The Independent Media Agencies of Australia (IMAA) has announced its first-ever Fast.Future.Present conference, a deep dive into the media landscape of today and tomorrow.
The event is exclusively for IMAA members, their clients, and media partners.
Sponsored by News Australia, with supporting partner QBE, the inaugural conference will be held on Thursday, 16 October at the Sydney Masonic Centre. The program will feature media partner activations, networking opportunities, and presentations from futurists, AI experts, and media industry professionals.
The conference will open with IMAA media partners sharing company and market updates through designated activations.
A total of 29 media partners are set to attend, including ATN, Audience360, ARN, Bishopp, Blis, Channel Factory, Commercial Radio Audio (CRA), Crimtan, Criteo, Double Verify, Foxtel Media, Gumtree Group, IAS, Mamamia, Meta, News Australia, QBE, Nexxen, Nine, oOh!media, Pinterest, QMS, REA Group, Scentre Group, Seven Network, StackAdapt, TikTok, Uber, and Weatherzone.
Guests will hear a keynote from Anders Sörman-Nilsson, global futurist and founder of the think tank Thinque, which provides data-based research, foresight, and thought leadership for clients including Microsoft, Apple, Meta, McKinsey, Jaguar Land Rover, Adobe, MINI, Dyson, Rugby New Zealand, and Lego.
Sörman-Nilsson has published three books on digital transformation and innovation and is a member of TEDGlobal and the Entrepreneurs Organization, where he chairs the Sydney Chapter’s Leadership Impact.
A panel discussion titled “Is social the new search?” will feature TikTok Agency Head, Nhi Le; Pinterest Agency Lead, Natasa Tintor; and Meta Industry Head, Independent Agencies | ANZ, Kristy Barclay-Allen.
The session will be moderated by VonniMedia managing director, Veronica Cremen.
Another panel will examine the future of media, focusing on navigating the rapidly shifting landscape and strategies for success.
Lou Barrett
Lou Barrett, News Australia Managing Director of Client Partnerships, said, “News Australia is proud to support the IMAA’s inaugural ‘Fast.Future.Present’ event as headline sponsor.
“The IMAA community plays an important role in championing the independent sector, creating opportunities for collaboration and growth. In a time when our industry is evolving at a record pace with AI, new technologies and shifting consumer behaviours, events like this are invaluable.
“They provide the space to connect, share knowledge and explore the future together. We look forward to engaging with more than 300 decision makers from across the independent agency community at what’s sure to be a thought-provoking event.”
IMAA CEO Sam Buchanan said,“Our first-ever ‘Fast.Future.Present’ event is part of the IMAA’s commitment to both innovate in the sector and provide our members and their clients with a unique and exciting opportunity to connect with our media partners and gain valuable insights we head into 2026.
“This is an opportunity for our members to come together to hear about the current state-of-play of the national media landscape, along with what’s to come, from some of the nation’s foremost tech and media experts.
“Events discussing the future of media are vital, particularly as the sector is undergoing such rapid, transformative change. These events provide critical platforms for industry leaders to share knowledge, adapt strategies and foster innovation, and ensure that we all stay relevant, sustainable and impactful in an increasingly complex, digital-first world.”
The event will conclude with a networking session, presented in partnership with News Australia and featuring a DJ courtesy of CRA.
The Fast.Future.Present conference will run from 3pm to 8pm, Thursday, 16 October, at the Sydney Masonic Centre, 279 Castlereagh Street, Sydney.
For more information and details of all sessions, visit www.theimaa.com.au.