Get ready, because 2026 will mark the Dawn of a New Era for Australia’s indie agencies.
That’s the message from Sam Buchanan, CEO of the Independent Media Agencies of Australia (IMAA), who said the FAST. FUTURE. PRESENT event at SXSW Sydney proved that independent agencies are no longer following the conversation – they’re setting it.
“I’ve never seen so much energy and activity in one room” Buchanan told Mediaweek. “It reminded me what a vibrant and manic industry that we work in. That was fantastic.”
The one-day conference brought together leaders from media, technology, and innovation to explore how agencies, platforms, and brands can future-proof creativity and connection in an age of constant change.
Credit: Jason McCormack
Rethinking how the industry searches, creates, and connects
Among the most talked-about sessions was Is Social the New Search?, featuring experts from TikTok, Pinterest, and Meta, who debated how discovery and intent are shifting.
Buchanan said the conversation captured the disruption happening across the industry.
“The first panel explored what’s happening with social search and how things like ChatGPT are reshaping the search engine experience,” he said.
“The way we know search engines today is going to be really challenged. So, it was a fascinating discussion about where this space is heading and what everyone will be doing over the next five years.”
The discussion echoed wider themes throughout SXSW Sydney, how emerging technologies like AI, machine learning, and conversational search are rewriting the rules of media buying, optimisation, and brand discovery.
In another session, The Future of Media, leaders from IAB Australia, Headspring, News Corp Australia, and the IMAA unpacked everything from unified measurement to the role of AI in ad delivery and verification, all while stressing collaboration as key to maintaining trust across the ecosystem.
Credit: Jason McCormack
A new chapter for indies
The event’s final panel, featuring Gai Le Roy, Jessica Gilby, and Mark Burns, hit particularly close to home for Buchanan.
“The final panel talked about what agencies will look like in five years’ time, how we’ll be working, and where the opportunities will lie for independent agencies,” Buchanan said.
“It was a big topic, asking the question: ‘So what does it all mean for everyone in the room?’”
He said the day’s energy underscored how far the indie sector has come since the pandemic disrupted industry connection.
“Overall, the day was oversubscribed, there were more than 500 attendees, and it wrapped up with a networking session afterwards,” he said.
“Holistically, the indie sector loves to get together. They generally get on really well with one another. Since COVID, the industry’s been a bit challenged, events have been slower to return, but there’s definitely a new normal emerging.”
Credit: Jason McCormack
From catching up to leading the conversation
For the IMAA, Buchanan said FAST. FUTURE. PRESENT signalled a shift in how independents operate, from reactive to proactive.
“From an indie perspective, there’s been a real shift. In the past, independents were often the last to hear about certain things – information would filter down from the big networks to the indies. Now, we’re the first to hear about things,” he said.
“From an IMAA point of view, we’re no longer that disruptive, annoying industry body that was constantly fighting to be heard. We’re now the biggest media industry body in Australia. We’re not asking to be included in the conversation anymore… we’re setting it.”
The focus, he added, is now on preparing members for what’s next, especially as AI and automation transform agency models.
“Events like this are about getting all our members aligned, prepared, and educated on what’s coming next. It’s also about reinvesting in the human side of our industry. There’ll always be a need for relationships, but we also need smart people to manage new technologies,” he said.
“It was really about preparing ourselves, aligning on what we need to start doing in our businesses and everyday practices, to ensure we’re embracing all these opportunities. Everyone’s on a different journey. Some agencies are already fully AI-enabled. Others still think it’s called ‘A ONE’ and aren’t quite sure what’s going on.”
Main image: Sam Buchanan. Credit: Jason McCormack