why Streaming Works

The unique qualities that makes BVOD different, and why it works.

Skipper Lomiwes

Programmatic Manager
TVNZ

9:50AM - 10:15AM

The Audio Opportunity

Across all formats audio is growing listening and audience, yet for many marketers the vast opportunities remain untapped. Sharing some research, case studies and a dose of opinion this session will encourage marketers to re-consider how they view audio and the role it should play in today’s marketing landscape.

Alistair Jamison

CEO
The Radio Bureau

10:15AM - 10:25AM

The Future of Data-Driven Marketing is in Connectivity, not Data Ownership

Up until recently, hungry data-strategies were centred around two strategic approaches: buy or build. Either you acquired large-scale data assets or you built your own proprietary data infrastructure.

Whilst potentially powerful, this approach comes with considerable challenges. When you acquire data, you inherit not only the strategic benefits but also the legal and reputational risks associated with managing consumer data. Similarly, you become reliant on the strengths and weaknesses of that particular dataset as well as its freshness and adaptability.

Consequently, we’ve seen the rapid emergence of technology that facilitates data connectivity and collaboration. This is giving brands and agencies the ability to access and leverage insights from multiple datasets without ever needing to centralise or take ownership of the data. It’s a shift from the ‘big data’ mentality toward one of access-only, zero-copy, non-movement of data, with data minimisation and utility at its heart.

Richard Knott

SVP APAC
InfoSum

10:25AM - 10:55AM

Coffee Break

Fuel up: Get your caffeine fix with barista coffee or tea, perfectly paired with a tempting selection of food.

10:55AM - 11:30AM

Marketing Mastermind Roundtables

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

Can You Hear Me? Audio’s Role in a Distracted World

Moderated By: Alistair Jamison, CEO, The Radio Bureau

How does audio truly break through in a distracted, multi-screen world? This roundtable will explore how marketers are using audio to command attention, how they’re navigating data and measurement, and what role AI and personalisation could play in shaping the future of audio. We’ll share challenges, swap lessons, and co-create ideas for innovating in this fast-evolving space.
You'll leave with new perspectives, peer-tested ideas, and real use cases to take back to your team.

Beyond Walled Gardens: Creating a More Balanced and Resilient Media Strategy

Moderated By: Ricky Chanana, Director of Sales ANZ, PubMatic

As digital advertising becomes more complex, both buyers and publishers are rethinking their roles in the ecosystem. With growing concerns around over-reliance on a few major platforms, there’s a clear opportunity to build more independent, transparent, and effective media strategies.
This roundtable will explore how brands and publishers can work together to drive better outcomes—through smarter data use, curated marketplaces, and more balanced investment across the open internet. We’ll discuss shifting budgets, evolving buyer expectations, and what it takes to create value on both sides of the supply chain.

Decentralised Search: Staying Discoverable in the Age of ChatGPT, TikTok & Reddit

Moderated By: Dave Hockly, Director, Data Story

Traditional search is no longer the starting point. Today, more customers discover brands by asking ChatGPT, scrolling TikTok, or browsing Reddit threads — bypassing Google and your paid search strategy entirely.

In this roundtable, join fellow marketing leaders to explore:

What this decentralised, AI‑ and community‑driven discovery means for brand visibility and performance
How to map and measure customer journeys that start in forums, social feeds or AI answers
Balancing control with influence when algorithms and user communities shape what customers see

Share your challenges and successes, hear how others are adapting, and leave with fresh, practical ideas to keep your brand discoverable — even when customers don’t search the “old‑fashioned” way.

How can marketers future-proof their teams by developing AI-ready skills and talent?

Moderated By: Gareth Codd, GM Operations and Digital Transformation , MediaWorks

How can marketers foster stronger cross-functional collaboration in a tech-driven marketing landscape?

Moderated By: Nathan Brown, Head of Performance Marketing, GoSee Travel

How can marketers build brand resilience and maintain consumer trust in uncertain times?

Moderated By: Simon Hofmann, General Manager, Brand and Marketing, Kiwibank

How can marketers evolve their brand positioning to stay relevant in a shifting cultural landscape?

Moderated By: Jamie Hodgetts, Head of Marketing & CX - PAK'nSAVE, Foodstuffs New Zealand

How can marketers integrate AI and automation without losing authenticity and human connection?

Moderated By: Tania Bui, Head of Marketing & Communications, Craigs Investment Partners

How can marketers design customer experiences that feel personalised, not intrusive?

Moderated By: Lara Squires, Brand Lead - Fresh Choice, Woolworths NZ

How can marketers rethink their content strategies for an era of AI-generated media?

Moderated By: Andy Havill, Head of Marketing, Kernel Wealth

How can marketers use AI-driven insights to optimise their campaigns and improve ROI?

Moderated By: Leann Smith, Head of Marketing, Burger King New Zealand

11:30AM - 11:35AM

Please head to your chosen Breakout Session

11:35AM - 11:55AM

Breakout

5 Key Things You Need to Know Right Now

This presentation will explore the five biggest trends currently shaping the advertising and media landscape. Coming from both media and creative perspectives, it will highlight critical shifts including changing media spend priorities, the importance of culturally relevant, impactful creative and of course, AI. Gain insights into what's working, what's changing, and how marketers and agencies can successfully navigate this rapidly evolving environment together.

Elle Lee

Managing Partner
Stanley Street

Courtney Newton

Head of Media
Stanley Street

Transforming Marketing ROI with AI-Driven Insights – The Niteco & Heineken Case Study

In today’s volatile market, leading brands must move beyond intuition and fragmented analytics to achieve true marketing agility and ROI. This session showcases how Heineken, in partnership with Niteco, leveraged advanced, enterprise-grade AI to transform campaign planning and budget allocation.

Attendees will discover how Niteco’s secure, scalable AI platforms—from its multi-modal engine to its robust Decision Support System—enabled Heineken to unlock actionable, real-time insights and rapidly simulate hundreds of scenarios, overcoming the limitations of manual decision-making.

Join us to discover a proven, practical pathway for marketers to harness AI—not as a replacement, but as a strategic partner—enabling resilient growth and authentic customer engagement in an ever-evolving landscape.

YiLun Miao

Country Manager, ANZ
Niteco

12:00PM - 12:20PM

Breakout

The Supply Chain Showdown: Tech, Data & the New Rules of Engagement

As programmatic evolves, the lines between DSPs and SSPs are no longer clear-cut. In this session, we’ll unpack why SSPs are stepping into a more strategic role. With direct access to premium inventory and real-time signals, SSPs are uniquely placed to apply data with precision—closer to the point of impact.

We’ll also look at how retail media, first-party data, and evolving identity strategies are reshaping the power dynamic, putting SSPs at the heart of more effective and transparent media activation. Join us as we explore what this shift means for publishers, brands, and the future of digital advertising.

Ricky Chanana

Director of Sales ANZ
PubMatic

From Peaks to People: The Data-Led, Heart-Driven Strategy Behind NZSki’s Growth

Learn how data driven Brand Strategy and Personalisation can scale results.

In this candid, practical session, Mel Tweedie (GM Sales & Marketing, NZSki) and Dave Hockly (Director, Data Story) share how and why NZSki reinvented its marketing strategy to unlock deeper engagement and sustained growth.

They’ll explore the shift from short-term sales activation to a brand-led model, detailing how distinct brand identities were crafted for Coronet Peak, Mt Hutt, and The Remarkables. You’ll also see how data-powered personalisation is helping these mountain brands connect more meaningfully with diverse audiences, driving loyalty, advocacy, and long-term results.

Dave Hockly

Director
Data Story

Mel Tweedie

GM Sales & Marketing
NZSki

12:20PM - 12:25PM

Quick Transition

12:25PM - 12:35PM

Creativity Redefined

Delves into the future of marketing, emphasising the need for brands to adapt in a hyper-connected world. It highlights the importance of capturing attention, staying relevant, and being culturally attuned, while leveraging AI for ideation, personalised marketing, and real-time data analysis. Jess will explore the transformation of creative work from traditional storytelling to interactive experiences across multiple platforms, advocating for the integration of creativity with data and agility. Overall, Creativity Redefined calls for embracing change and innovation in the marketing landscape.

Jessica White

VP, Creative & Media
DEPT

12:35PM - 1:00PM

Building Data into Business Growth

We’ve got more data in marketing than ever before - but turning it into action? That’s the tough part. Despite access to powerful platforms and deep customer insights, many of us still struggle to turn analysis into tangible outcomes. Meanwhile we are under more pressure than ever to deliver ROI with data security governance and fast-evolving AI tools.

The Publicis Data Intelligence Hub is a service model developed to leverage the AI and MarTech tools we have today toward fit-for-purpose data and technology solutions. We will share how the approach works and listen to local marketers who have successfully closed the gap between knowing and doing.

Emily Isle

Chief Digital Officer
MBM (Publicis Media Group)

Nikola McCarthy

Head of Digital Marketing
Samsung NZ

Callum Lovell

Head of Marketing
New Zealand Mint | Agoro

Nick Peat

General Manager
Digitas NZ

1:00PM - 1:45PM

Lunch

Join us for lunch before you head out on your afternoon activities. Please also use this time to go back to your room and get changed for your activity if required.

1:45PM - 5:00PM

Activity

New Zealand Gin Journey

Hop on the New Zealand Gin Journey at the Gin Gin Venue, where you’ll sip your way through three local gins—each paired with the perfect tonic and garnishes to make those botanicals sing. A Gin Gin expert will walk you through the mystical art of gin-making, revealing secrets behind the distillation process and what makes New Zealand gins truly world-class,
So come for the botanicals, stay for the laughs, and leave with new connections (and maybe a bit of gin-induced wisdom).

Go Karting

Get ready for the ride of your life at Christchurch’s top go-karting track! With the latest and greatest electric karts packing insane torque and power, you’ll feel your adrenaline hit the red zone as you race around the 260m track. Whether you’re a rookie or a seasoned speedster, this track will challenge even the most skilled drivers. After 14 heart-pounding laps, it’s time to kick back and enjoy some pizza and drinks in the lounge—because you earned it (or at least survived it).

Paint & Sip

Ready to unleash your inner Picasso? Join us for a 3-hour paint and sip session at the Chateau on the Park, 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 - 6:45PM

Free Time

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

6:45PM - 9:30PM

Celebratory Dinner

Join us for the Celebratory Dinner

Day 3

1 August 2025

6:00AM - 8:45AM

Breakfast

Rise and shine! Fuel up with a buffet breakfast available from 6:00am – the perfect way to power your day.

8:45AM - 9:00AM

MC Opening Remarks

Yvonne Adele

Event Host and Official MC
iMedia

9:00AM - 9:35AM

Smarter Tools, Smarter Marketers: Educating in an AI Era

This panel brings together leading marketing academics and an industry voice to explore how to better prepare the next generation of marketers for an AI- and tech-driven industry. With tools evolving rapidly and expectations shifting in the workplace, we’ll ask: What should universities be prioritising in their marketing programs? What does true career readiness look like in 2025 and beyond? And what can industry do to nurture talent pipelines?

Dr Sommer Kapitan

Associate Professor in Marketing
AUT

Ekant Veer

Acting MBA Director
University of Canterbury

Hone Paul

Director of Marketing
University of Otago

Iris Benedikt

Chapter Lead (Head of) Digital Performance Marketing
Air New Zealand

9:35AM - 10:00AM

The Rise of the Creator Economy

As traditional marketing strategies evolve, the Creator Economy has emerged as a powerful force reshaping the way brands connect with their audiences. In this session, we will explore the key trends driving this movement and what it means for businesses today. Discover how creators are redefining influence and providing unique opportunities for brands to engage with consumers in authentic and meaningful ways. Learn how we can empower creators to thrive, how brands can leverage these partnerships to enhance their storytelling, reach and ultimately deliver business results.

Jenny Appel

General Manager
OMD Content

Nathan D’Mello

Social Strategy Lead
The Warehouse Group

10:00AM - 10:25AM

Beyond data to knowledge

While international brands serve ads based on digital breadcrumbs, local media connects through context, culture, and trust. It’s not just reach —it’s a relationship.

Scale is meaningless if it misses the mark. And in a world where attention is splintered and generic messaging is ignored, local intelligence — emotional, behavioural, cultural — becomes your unfair advantage.

Owner and Publisher of the country’s largest and most dynamic media platform, Sinead takes you behind the scenes to discover how Stuff Group gains, shares and calls on insights into New Zealanders to inform its business strategy and partnerships.

In conversation with Brodie Kane, she’ll share perspectives from her role on the Board of the International News Media Association. You’ll go behind-the-scenes to discover Sinead’s global perspective into how audience platforms around the world are evolving with AI, leaning into human connection and engaging at a deeper level - providing commercial partners with new ways to build stronger, more effective and valuable relationships, every day.

Sinead Boucher

Owner and Publisher
Stuff NZ

Brodie Kane

Broadcaster

10:25AM - 10:55AM

Coffee Break

Fuel up: Get your caffeine fix with barista coffee or tea, perfectly paired with a tempting selection of food.

10:55AM - 11:30AM

Marketing in Motion: Transforming for Success

Marketing leaders are often laser-focused on what’s going to market- campaigns, content, channels, conversions. But how often do we step back and apply that same level of strategic discipline to the marketing function itself?

Fact: You can’t unleash the full potential of marketing, without proactively evolving the marketing system - the inner mechanics of how marketing gets done and who does it. But a match-fit marketing function is unique to the stage, ambition and context for each business, so how do we work out what the goal-posts are, and the roadmap to get there?

In this 35-minute keynote, Jenn ten Seldam, Wingmaven Co-Founder and ex-CMO for SEEK and former Global EGM of Product Marketing at Xero, will challenge and equip marketing leaders to approach marketing transformation as an ongoing, high-stakes leadership responsibility.

You’ll learn:

Why being as strategic about the shape of your function as you are about your campaigns is the unlock for greatest Marketing ROI
How to determine what needs to evolve now, what should come next, and what can wait till later—so you don’t try to fix everything at once
What shifts when you lead as a marketing architect, not just a marketing operator

This session will resonate with anyone leading at the intersection of change and growth—especially if you’ve started to question whether your current function can keep pace with the ambition of your business.

Jenn ten Seldam

Co-Founder and Director
Wingmaven

11:30AM - 11:55AM

We trust people who are like us. The same goes for brands.

Forget brand loyalty – Kiwis are loyal to what it is to be a Kiwi. When we recognise our own cultural DNA in a brand, trust happens emotionally and unconsciously. It’s the hidden psychology of cultural connection.

Why does it matter? Too many brands are obsessing over demographics and personas. They’re missing the real magic that happens in the milliseconds when there's recognition between an individual and a brand. In this session, Colleen will decode the invisible cultural signals that make Kiwis feel connected to brands.

Colleen Ryan

Partner
TRA

11:55AM - 12:30PM

Brand transformation and customer trust at Turners Group NZ

How do you transform a wholesale auction house into one of New Zealand’s most trusted retail brands? Join us for an inside look at Turners Group’s journey and discover how campaigns like “Tina from Turners” built emotional connections and customer loyalty. Gain insights into brand reinvention, trust-building strategies, and the power of authentic storytelling in this fireside chat with Turners Groups’ Senior Brand Manager, Natalie Grainger and iMedia Advisory Board Chair, Mark Jones.