It’s just over a week until MAD//Fest and New Digital Age open their virtual doors to the 99//Club Digital Fest (15-19 June). In classic MAD//Fest style, we’ve not made life easy for ourselves and have crafted a unique and ambitious experience that puts inspiration, ideas and networking at its core. 

Over 2,000 people are signed up to attend and hear CMOs, innovation directors, top creatives and industry figureheads put their bold ideas to kick-start growth on the table.

The format: can a big idea change the future of marketing?

When was the last time you sat down and watched a 40 minute panel session on YouTube? The whole premise of the 99//Club Digital Festival is to give amazing speakers just 99 second to make a bold statement that could create a better future for marketing. After each session, New Digital Age Editor Justin Pearse will lead Q&A and you’ll have the chance to debate the issues with the industry’s bigwigs. We’ve also lined-up a range of digital experience to make the virtual event experience more of an….experience.

Day 1: Influencer Marketing + Social Media

The onset or coronavirus has caused many social media and influencer platforms to ask big questions about authenticity, trust, effectiveness. On the other hand, social media usage has soared since coronavirus as people search for entertainment, human interaction and the latest news. 

These trends create challenges and opportunities for brands and platforms. Featuring contributions from Tenzing, Virgin Trains, Takumi, WW, made.com, Tagger Media and Snap, expect big ideas, opportunities and influencer marketing poetry (not just in a metaphorical sense) on how brands and platforms can create effective strategies that will resonate with people in a much changed world.

Armed with new inspiration, we’ll be rounding things off with DIY Monday night cocktails from made.com!

Day 2: Media + MADtech

Looking for the latest media trends, adtech, martech and innovation? Then our 99//Fest Media +  MADtech sessions is the day for you.

Shrinking budgets, off-the-scale media consumption – it’s a familiar paradox for many requiring bold strategies from advertisers, agencies, media owners and tech providers. This day will see the likes of Unilever, GSK, Coca-Cola, TSB, News UK, ITV, Spotify and Vodafone share their ideas on how to create a more effective and sustainable media model.

And if all that sounds heavy, grab a drink and wind down with musical bingo from our friends at Snap!

Day 3: Customer Experience + Personalisation

Advertisers have upped their interest in personalisation since the pandemic. It’s a shift driven in-part by a spike in e-commerce/D2C, changes to consumer behaviour and pressure to increase conversions. It’s a similar scene in customer experience and look to boost loyalty, brand and trust. 

We’ll be bringing together brands like  Starling Bank, Twitch, The FT, Moonpig and O2 to share rallying calls on how the industry can adapt and innovate by putting the customer at the core.

Brands, Experience + Creativity

Can creativity save the day? How can we tell our stories more effectively? When experiential, live events and outdoor are curtailed, what can brands do to drive engagement and ensure the message cuts through?

We’ve lined-up the likes of Havas Chief Creative Officer Vicki Maguire, Not On The High St Creative Director Penny Parnell and the ad industry’s favourite raconteur, Rory Sutherland to share big and bold ideas on how creativity can be our most useful asset to get us back to growth. Don’t miss Rory try his hand at making sense of the world whilst attempting a Cribs-style tour of his home and where the marketing magic happens!

Day 5 – Innovation + Growth

If ever there was a time for innovation to step up to the mark and provide, it’s now (click here to read our piece on how brands are backing innovation). But is innovation taken seriously? Are we doing it right? Is it genuinely addressing our challenges or merely serving to keep the PR team busy?

On Friday we’ll deliver a blend of insight from top futurists and authors like Brice Daisley, Adah Parris, Sam Coniff and Nell Watson. You can also hear where innovation fits in the growth strategies of the likes of VICE, Missguided, Google and AB InBev.

We’ve also lined-up an exclusive DJ set from Defected Records so can round off the week by throwing some shapes!

We think the 99//Club Digital Festival is a pretty bold and ambitious virtual play – do join us and get a fix of new ideas, inspiration and innovation.

Tickets for the 99//Club Digital Festival are available now for just £200 (the price increases to £250 on Mon 8 June).