Star panelists discussing all the subjects that matter, and the chance to contribute to our editorial output – welcome to The Drum Live 2025.
The opening event at last year’s The Drum Live
Across two days in September, The Drum Live will bring together star guests to debate the hottest topics of the day while giving attendees the opportunity to take part in a live newsroom.
Former health and culture secretary Matt Hancock, S4 Capital chairman Sir Martin Sorrell, and The Drum columnist Mark Ritson will all appear at the event, to be held at The Drum Labs in London.
The Drum’s editorial team will lead the two-day schedule, with topics for articles, podcasts, video, and social content debated, created, and published in real-time before a live audience. Attendees will also be invited to The Drum’s daily editorial meeting with the chance to pitch story ideas to editor Cameron Clarke.
Gordon Young, The Drum’s editor-in-chief, explained: “We will be generating content, curating news, and basically running the website live in front of an audience. The audience will experience the thrills and spills of a live news setting – helping us make fast decisions, and ensure we have the right angle on the big breaking stories.”
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A range of subjects will be discussed at panels across the event, including sports marketing, humor in advertising, and the importance of trust in a privacy-first era.
Oxford-style debates will consider whether media is now more important than creative and the growing importance of client services directors within agencies. Meanwhile, four leading AIs will be put through their paces with each given the same marketing challenge and the audience deciding on the best results.
A panel of global CMOs, including from Very and Visa, will also be put on the spot with attendees able to pose them questions. And with Unilever recently revealing that more than 50% of its budget is now spent on social and influencers, experts will try to get to the bottom of whether the rules of advertising have changed for good.
Matt Hancock, now managing director of BBS, will sit down on day one for a ‘fireside chat’ with The Drum’s Richard Draycott on day one, while Sir Martin Sorrell will give a keynote speech on the second day of the event. The ramifications of the Omnicom/IPG merger will be discussed by a panel featuring co-founder of Studio.One Ajaz Ahmed, Green Square partner Barry Dudley, and CEO of ATOMIC Jon Goulding.
Major players from The Drum’s editorial team will be in attendance, giving you the opportunity to meet the team. Other star guests will include comedian, actor, and head of humor at Kitchen Alex McQueen, head of sports marketing at Paddy Power Harry Phillips, and managing director of MG OMD Kat Bozicevich.
Rhiannon Scarlett, CMO of TGI Friday; Leandro Barreto, CMO of beauty and wellness at Unilever; and Chloë Davis, founder and CEO of It Takes A Village, are all set to appear at the event, along with a host of other notable figures from the marketing world.
With the help of these stellar guests and the live audience, The Drum Live will break down trends, challenge ideas, and shape new narratives on the leading topics of the day. Anyone interested in marketing, journalism, or media should make sure to attend.
The event takes place on September 24 and 25 at The Drum Labs in Shoreditch, London, with official partners set to include Seedtag, Usercentrics, Analytic Partners, and Empathy Lab.