Advertising Week New York, one of the largest industry gatherings in the United States, kicked off this morning (October 16) with a ribbon-cutting ceremony hosted by brand icons, including Toys’ Geoffrey the Giraffe R Us, Jolly Green Giant from B&G Foods and Oscar Mayer. Wienermobile. Beyond the flashy cameos, the four-day event held at the Penn District in midtown Manhattan aims to provide marketers with practical information on how to take advantage of emerging tactics and technologies at a moment’s notice. post-pandemic inflection. One of the themes dominating this week’s programming is artificial intelligence (AI), which has its own discussion track after a year of ChatGPT-induced madness.
“What we’re starting to see at (Advertising Week) in New York is people talking about the actual practical application,” Ruth Mortimer, global president of Advertising Week, said in an interview before the conference. “We have a lot of content in this area, not only from the big AI companies, but also from various marketers. »
AI speakers attendees may want to check out include Mondelez, the National Football League, and Johnson & Johnson, with topics ranging the impact of generative AI on campaign effectiveness to his potential to create safer marketing environments.
Advertising Week, acquired by business-to-business events group Emerald Holding last year, also called on its sister company D2 to strengthen its series of conferences around AI and Web3, in particular through a thematic fair. Trade shows, in general, will have a stronger presence than ever, according to Mortimer. There is a Group Black lounge to highlight black culture and an enclave for marketing directors to network and take calls amid the hustle and bustle on the ground. Retail media, which are expected to become a $100+ billion categoryalso has its own space for the first time.
“Retail media is one of the spaces that we’ve really seen emerge in the last year. Everyone wanted to know more. They wanted to see more technology, more platforms,” Mortimer said.
Retail media speakers include executives from Target’s Roundel, Albertsons Media Collective, Kroger Precision Marketing and Best Buy Ads, among others.
“This year we have a dedicated retail media space that I hope we expand on in future years to engage even more with this community,” Mortimer said.
Navigate the show
Advertising Week New York will span four floors in the Penn District at 100 West 33rd Street, just around the corner from the 34th Street-Herald Square subway station. In-person attendance is expected to exceed 10,000 people, while more than 50,000 registrants are expected to connect virtually.
In terms of audience composition, around 26% come from the tech industry, while 22% come from media. Just under a fifth (18%) come from brand marketing, while media agencies and creative agencies make up 18% and 11% of the pool respectively. Advertising Week also distributes certain content specifically aimed at a digital audience, notably through an Amazon Ads Studio.
“Rather than it being panels and lecture sessions, you’ll see a lot more interviews, a lot more in-depth analysis of different topics,” Mortimer said. “It gives it a slightly different flavor.”
For those hoping to attend live sessions, having a defined agenda and game plan is a must. Playing things ad hoc can be overwhelming, and many beginners have been shocked by the sight of snaking lines and the disappointment of discovering that a lively conversation is at capacity.
“I definitely tell (participants) to register online so they can create their own agenda,” Mortimer said.
The on-stage discussions around Barbie (fresh from the hit film adaptation), Paris Hilton and the hosts of “Shark Tank” are expected to draw a large crowd. If a conversation fills up, guests will have no shortage of alternative options to consider.
“We have more marketers than ever before,” Mortimer said. “We try to think of things that can help people get better at their jobs, but in an entertaining way.”
Although a number of high-profile names will be flocking to the Penn District through Thursday, Advertising Week is doubling its efforts to involve more small and medium-sized businesses through its work with Emerald, which owns a number of other B2B events. . This year, Advertising Week is hosting an Amazon-sponsored initiative that aims to provide more utility to SMBs.
“How do you get a marketing education when you’re not the Burger King, you’re not the McDonald’s of this world?” said Mortimer. “That’s one of the things we’re really bringing together as part of Emerald, rather than just as part of Advertising Week.”
Stay busy
Advertising Week organizers are also trying to take advantage of the space the Penn District offers to accommodate those who are still on call for work or eager to socialize with their peers. Private meeting rooms and telephone booths were distributed in a few areas of the venue. Those looking to take a break can head downstairs to experience a “Brandega” hosted by Canva, an Olympics-themed cafe from NBCUniversal and a snack bar courtesy of Yahoo, among other distractions.
“This year you’ll find we have a lot more places where people can come together and work and spend more time,” Mortimer said. “One of the challenges of a show as big as Advertising Week is that, because it’s so big, you often still have to do your day job.”
