Advertising Week Europe is proud to announce the highlights for the eighth edition set to take place 16th-19th March at Picturehouse Central. This year’s edition of the annual gathering of the creative industries will be marked by refreshed formats, global brands, industry and cultural influencers, new attendee benefits, and social initiatives that leverage the platform and broader industry’s influence for good.
AWEurope’s thought leadership programme is close to complete and will again set the marketing and advertising agenda for the year ahead. Brands of note presenting include Amazon, Boots, Deliveroo, eBay, Formula 1, Guinness, Lego, Nestle, Nespresso, O2, Sainsbury’s, Spotify, and Unilever, along with leading tech platforms Facebook, Instagram, Google, Pinterest, Snap, TikTok and YouTube. Leading figures of both business and culture will include IPG Chairman Michael Roth, WPP Chairman Mark Read, S4 Chief Sir Martin Sorrell, Baroness Oona King, George Osborne, Edwina Dunn OBE and presenter Davina McCall.
New formats are being introduced to bookend each day. Each morning will begin with the Great Minds Debate, featuring two opposing arguments and one winner. Kicking off Monday morning, Keith Weed and Nicola Mendelsohn will propose a motion that the advertising industry takes its responsibilities seriously. To end each afternoon, the Great Minds Evening Interviews will feature special guests to inspire people to question perceptions, innovate on practice, and challenge beliefs, with Craig David, Sir Clive Woodward and Edith Bowman announced to date.
The 2020 edition will have a refreshed focus on sustainability, debuting new partnerships with Good Planet and The Heart of England Forest – AWEurope will maintain sustainable practices throughout the festival, from serving vegetarian meal selections, to eliminating food waste, to planting trees. “The planet should be priority client number one. From deadly fires, earthquakes and hurricanes, we now have daily reminders that we truly are facing a climate emergency. Everyone must play their part, and we’re committed to taking steps in the right direction” said Global CEO of Advertising Week, Matt Scheckner. Among other brands taking a stance, Burger King‘s marketing director, Katie Evans, will join the discussion – as the brand recently launched its Vegan Whopper among other social initiatives.
Alongside sustainability, diversity, inclusion and empowering the next generation are key themes on the agenda. AWEurope will host full day tracks including Diverse Minds and Future is Female.
Complimenting the on-stage content, AWEurope will celebrate the launch of the Future is Female Awards, honouring 10 outstanding rising stars. This follows the launch at the New York edition this past September. Among the judges are Kathleen Saxton CEO, The Lighthouse Company; Nishma Robb, Marketing Director, Google and Patricia Corsi, Chief Marketing & Digital Officer of Bayer.
Also building on efforts launched at Advertising Week in New York, AWEurope will launch AWParents to address challenges and present ideas for how the industry can be more aware of parental bias in the workplace. In 2020, AWEurope will sponsor 100 parents returning to work, or “returners”, to attend the event, providing four days of complimentary access to education and networking opportunities.
Finally, leaning into the next generation, the programme will host a full-day track on the Future of Work. Off stage, AWEurope will offer three speed mentoring sessions, where 100+ delegates will have access to mentors with whom they can discuss personal and career issues. These include a dedicated session for BAME leaders, run by NABS and a session for parents, run by Creative Equals. The next generation of leaders will have a chance to express the change they wish to see, how they want to be managed, and what their goals for work look like.
“We’ve listened to and acted on the thoughtful feedback from our delegates, leading us to new formats, refreshed venues, brilliant speakers and an elevated attendee experience. We are energised by the commitment of our speakers and partners to bring the industry together, and to make this year’s Advertising Week Europe the most impactful yet” stated Elizabeth Petra, Executive Director, Advertising Week Europe.
Additional thought leaders will continue to be announced in the run up to 16th March. The 2020 schedule is now live and organised by theme per stage and dedicated tracks per day. The official AWEurope app is also now available for download both major mobile platforms.
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