40+ sessions
With actionable insights and real-world examples, the PPA Festival offers a unique opportunity to connect, learn, and stay ahead in an ever-evolving industry.
Scroll down to see the four main stages and the new Next Gen Stage dedicated to the future leaders of our industry under the age of 30.
Plus, the Future of Tech Demo Stage, which brings practical tools and platforms to life (info coming soon).
Trusted editorial brands are facing more change than ever. AI is reshaping business models, audiences are fragmenting, and publishers need to prove impact with clarity and confidence.
This stage zooms out to explore the trends, strategies, and opportunities shaping the industry - from measuring ROI in a platform-driven world to pivoting from a focus on reach to engaged, loyal audiences.
You’ll get practical insight into the business models that work, ways to unlock revenue, and strategies to future-proof your organisation in an era of constant change
Who is this for?
Leadership and executive teams, commercial leaders, event leaders, strategists, senior managers, team leaders, HR directors, aspiring practitioners, strategic thinkers, agency planners, and advertisers.
Stage host
Rachael Prasher
Managing Director
Haymarket Automotive
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Discover how publishers are growing and monetising their audiences by putting trust, transparency, and authenticity at the heart of everything they do. This stage will highlight the power of meaningful, long-term relationships, grounded in a clear understanding of what audiences truly value, rather than transactions.
Through case studies and practical insight, we’ll explore how publishers are developing deeper customer understanding and using it to shape products, pricing, and messaging that recognises the importance of where audiences are in their relationship with brands.
You’ll leave with strategies to drive growth through engagement-driven retention, clearly demonstrating value at every touchpoint to build loyal audiences.
Who is this for?
Brand, performance, and subscription marketers, audience and revenue growth strategists, community specialists, membership managers, publishers, agency planners, advertisers, commercial teams, and those in customer revenue roles.
Stage host
Abi Spooner,
Strategy Partner
Atlas
This stage dives into the new reality where storytelling must hit emotionally and be optimised for AI models, recommendation engines, and search.
We’ll explore how publishers are reshaping products to thrive across fragmented platforms - from newsletters, audio, video, and live experiences - and how to structure content so it’s discoverable by both people and the systems surfacing it.
Expect sharp, practical thinking on AI-enhanced workflows, machine-readable content design, multi-format packaging, and the tech-stacks that make it all possible. If you're reinventing legacy products or experimenting with agents, this stage gives you the frameworks and inspiration to build products that are measurable, monetisable, and impossible to ignore.
Who is this for?
technologists, product developers, product leaders, data & SEO specialists, tech teams, insight managers, revenue strategists, editors
Stage hosts
John Barnes Mel McVeigh
Chief Digital Officer Strategic Consultant
William Reed (Digital & Product)
PPA
Content today is all about balance. Speed with depth, virality with credibility, personality with trust. Trusted editorial brands are navigating a fragmented, algorithm-driven world while finding new ways to reach and engage audiences across multiple platforms.
This stage dives into creating content that works for everyone, while seizing opportunities from emerging behaviours, formats, and platforms - including those popular with younger users.
Expect practical strategies to build trust, drive engagement, create communities, and unlock new revenue streams - giving you tools to make content perform, resonate, and grow your business.
Who is this for?
Editorial teams, writers, journalists, product leaders, event producers, data and insight specialists, revenue strategists, agency planners, advertisers, PR and communications specialists.
Stage host
Claire Sanderson
Editor-in-Chief
Women’s Health UK and Men’s Health UK
Where emerging talent comes together to learn, network, and collaborate. New for 2026.
Whether you're preparing for a future leadership role, looking to level up your skills, or back yourself to build something entirely new, the Next Gen Stage is where you'll find the honest conversations, practical advice, and the real-world insight you need to take the next step in your career.
Expect dynamic sessions on the skills you need to succeed, hear directly from Gen Z talent reshaping the industry, and put your questions to industry leaders who've been where you are.
Alongside the sessions, the Next Gen Stage will provide valuable networking opportunities, equipping you with the confidence and connections to thrive.
Who is it for?
Designed for ambitious professionals under the age of 30 in any job function across consumer media or business and information services. Whether that be editorial, commercial, marketing, audience development, product, events, audio, video or content creation, to name a few.
If you’re looking to build confidence, broaden your skills, and understand how the industry really works, whilst connecting with peers and leaders who can help shape your path, the Next Gen Stage is your space to learn, ask questions, and accelerate your career.
This stage is exclusively for those with Next Gen tickets, standard Festival tickets will not be allowed entry (further details found here).
Stage host
Rachel Richardson
Creator, Highly Flammable Newsletter
(previously Head of Editorial, Snap; Editor, News UK; Content Creator and Consultant)
Agenda to be announced soon.