The Drum Live

Welcome, you're now part of The Drum's editorial team! Grab a coffee, load up on some kcals and get ready for two packed days of learning and dynamic live content creation.

Meet your new boss for the day - The Drum's Editor Cameron Clarke - as he introduces the key members of The Drum's editorial, events and production team and outlines what will be happening during The Drum Live as our guest speakers share their insights into the latest marketing trends and techniques.

The Drum Live joined forces with Code and Theory network agencies Instrument, Kettle and their AI partner LTX Studios to run Vibesprint – a two-day sprint to create a live campaign in 48 hours and, ultimately, demonstrate during The Drum Live the transformative power of AI in campaign creation.

Imagine - you are a Drum journalist for the day. What stories or topical issues would you pitch in to The Drum's editor Cameron Clarke? Listen in as our invited guests adopt the role of marketing journalists to pitch and discuss the topical stories they'd like to cover if they were in The Drum's editorial team.

There's lots happening in the global advertising holding companies as Omnicom and IPG prepare to merge and rumours persist that other major groups are planning on joining forces to face a marketing future destined to be governed by AI, data and automation.

As former Health Secretary, Matt Hancock was responsible for managing comms and public health messaging during the biggest health crisis to hit the UK in recent times - the Covid-19 lock down.

In this live showdown of machine minds, we put four of the world's leading AI platforms - ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Claude – through their paces.

In these times of diminishing consumer trust brands need to find new ways to engage and connect with consumers who are bombarded by marketing messages. Communities provide a unique opportunity for brands to break through the trust epidemic.

FAST channels are redefining what it means to be on TV – creating new opportunities for established brands to expand their reach and engage fresh audiences.

Is your brand missing out on sales in one of the most obvious places in the internet? It's time to get that grey matter working as we host our new quiz in association with ROKT - The Happiest Place on the Internet.

Meet The Drum's new regular columnist - Mini MBA founder Mark Ritson - as he speaks to The Drum's opinion editor John McCarthy to talk about his new monthly opinion column, discuss content ideas with attendees and he'll also lift the lid of The Drum's Rebel 50.

Founder of United Entertainment Group and new agency The First Darrin, Jarrod Moses joins us to talk about why he feels advertising needs more humour and why alongside Curb Your Enthusiasm star JB Smoove have launched The First Darrin.

On average, only 5-20% of business growth is driven by marketing. Find out the three key things most likely to get you into the 20% club and beyond. This is a speed session on marketing effectiveness based on 25 years of data across over 50 countries.

In 2024 the TGI Fridays restaurant chain went in to administration, but a last-minute deal saw the brand and 51 of its UK restaurants rescued. Learn from TGI CMO, Rhiannon Scarlett, the role marketing is playing as the brand looks to return to its former glory.

The Drum loves marketers and marketing that breaks the rules. The Rebel 50 powered by WeTransfer Advertising is The Drum's ranking of the world's 50 biggest marketing rule breakers.

Eight hours into the Vibesprint project we take a look at what progress has been made in just a single day and hear what Day 2 of the Vibesprint project holds.

Relax and network over a few drinks to bring day one to a close.

Welcome to Day 2 of The Drum Live.

Meet your new boss for the day - The Drum's Editor Cameron Clarke - as he introduces the key members of The Drum's editorial, events and production team. The team will recap on the Vibesprint project that kicked off on Day 1.

It's Day Two of Vibesprint with Code and Theory network agencies Instrument, Kettle and their AI partner LTX Studios looking to demonstrate how AI is revolutionising campaign creation.

Imagine - you are a Drum journalist for the day. What stories or topical issues would you pitch in to The Drum's editor Cameron Clarke? Prepare to have your say.

In this scene-setting keynote, Sir Martin Sorrell offers a state-of-the-nation address for the marketing industry, reflecting on where it's heading post-Omnicom-IPG merger approval.

The way we watch TV is changing, and so should your marketing. With shifting viewership behaviours, achieving your brand's reach goals requires a new playbook to measure media effectiveness.

We look back at the funny ads that wouldn't get made today for fear of offending people and hear from brands and creatives on how to approach humor in advertising without crossing the line.

L'Oréal's Laetitia Raoust lifts the lid on the marketing tensions keeping her awake at night - from influencer advocacy and retail media to measurement and the role of Gen AI.

Marketers used to own the data conversation. Now AI is shaping the customer journey and consent is happening everywhere. In this exclusive first look at research from The Drum and Usercentrics, we reveal the 'ninth P of marketing'.

Gary Vaynerchuk thrives on conviction. Marcus, President of VaynerMedia EMEA, is here to challenge it. In this unfiltered Q&A, Marcus takes on the role of devil's advocate, putting Gary's boldest theories and ideologies to the test.

Who has the toughest gig in modern marketing? The Media Director has to be up there. With such a fragmented media marketplace offering so many media options, learn where smart brands are going to be spending their marketing money in 2026.

Mark Ritson will be on The Drum Live stage to reveal and discuss his crowd sourced opinion column for The Drum. Attendees can help him devise a killer headline. Ritson will also reveal which marketers are named The Rebel 50's most rebellious marketer.

ABBA Voyage in London has been a phenomenon since its launch in May 2022 taking live entertainment to a whole new level. We speak to ABBA Voyage chief commercial officer Jaki Ellenby about marketing such a unique premium event brand.

Research can be a costly and time-consuming process. Paul McCormick from Empathy Lab by EPAM will introduce Humanique, an AI-driven research accelerator that uses synthetic audiences to simulate real-world user testing.

For years, marketers have chased attention and awareness, often at the expense of credibility. Nonsense's Strategy Director, Tom Primrose, shares findings from the 2025 Brand Credibility Index.

Have the rules changes in 2025? With major brands and companies spending more now on social and influencers what does that mean for the future of advertising and media?

Visa's European VP of marketing chief Alexey Bokov joins The Drum Live to talk all things financial marketing from balancing trust and innovation to personalization, partnerships and performance-driven marketing.

Vibesprint was a sprint to create a campaign in a day with Code and Theory, Instrument, Kettle and their AI partner LTX Studios using AI to strategise and create a campaign. It's time to see the fruits of their labor.

Advertising has always relied on unconscious humans: emotional, distracted, persuadable. But as we outsource decisions to AI agents - and those agents grow more aware, autonomous, and recursive - the industry faces a new buyer.

Relax and network over a few drinks to bring The Drum Live to a close for 2025.