This Friday (September 25) is the deadline to apply for Performance Marketing Insights: London’s bursary scheme, in association with the IAB UK, and be considered for a free pass to October’s conference.

The bursary offers those in the early stages of their digital marketing careers a chance to attend the event for the first time, meet with industry leaders and soak up the education on offer.

With marketing as a whole becoming all the more measurable, the opportunity to learn from those who consistently deliver a return for the brands they serve could be highly valuable for any young professional looking to the industry as a base point for their career.

Applications are easy to submit, and only require basic details along with a supporting statement before revision from our panel of experts.

The class of the future

With a firm eye on next wave of industry professionals, PerformanceIN and the IAB will also be offering successful bursary applicants a whistle-stop guide of performance marketing’s key facets as part of PMI: London’s new 101 sessions.

Experts from companies including affilinet, Cohort Global, iProspect and the IAB will be given 20 minutes to provide attendees with imperative and topical insight on a range of marketing disciplines, including:

  • Content marketing
  • Mobile marketing
  • Affiliate marketing
  • Programmatic advertising
  • Lead generation
  • Social media

Programmatic is set to be one of the most talked about topics at PMI, and a special 101 session should go some way to explaining why the automated trading of ad space is proving so popular.

IAB UK senior programmes manager David Frew, who looks after key industry initiatives relating to display trading and ad operations, will be in the man in charge of providing attendees with a glimpse into this fast-progressing area.

“The increasing use of automation has caused a fundamental change in how digital advertising is being traded. IAB UK’s latest figures for 2014 show that the share of display advertising traded programmatically grew to 45% in the UK.

“I’ll cover the advantages of using machine-based decision making in the conversation between media owners and brands, and some of the new challenges that have emerged.”

Key learnings

Dan Lancioni, account director at affilinet, said that attendees can expect to walk away from his day-one session with knowledge on today’s affiliate landscape, along with an overview of what could be around the corner.

“Affiliate marketing is one of the fastest growing digital channels, with a spend of over £1 billion running through it. In 20 minutes I will whiz through the world of affiliate marketing, covering remuneration models, who the key players are, what good affiliate marketing looks like and what’s in store for the channel moving forward.”

Also in the 101 programme, IAB’s mobile manager Mike Reynolds will be uncovering the state of play for marketers looking to target consumers through messaging on smartphones and tablets.

“Mobile advertising has grown at a staggering rate over the last five years. As with any emerging medium, education is key to ensure that marketers are making the most of its huge potential.

“My session will cover some of the latest trends we’re seeing in the word of mobile, including where the money is being spent as well how brands are having to re-invent themselves to keep pace with the always on, always connected, consumer.”

To be in the running for a bursary pass you will need to complete the short application form ahead of the September 25 deadline, after which a panel of industry experts will hand-pick winners to receive one of a limited number of bursary positions. Applications can be made here.