11-12 November 2026 | Crown Melbourne
The Future of Marketing Starts Here
Innovate, Create, Connect, Inspire
The marketing landscape is undergoing a seismic shift, requiring leaders to adapt rapidly to evolving technologies, consumer expectations and environmental disruptors. Success will be defined by those who can embrace change, ignite creativity, deliver impactful strategies to standout in Australia’s competitive marketplace.
The future begins at the 12th annual Marketing Leaders 2026, Australia’s essential event for marketing professionals. Join and gain actionable insights for addressing the industry’s most pressing challenges to date. This event is designed with brand strategy, tactics and data insights at its core, equipping professionals with the tools, creative vision and connections necessary for optimising operations, bolster engagement and driving growth – all while achieving key business priorities for the future.
Why Attend
- 1Unrivaled Expertise
- 2High-Calibre Content
- 3Invaluable Networking Opportunities
Past Speakers Spotlight
Claudine Cheever
VP Global Brand and Marketing, Amazon (USA)
Sir Martin Sorrell
Founder & Executive Chairman, S4 Capital (UK)
Annabel Fribence
Chief Marketing Officer, McDonald's Australia
Jonathan Mildenhall
Global CMO, Airbnb (USA)
Jennifer Sey
Chief Marketing Officer,
Levi Strauss & Co (USA)
Dana Anderson
Chief Marketing Officer,
Mondelez(USA)
Edward Bell
General Manager, Brand, Insights & Marketing Communications, Cathay Pacific (HK)
Greg Hoffman
Vice President Global Brand Innovation,
Nike (USA)
Speakers
Sessions
and Development
Environment
Content by leaders, for leaders
Our cutting-edge content is carefully researched & curated in step with the expertise & insights of Connect Media’s vast network of industry specialists. Timely & uniquely tailored, our content ignites innovation, addresses leading industry challenges, all while delivering the skills & tools needed to achieve business excellence in the future.
Agenda
The Commercial Marketer: Driving Growth, Influence & Enterprise Impact
- What success metrics matter most to your CEO/CFO today? How are they reshaping how you define and communicate marketing performance?
- How should CMOs be rethinking budget allocation to protect brand equity while still delivering short-term commercial results?
- What current barriers are preventing CMOs from influencing enterprise-level decisions today? How can marketing build stronger alignment across teams like finance and IT?
- How are you managing team fatigue as AI, new tech, and rising expectations transform what marketing teams do daily?
Martech Transformation: Turning Innovation into Enterprise Growth
- How can AI and automation be operationalised to enhance performance without overwhelming teams or compromising brand governance?
- What practical steps help drive organisation-wide adoption, so martech investments translate into performance?
- What capabilities, structures and processes must teams develop to unlock the full value of AI and emerging technologies?
- How should leaders prioritise martech investment when budgets are tightening, but expectations are rising?
Storytelling as a Catalyst: How Brand Narratives Drive Measurable Commercial Outcomes
- How are you measuring whether a story is delivering long-term customer lifetime value, beyond engagement metrics?
- What strategies are helping brands cut through content overload and declining attention spans to drive commercial outcomes?
- How do you balance purpose-driven messaging with commercial pressures so campaigns feel genuine, not performative?
- How do you maintain a cohesive brand narrative while adapting for regional, cultural, and platform specific nuances?
- When budget is tight, how do you defend investment in brand storytelling to a CFO who wants performance marketing?
Building Brand Resilience in the Age of AI Saturation
- How do you balance AI-driven efficiency with the creative risk-taking that builds memorable brands?
- As AI-generated content saturates every channel, how are you ensuring your brand voice remains recognisable and authentic?
- What new capabilities must creative and brand teams develop to compete in an AI-native environment?
- Where should brands invest in their owned creative capabilities versus leveraging commodity AI tools?
The New Agency Model: Speed, Creativity & Performance at Scale
- What do CMOs need from agencies today, that previously was not considered?
- What work belongs in-house, what belongs with agencies, and how is AI shifting that equation?
- How can agencies and brand teams collaborate to move faster without sacrificing creative standards?
- How are CMOs rethinking investment across brand, creative and media in a cost-constrained environment?
Event Pricing
SINGLE DELEGATE PASS
5 DELEGATE PASSES INCLUDES 2 FREE
What’s included in my delegate pass
Access to Full Event Program
Exclusive Networking Opportunities
Executive Insights & Event Content
Delegate registration is strictly for in-house marketing professionals from consumer or government facing organisations. Please note, service providers are not permitted to attend through standard delegate registration. If you are a Service Provider to marketing executives, please email jackm@connectmedia.com to discuss your involvement.
Registrations will be reviewed for the correct rate, Connect Media reserves the right to refuse entry to anyone not paying the correct rate. Furthermore, we will not be responsible for travel costs if you do not pay the correct rate.
Join Our Invitation List
Subscribe now and be the first to receive updates, special offers, and priority invitations to the Forum.
Our Partners
Become A Partner
Marketing Leaders 2026 is Australia’s essential event for marketing professionals. Our events foster an environment for unlocking the invaluable connections needed to deliver long-term impact for businesses. We focus on actionable insights and real-world solutions by bringing together the critical voices shaping the sector. Every year we refine our event to unlock greater value for our partners and to ensure that our delegation’s expectations are exceeded.
Whether you’re looking for brand visibility, lead generation or exclusive event networking opportunities, our sponsorship packages are tailor made and designed to maximise your ROI.
Please get in touch if you’d like to discuss what these opportunities could look like for you and your brand.
PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Jack Martin
Growth Manager
Tel: +61 451 548 447
Email: jackm@connectmedia.com
GENERAL ENQUIRIES
Tel: +61 2 8004 8590
Email: team@connectmedia.com
Connect with these companies attending
Don’t miss the opportunity to connect with the industry’s most prominent brands at The Marketing Leaders Summit. Explore the companies already confirmed and secure your chance to network with the best in the business.
Your event expErience starts here
Venue & Accommodation
crown Melbourne
Conference Hall, 8 Whiteman St, Southbank VIC
Exclusive Crown Accommodation Offer
Enjoy exclusive delegate discounts at Crown’s premium hotel properties – Crown Towers, Crown Metropol, and Crown Promenade.
Discount: Save between 5–10% off the daily rate
Please note: Discount rates are subject to change and dependent on availability at the time of booking. Special event dates may require a minimum night stay.
Booking Links:
We encourage guests to review all terms and conditions carefully when making a reservation to ensure you are aware of any restrictions or requirements.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s included in my delegate pass?
A Delegate Pass includes access to all sessions, refreshment breaks, networking lunches, and access to provided speaker presentations. Please note: Sharing of speaker presentation’s is subject to approval from the guest speaker. One delegate ticket is entry for one person only, passes cannot be shared. Organiser’s reserve the right to deny entry to anyone not registered.
Is there a group booking discount?
Yes – groups of 3 people or more are entitled to a discount. Full discount information is available on our registration page. If you have any questions about how group bookings work, please contact team@connectmedia.com
Can I transfer my pass?
A delegate pass is entry for one person only, passes cannot be shared. A substitute delegate is welcome at any time prior to the event, provided the request is made in writing to team@connectmedia.com
How do I receive my delegate pass?
Following the completion of your registration, you will receive an email confirmation. We will contact you via email the day prior to the event with a QR code, to make your arrival as seamless as possible have your QR e-ticket ready and visible on your device.
Is media registration available?
No, this is a closed and confidential event. Media registrations are not available.
Cancellation Policy:
A full refund less a $250 (GST Inclusive) processing fee is applicable on cancellation requests made in writing within 10 days of registration. No refunds are available for cancellations made more than 10 days after registration. Where Connect Media is required to reschedule the event in the interest of the event partner’s and guests, your pass will be automatically transferred to the rescheduled dates. Should Connect Media be unable to offer, deliver or fulfil any engagement within 12 months, you will be entitled to a full refund.
What is a Service Provider?
A service provider refers to an individual or organisation who supplies products and/or services to the primary audience of the event.
Will there be a delegate list available?
No, Connect Media does not provide delegate lists to attendees.
Fraudulent activities
We’ve been alerted to instances of companies proposing to purchase and sell lists of attendees for our events. Please be assured, we do not engage in the sale or distribution of event-related data. Such companies have no association with us, and we are actively working to halt these deceptive practices.
Regrettably, this type of scam is not uncommon in the media industry. Any information purported to originate from our events and offered by a third party would be completely fabricated. Should you have doubts about the legitimacy of a potential supplier, we urge you to contact us directly.
For any additional questions please contact us on 02 8004 8590 or team@connectmedia.com.
Terms and Conditions
Delegate Pass:
Delegate Pass includes access to all sessions, refreshment breaks, networking lunches, networking drinks reception, and access to approved speaker presentations/on demand content. Please note: Sharing of speaker presentation’s is subject to approval from the guest speaker. One delegate ticket is entry for one person only, passes cannot be shared. Organiser’s reserve the right to deny entry to anyone not registered.
Digital Pass (only applicable for digital events):
A digital pass is valid for the use of 1 user and provides access to live content, inclusive of all keynotes, and sessions. The pass also includes access to approved speaker presentations/on demand content; this will be available to you via email in the week following the event. Please note: Sharing of speaker presentation’s is subject to approval from the guest speaker. Access must not be shared by multiple user’s or redistributed in any way. Organiser’s reserve the right to deny access to anyone who is found violating the above terms.
Payment & Discounts:
Only one promotional discount code can be applied per registrant. All prices and promotions are valid at the time of purchase only and may not be redeemed after the point of purchase.
Registrations will be reviewed for the correct rate, Connect Media reserves the right to refuse entry to anyone not paying the correct rate. Furthermore, we will not be responsible for travel costs if you do not pay the correct rate.
Organiser’s Rights:
Connect Media and Communications Group Pty Ltd endeavours to ensure the conference programme and speaker line-up is correct at the time of the event. All advertised details are correct at time of publishing. Due to unforeseen circumstances Connect Media and Communications Group Pty Ltd reserves the right to alter the programme prior to the event without notice. We also reserve the right to cancel or postpone the event. Where Connect Media is unable to run the event in the next 12 months (from the date of the event), you will be entitled to a full refund. In the unlikely event that it is cancelled or postponed, no compensation will be provided for cancelled/amended travel arrangements.
Connect Media and Communications Group Pty Ltd reserves the right to deny access to any individual that engages in or is alleged to engage in practices that are considered unprofessional and inappropriate for a business conference. We reserve the right to deny access to delegates that may affect the client / vendor ratio of attendance in favour of the interests of sponsors and commercial partners of the event.
In registering for this event, delegates grant permission to Connect Media and Communications Group Pty Ltd to take and to have full and free use of video/photographs containing their image/likeness for promotional use. Should a delegate not agree to the above image release, they must advise team@connectmedia.com.
Cancellation Policy:
A substitute delegate is welcome at any time provided the request is made in writing. A full refund less a $250 (GST Inclusive) processing fee is applicable on cancellation requests made in writing within 10 days of registration. No refunds are available for cancellations made more than 10 days after registration. Where Connect Media is required to reschedule the event in the interest of the event partner’s and guests, your pass will be automatically transferred to the rescheduled dates. Should you be provided with a credit note at the discretion of the event organisers, this credit is valid for the specified amount of passes, and not the monetary value. Should Connect Media be unable to offer, deliver or fulfil any engagement within 12 months, you will be entitled to a full refund.
Event Delivery:
In case of a change in government restrictions and advice, Connect Media reserves the right to make the decision to deliver the event completely digital, or completely in person. Should you hold a different pass, you are entitled to move your registration to digital/in person, or receive a credit for the following edition of the event.
Privacy Disclosure:
We take your privacy seriously. Information collected on this registration will be held in the strictest of confidence on a secure database. This information may be used in order to contact you regarding future events, product development and services offered. If you do not wish to be contacted please email team@connectmedia.com. To view our full privacy policy please visit: https://dashboard.connectmedia.com/privacy-policy/.