Future of Marketing Summit 30 - 1 August 2025
Ōtautahi Christchurch | New Zealand
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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

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
12:30PM - 2:00PM
2:00PM - 2:15PM
A Moment to Recharge
2:15PM - 2:30PM
2:30PM - 2:55PM
2:55PM - 5:15PM
5:15PM - 6:30PM
Free time

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

6:30PM - 7:00PM
Pre Dinner Drinks
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.

Managing Director
McCrindle

Day 2

31 July 2025

6:30AM - 8:40AM
8:40AM - 8:50AM
8:50AM - 9:25AM
9:25AM - 9:50AM
9:50AM - 10:15AM
10:15AM - 10:25AM
10:25AM - 10:55AM
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
11:30AM - 11:35AM
Please head to your chosen Breakout Session
11:35AM - 11:55AM
Breakout
Making Every Dollar Count: MMM Meets Attention Optimisation
In a world where budgets are tight and expectations are sky-high, marketers need sharper tools to prove—and improve—performance. This session explores how Marketing Mix Modelling (MMM) and attention optimisation tools can work together to deliver real ROI. Learn how to connect the dots between what people actually notice and what drives results. We'll break down how to align attention metrics with business outcomes, optimise across channels, and fine-tune your spend for maximum impact. It’s time to stop guessing and start marketing smarter.
From Privacy to Personalisation: Finding the Sweet Spot
With privacy laws tightening and cookies crumbling, marketers are stuck navigating one big contradiction: how do we deliver personalised experiences without overstepping the line? This session unpacks how to stay compliant and connected—turning first-party data into meaningful moments with the help of smart AI. You'll walk away with practical frameworks for building trust, meeting privacy requirements, and still making your customers feel like you “just get them.”
12:00PM - 12:25PM
Breakout
Not Another Trend Report: What Actually Matters for 2025
Every year comes with a new wave of buzzwords, but what’s actually worth your attention? In this session, we cut through the noise and look at the trends that are genuinely shaping the future of marketing—from the rise of retail media to the shift in consumer expectations around brand values, sustainability and community. Get ahead of what’s coming, and learn how to filter the fads from the forces that really move the needle.
Creative That Sells: Why Performance and Brand Don’t Need Couples Therapy
There’s a tired old myth that brand and performance are at odds. The truth? You need both—and when they work together, that’s when the real magic happens. This session tackles how to brief, test and deliver creative that doesn’t just tick awards boxes, but drives proper commercial outcomes. Less chin-stroking, more sales. The answer isn’t either/or—it’s doing both properly, with the discipline that marketing deserves.
12:20PM - 12:25PM
Quick Transition
12:25PM - 12:35PM
12:35PM - 1:00PM
1:00PM - 1:45PM
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 - 6:30PM
Free Time
Delegates can use this time to refresh, check-in with work and explore the surroundings. 
6:30PM - 9:30PM
Celebratory Dinner

Join us for the Celebratory Dinner 

Day 3

1 August 2025

6:30AM - 8:45AM
8:45AM - 9:00AM
9:00AM - 9:35AM
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.

Co-Founder and Director
Wingmaven
9:35AM - 10:00AM
10:00AM - 10:20AM
Breaking Down Silos: The Secret to Seamless Omnichannel Marketing
Consumers expect a seamless brand experience—whether they’re browsing online, scrolling through social media, or shopping in-store. This session dives into how to break down internal silos and create an integrated marketing strategy that delivers a consistent, frictionless experience across every channel. Discover how to align your messaging, teams, and technology for a truly customer-centric approach.
10:20AM - 10:30AM
10:30AM - 11:00AM
11:00AM - 11:35AM
11:35AM - 12:00PM
Winning the Search Game: How to Drive More Organic Traffic in 2025
Search engines are evolving, and so are the ways consumers shop online. The question is—how do you stay ahead? This session unpacks the latest trends in search behaviour, revealing what truly makes a high-ranking result stand out. Backed by deep data insights, we’ll break down which search features matter most in different industries and how you can optimise your site to drive more clicks. Plus, we’ll explore the growing role of digital trust and personalisation in shaping search visibility. If organic traffic is a priority, this is your roadmap to better rankings and more conversions.
12:00PM - 12:35PM
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?

Associate Professor in Marketing
AUT
Professor
University of Canterbury
Director of Marketing
University of Otago
Chapter Lead (Head of) Digital Performance Marketing
Air New Zealand
12:35PM - 12:50PM
Closing Remarks & Ultimate Networker Prize
12:50PM - 1:50PM
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3

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