2025 Program

humAIn has been designed and curated for senior marketing and media professionals who want to harness the power of AI innovation.

10:00 AM Pre-conference registration

10:30 AM Applied AI for marketers workshop

A 2-hour session for marketers to explore AI integration in workflows, experiment with tools, and gain confidence in deploying AI within a responsible framework.

Overview:

30 minutes on “AI Strategy” (Identifying and overcoming common organisational challenges and barriers; practical company-level adoption strategies)
60 minutes on hands on experiment with tools
30 minutes problem solving Q&A

By the end of the workshop, attendees will leave with strategic insights for fast-tracking organisational adoption and hands on tips and tricks working with the latest AI tools.

Facilitator

Jason Ross, Co-founder, Time Under Tension

12:30 PM Conference registration opens

1:00 PM Opening remarks

Cat McGinn, Head of Curated & Commercial Content, Unmade

1.10 PM KEYNOTE

Navigating the future: Agentic AI for marketers

As artificial intelligence capabilities evolve to include agents capable of making autonomous decisions, adapting dynamically, and reshaping consumer behaviour, the role of marketers must evolve too.
This session explores how agentic AI differs from generative AI and traditional automation, and what that means for marketing strategy, brand positioning, and responsible use.

Carney, who leads technical strategy and responsible AI initiatives at Microsoft ANZ will unpack the rise of agentic AI and present a framework for engaging with it thoughtfully—balancing innovation with integrity. From hyper-personalisation and AI-orchestrated campaigns to predictive engagement, automated brand representation and risk mitigation, we’ll examine how these systems operate with and for consumers—and the implications of that shift.

Beyond the technical, we’ll address a crucial human dimension: how marketers keep human agency in shaping the future of AI-powered ecosystems. Topics include:

Understanding the distinctions between generative, agentic, and automated systems
Embedding trust, transparency, and bias mitigation into AI-driven interactions
Ensuring brand relevance and discoverability in agent-led consumer journeys
Designing for human-in-the-loop oversight and adaptive governance

Attendees will leave with both an understanding of agentic AI and a empowered mindset—equipped to navigate not just the mechanics, but the meaning of AI in marketing.

Sarah Carney, National Chief Technology Officer, Microsoft ANZ

1:50 PM Augmented creativity showcase

AI Augmented Creative Showcase – A provocative exploration of AI as a collaborator in creativity, not a competitor. How creative industry professionals can use AI to enable creativity and avoid homogeneity and mediocrity.

Ben Cooper, Founder, BRAINSTRUST
Vinne Schifferstein, Managing Director, MADE THIS
Pip Bingeman, Co-Founder, Springboards.ai

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2:15 PM Finding the Gen AI sweet spot: Decisions at speed

Optus Case Study: Cam Luby, head of consumer marketing at Optus, will share real-world insights from years of testing and refining AI-driven solutions - from enhancing customer experiences, streamlining workflows, and unlocking data-driven insights.

Joining Luby are Matt Farrugia, co-founder, and Grace Gilbert, marketing scientist, both from Mutinex, for a discussion on when gen AI works, when it doesn’t, and how to find the "sweet spot" where it accelerates smarter decision-making.

Speakers

Cam Luby, Head of Consumer Marketing, Optus
Matt Farrugia, Co-founder, Mutinex
Grace Gilbert, Marketing Scientist, Mutinex

2:40 PM Afternoon tea roundtables and networking break

Join us for an engaging afternoon tea with four exciting options to choose from!

Dive into a roundtable discussion exploring the real-world drivers and blockers of AI adoption in media and marketing, or unleash your creativity in a session with Springboards where you can experiment with creative chaos. Both these sessions have limited numbers, so register now at no extra cost.

Or, take time to explore live AI demonstrations, connect over coffee with industry peers, and relfect on what's resonated so far.

Whatever you choose, this is your chance to make the afternoon matter.

Roundtables

Join a select group of industry peers for a candid, Chatham House Rule roundtable exploring the real-world drivers—and persistent blockers—of AI adoption in media and marketing.

This off-the-record session is an opportunity to exchange insights, surface shared challenges, and identify the conditions needed to move from experimentation to meaningful impact.

Whether you're navigating operational friction, cultural resistance, or scaling questions, this is a space for open, informed conversation among decision-makers at the forefront of change.

LIMITED SPOTS

Rage with the Machines - A live experiment in creative chaos

We want to bring live creative experimentation and a little bit of chaos to Humain.

At Springboards, we’ve broken AI on purpose, we’ve turned it from a tool for answers into a tool for inspiration. We’re going to show you how when Humans + AI get together it can make creativity faster, funnier, and frankly more fun.

This is part game, part experiment, part potential disaster.
Bring your computers and get ready to play, we will all collaborating to crack a brief in 45mins!

LIMITED SPOTS

3:40 PM AI Upfronts

A dynamic, fun lightning pitch session:
The presentations will showcase a cross-section of new AI-powered services and products that have potential value to the media and marketing world.

Each presenter has 8 minutes to showcase the platform or AI capability and take audience questions.

Previous AI Upfront pitches have gone on to greatness. Catch them while they're hot.

Speakers

Michelle Gilmore, CEO and Co-Founder, Juno
Ben Gunn, Founder and Chief Revenue Officer, Fabulate
Abe Udy, Founder, Ethical AI Voice
Sarah Jones, Senior Manager, Head of Marketing (Asia-Pacific), Getty Images
Celia Harding, Founder, LEOPRD

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4:25 PM AI vs agencies: who will survive and what will be left of them?

AI isn’t just changing how agencies work—it’s changing how they get paid. As automation and agentic AI takes over time-consuming tasks, the old-school billable hours model is looking increasingly shaky. So what comes next?

This session will explore how agencies can redefine their value in a world where AI handles everything from media buying to content creation. Should agencies shift to fixed fees, performance-based pricing, or even subscription models? How do they balance efficiency with creativity to stay indispensable? And most importantly, how do they ensure AI enhances—rather than erodes—client relationships?

We’ll examine:

Why AI-driven automation is making traditional agency billing models obsolete
The rise of new remuneration structures like performance-based and subscription models
How agencies can remain profitable while proving their worth in an AI-powered world
The human-AI collaboration sweet spot—where creativity and strategy still reign supreme
The client perspective: what brands now expect from agencies in the AI era
With AI reshaping agency economics, the industry faces a stark choice: adapt or risk irrelevance. This session will ask some tough questions and offer perspectives on the path forward for agencies looking to thrive in a radically different future.

Speaker:

Nathan McDonald Co-founder, We Are Social

4:50 PM Always be chatting

AI chatbots: the benefits for audience and customer engagement, internal communication.
A panel of experts present examples and share insights into when AI chatbots are the right solution, and when they're not; considerations like controlling for bias and manipulation, mitigating errors, and technical constraints.

Panel

Aaron Michie, Head of Marketing Operations, Foxtel
Shaun Davies, Ai Consultant, Bastion Digital
Parnell Palme McGuinness, Head of Strategy and Policy, Agenda C

5:30 PM humAIn: Adopt Or..? (principles update)

The insights and themes captured during the morning’s session to be shared with the aim of developing principles to offer marketers a practical framework to guide AI implementation in their organisations

6:00 PM Networking drinks and canapés

The Lost Futures

The Lost Futures is a groundbreaking multimedia project exploring the intersection of nostalgia, technology, and creativity. Combining innovative synthography (AI assisted visual design), sound design, and visual composition, it pushes boundaries with cyberdelic artistry and bold, hybrid storytelling. Founded by artist and creative technologist Luke Burton, the project transforms fear of technological disruption into artistic possibilities, offering a fresh perspective on the future of creativity.