PI LIVE, the global performance marketing event of the year, has today unveiled its agenda – packed with insightful sessions and inspirational speakers from across the performance marketing industry ahead of the event on October 15-16 at London’s Old Billingsgate.
The agenda programme, which is now available, forms the latest updates and opportunities available throughout the two-day extravaganza that’s set to be an unforgettable event in 2018 for performance marketing.
Following its successful debut last year and a record uptake in entries (62% year-on-year growth), the International Performance Marketing Awards returns on October 15 on the eve of day one of PI LIVE. Meanwhile, the inaugural event, Influencer Marketing Show (IMS) returns bigger, better and broader for 2018, with a refreshed look across the two days to address the industry’s position around performance and transparency.
PI LIVE is made possible thanks to headline sponsors Awin, Webgains and Tradedoubler, among several others, with speakers representing advertisers, publishers, tech companies, agencies and networks from across the industry.
Challenging the industry
With new technologies and innovation driving the performance marketing industry, this year’s agenda reflects on the ever-adapting channels and their developments – bringing together experts, inspiration and collaboration. Attendees can take away true value and actionable insights to help them drive their business and individual goals.
From keynotes and individual sessions to industry discussion panels, PI LIVE will provide insights into the latest in affiliate marketing, programmatic, data-driven marketing and the quickly advancing world of influencer marketing.
“Our first wave of sessions cover the spectrum of performance marketing today, not only to help optimise activity but challenge the industry’s conventional thinking,” said Matthew Wood, director of PerformanceIN; “Sessions will encourage delegates to think outside the box – including self-development – and to understand how the performance sector is evolving and developing.”
All eyes on the keynotes
There are a number of keynotes at PI LIVE this year, each delivering incredible insight and debate into the industry’s happenings. An unmissable stand out on day one is Awin’s main stage presentation by global content analyst Robert Davidson on Black Friday and the Evolution of Global Retail Events, which will run through all the essentials as we enter the holiday peak season. Meanwhile, Webgains will run through the New Generation of Performance Marketing, with CEO Richard Dennys exploring the growing channel and its transition over the next five years.
A spot of motivational speaking will see Shed Simove of Ideas Man share his three inspirational techniques to unlocking creativity, which will no doubt provide attendees some much-needed edge to their marketing objectives and campaigns. Meanwhile, business leader and performer Cally Beaton is set to bring humour, energy and leadership during the day to help you inspire teams and develop an inclusive environment.
Day two’s keynote panel discussion featuring Smarter Click, Philips, Green Light Digital, Tradedoubler and Global Savings Group will discuss the Changing of The Performance Marketing Funnel – urging marketers to focus more on customer retention as the new marketing funnel. Meanwhile, Webgains’ Richard Dennys returns with another keynote session on peak performance and how bringing together a panel of four elite athletes as they bridge the gap between business and performance.
In addition to the keynotes, the Marin Dome Stage and the Pavilion will both host a spectacular range of talks across the two-day duration of PI LIVE.
Over on day one, Connected Path co-founders Anthony Clements and Anjulie Blunden will talk us through the value of entry-level progression and why young people are vital in growing the performance marketing industry.
With performance marketing rapidly growing worldwide, particularly in the APAC region, Anthony Capano, managing director of APAC and Europe at Rakuten Marketing, will explore new horizons and the strategies available to marketers in order to break into the market.
Elsewhere, NMPi performance manager Fred Maud will finally put to rest claims that artificial intelligence (AI) is just a buzzword with a technical session highlighting the real-world use of AI and automation.
Data, influencers and transparency
For those looking to improve the measurement and results of their campaigns, Optimise Media’s data-driven insight session will solve all the common challenges in affiliate marketing. Elsewhere, Wayne Blodwell, founder and CEO of The Programmatic Advisory will aid advertisers and buyers through some top-level programmatic strategies to help drive high-performing campaigns.
In the afternoon of day two, Acceleration Partners’ managing director EMEA Helen Southgate and Awin’s global client strategy director Kevin Edwards will bring together more than 30 years of collective affiliate marketing experience to present a creative vision for the future of the performance marketing channel.
With the influencer marketing channel vastly growing, the IMS is packed with game-changing sessions and panel discussions. Solving the $500 Million Influencer Fraud Problem, presented by InfluecerDB CEO and co-founder Robert Levenhagen, will touch on the industry’s hottest debate around fraudulent activities and fake followers.
Earlier during the day sees Kieran Bass, Kitty’s managing partner, running through the benefits of using pop culture and behaviour to improve your influencer marketing campaigns, while influencer marketing platform Scrunch and their CEO Danielle Lewis will lay out the benefits of Executing a Data-Driven Approach to Influencer Marketing, providing a framework to select the right influencers and tips to optimise your campaigns.
“The focus on data-driven marketing across both PI LIVE and the Influencer Marketing Show demonstrates how brands and agencies are continuing to place a greater emphasis on measuring the effectiveness of campaigns – and some sessions will dig deeper into the nuts and bolts of how to use the data at your disposal,” said Wood.
Lastly, the workshop room on the third floor of Old Billingsgate will host the Digital Disruptors ‘Dragons’ Den Final’. The initiative, which was launched last year in memory of Nicky McShane, will see the next generation of digital entrepreneurs pitch their ideas to our industry’s very own ‘Dragons’. The best pitch wins the inaugural McShane Young Digital Disruptor Award and the chance to make their project a reality.
There are plenty more sessions available for you to pour over from across the two days of PI LIVE and IMS, including scaling your performance campaigns, leveraging programmatic technologies, learning how to approach your Pinterest strategy and adopting the customer mindset for your SEO strategy.