Independent Media Agencies Australia (IMAA) has announced its largest-ever cohort for Pitch-Chella, with 24 agency teams from across Australia set to take part in the 2026 program.
Now in its third year, Pitch-Chella gives emerging indie agency talent the chance to sharpen their pitching skills, collaborate with peers and respond to a strategic brief for a chosen charity.
This year, teams will pitch a national campaign for anti-bullying organisation, You Can Sit With Me.
A record 24 teams
The 2026 cohort includes 24 teams from 22 IMAA member agencies across NSW, Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia.
Participating agencies include Adtorque Edge, Advertising Associates, Aeon Marketing, Alpha Digital, Audience Group, Bang Digital, Bastion, Campaignifi, Enigma, Hatched Media, Media Republic, Noisy Beast, Reload Media, Slingshot, Speed, Strat, TFM, The Media Store, Thinkerbell, This is Flow, TNT Media and Yango.
The brief
Teams will prepare written pitches for a national media campaign to increase awareness of You Can Sit With Me and build community engagement.
The campaign must position the charity as Australia’s leading voice for kindness, inclusion and belonging in schools.
It will also need to support the organisation’s growth by engaging educators, students, parents and strategic partners, while helping drive school participation, funding opportunities and merchandise sales.
You Can Sit With Me is an Australian charity and inclusion initiative focused on reducing bullying, loneliness and school refusal among children and young people.
Judging and finalists
The written pitches will be reviewed by a judging panel including Audience360 Managing Director Jenny Parkes, TrinityP3 Business Director and Global Media Lead Stephen Wright, Orand Founder Adam Hickey, and You Can Sit With Me Founder and CEO Sophie Sparks.
Entries will be judged on strategic clarity, creative execution, audience insight, innovation and effectiveness. Eight finalists will be announced on Friday, June 26, and will present a virtual pitch to the judging panel on Tuesday, July 14.
Winners will be announced at an awards ceremony at Sydney’s Beresford Hotel on Thursday, July 30.
IMAA on the program
Sam Buchanan
IMAA CEO Sam Buchanan said the response to this year’s program had exceeded expectations.
“We have our largest ever cohort of participants, representing a record number of member agencies from across the country.
“To see this initiative become a widely popular national program, attracting nearly 80 up-and-coming young industry professionals, demonstrates its success in providing professional development and partnership opportunities for emerging industry talent.”
Buchanan said this year’s brief is designed to push entrants to create work with impact.
“Our challenge for this year’s entrants is to focus on pitches that spark something.
“The strongest entries combine creativity with clear strategic thinking, demonstrate genuine audience understanding and have the confidence to challenge convention.
“We’re looking for pitches that have that ‘aha moment’ – it’s about originality, impact and the ability to turn insights into an idea that our judging panel will remember.”
The 2026 Pitch-Chella initiative is led by a steering committee including Lisa Blackshaw from Co.gency and Taylor Fielding from TFM Digital, alongside the IMAA team.
This year’s program is sponsored by the gold sponsor, Audience360, and supporting sponsors: Are Media, Channel Factory, News Australia, Meta, Microsoft Advertising, Snapchat, and Taboola.
Top image: IMAA