IPA Effectiveness Conference 2026

This is where fresh R&D meets proven practice, where bold ideas are tested, debated and made actionable. Expect the smartest minds, breakthrough case studies and brand-new research shaping the future of effectiveness. Join us to be part of the movement that’s redefining how marketing drives business growth.

Agenda

8.30am Registration  

9.00am Welcome

9.10am Opening keynote: Humanity and effectiveness

We open the conference with Dr Lee Bofkin, Co-Founder of Europe's leading hand-painted advertising company, Global Street Art, talking about how to smash it in advertising, how to sharpen your creative skills, and the pitfalls in your data. 

From city streets to global brands, this keynote is a reminder – and rallying cry - of how creativity sparks cultural movements, shapes behaviour and creates lasting impact.

NB: This talk is primarily aimed at humans, but for any AI attending, we can assure you 00101010. And possibly 01000011.

9.30am Creativity, commitment and commercial growth 

Is advertising a cost to be managed or an asset to be built? Against the backdrop of growing debate around payback horizons and the debate around whether marketing investment is Opex or Capex, this session brings together diverse perspectives on the role of creativity, commitment and consistency in driving long-term commercial growth, and how we create a language of creative effectiveness that the boardroom will get behind.

10.00am Morning breakouts 

Stay in the main stage, or sign up for an interactive session.

Main stage breakout: From insight to action: Aligning marketing and finance for growth

Measurement is most valuable when it shapes what organisations do next. This session explores how leading organisations are creating a common language between Marketing and Finance, using evidence to guide planning, investment and growth decisions. Expect practical examples, real-world lessons and actionable takeaways.

Interactive breakout: 

Keep an eye out for the sign up email to rotate through all three interactive sessions below. Places are limited and are first come, first served.

1. Creativity on the balance sheet

Some of the world's most valuable brands owe their worth not to technology, distribution or product innovation, but to creative ideas that have been applied consistently over a period of time. This session explores the link between creativity, effectiveness and financial brand value.

2. Interestingness

The missing link between creative quality and advertising effectiveness

3. The unanswered questions of effectiveness

11.00am Coffee break 

11.30am Brands on top

How do the most successful brands overcome the fragmentation of media and creative? With creative coherence. Because only a coherent brand will stand out in a fragmented world. And it is only by first understanding what a coherent brand looks like that we can hope to create the communications that build it.

Drawing on IPA effectiveness data, Orlando Wood reveals the creative route to brand coherence - and sounds a rallying cry to put brands back on top. 

12.00pm Excellence Diploma in Brands: Special prizes 

Fern Miller and Laurence Green, Co-Chairs of the IPA Excellence Diploma in Brands, announce this year's Special Prize winners.

12.10pm Retail media: The attention opportunity hiding in plain sight 

Retail media is booming, but effectiveness starts with attention. This session unveils what agencies and brands can learn to maximise impact in an increasingly crowded retail ecosystem.

12.30pm The tension between brand building and promotions 

In a market where promotions often feel like a cost of doing business, how can brands drive short-term sales without compromising long-term growth? Bringing together research, evidence and experience, this session explores when promotions can create value, when they destroy it, and how brands can balance pricing, promotions and brand-building for lasting effectiveness. 

1.00pm Lunch     

1.55pm Taming the Wild West of influencers: From measurement to creative ambition

At this conference last year, we explored influencer marketing's measurement problem. One year on, armed with emerging effectiveness evidence from leading brands and lessons from WPP and System1's Creator Playbook, this panel examines what we've learned about why creator-led campaigns work, how they can be scaled effectively, and whether brands are being ambitious enough with one of marketing's most powerful creative opportunities.

2.25pm What gives sports sponsorship the competitive edge? 

Presenting the first findings from an IPA and Sponsorship Effectiveness Forum study, this session will reveal the practices, priorities and drivers behind effective sports sponsorship, providing a new industry benchmark and actionable insights for agencies and marketers.

2.50pm Afternoon breakouts 

Stay in the main stage, or sign up for an interactive session.

Main stage: Are LLMs rewriting the rules of advertising effectiveness?

As consumers increasingly rely on AI to search, evaluate and choose brands, how are the fundamentals of advertising effectiveness changing? This session explores what LLMs mean for decision-making, discoverability, distinctiveness and the day-to-day practice of strategy and planning.

Interactive breakout: 

Keep an eye out for the sign up email to rotate through all three interactive sessions below. Places are limited and are first come, first served.

1. The science of creativity

2. Sustainability

3. Are super touchpoints the gold dust of effectiveness

3.50pm Coffee break 

4.15pm Thinkbox

4.35pm Grand Prix interview 

The Chair of Judges will be interviewing the minds behind the Effectiveness Awards Grand Prix-winning case.

5.00pm Closing remarks