ADVANCE | September 29, 2026 | NYC

Find Out What’s Next in Advertising Before Everyone Else Does

700+ industry leaders. One day. No filler, no fluff, just the conversations that actually move advertising forward.

At ADVANCE, Timbaland is taking the stage alongside Smartly CEO Laura Desmond to share his thoughts on a challenge every modern marketer is currently facing: How do you keep your brand’s voice unmistakable in an era of infinite, accessible technology?

Walk into the Bolt Bar for fresh customer stories, standout case studies, and live Smartly demos. Stop by throughout the day to see how brands are connecting creative, media, and intelligence. And get a firsthand look at the ideas and technology behind the results.

Explore Smartly Intelligence and see how incrementality signals can inform planning, measurement, and optimization in one connected offering. Get a firsthand look at Intelligence Pro and share where better intelligence could help your team make more confident decisions.

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The Moment Advertising Comes Together

Advertising is being reshaped in real time. Creativity, commerce, and technology are no longer separate. They’re all part of how brands succeed today. ADVANCE creates space for that shift, bringing together the people redefining how brands connect, grow, and create value.

From the leaders shaping our culture to rethinking how storytelling, intelligence, and technology work together. ADVANCE is all about what’s working right now, and how AI is accelerating what comes next.

Register now
Register now

Join the Brands Shaping the Future of Advertising.

Experience

Get a first look at what’s actually coming next. Not a preview. Not a prediction. A live read of where advertising stands today, and what smart brands are already doing about it.

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People

Spend the day with practitioners, not talking heads. The people reshaping advertising from the inside, in the same room, for one day, actually talking.

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Takeaways

Walk away with impactful ideas you can use. Not a notebook of highlights, but a plan to connect creativity, media, and intelligence immediately.

Meet some of the industry-leading speakers

Hear transformative ideas from the most influential voices in advertising, media, and technology.

Chari Hawkins
Team USA Track & Field
Paris 2024 Olympic Competitor
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Bill Ready
Chief Executive Officer
Smiling middle-aged man with glasses wearing a gray blazer and white shirt on a purple background.
Tim Castree
Chief Marketing Officer
DoorDash logo with stylized D and red text.
Smiling woman with long dreadlocks wearing a black turtleneck against a purple background.
Ndidi Oteh
Global Chief Executive Officer
Grace Kao
Chief Marketing Officer
Cleo Abram
Journalist, YouTube Creator
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Amy Weisenbach
Chief Marketing Officer
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Judy Toland
VP, Global Audience Marketing
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Steven Wolfe Pereira
CEO & Founder
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Alpha company logo with stylized white letter A on black background.
Smiling woman with long wavy brown hair wearing a white top against a purple background.
Jen Wong
Global President, Data and Technology Solutions
Mary Ellen Coe
Chief Business Officer
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David Kaufman
Global Head of Monetization Product Partnerships
Nino Phillip Medina
Growth
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Andrea Bendzick
Chief Executive Officer
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Laura Desmond
Chief Executive Officer
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See the full speaker lineup
See the full speaker lineup

Partners

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Get a Deeper Look at ADVANCE 2026

What to Expect
Who is ADVANCE for?
The Venue
About Smartly

What to Expect

ADVANCE is both a conference and a working session for marketers exploring how creative, media, and intelligence come together through candid, practical conversations. You’ll:

  • Join honest, real-world discussions on what’s changing in advertising
  • Connect with visionary thought leaders, senior marketers, technologists, and industry peers
  • See how creative, media, and intelligence are being applied for better outcomes
  • Hear perspectives shaping what’s next

Who is ADVANCE for?

ADVANCE was created for marketing leaders, agencies, platform partners, and anyone looking to manage increasingly complex marketing ecosystems with more speed, clarity, and confidence.

Panel discussion titled "Advertising Reimagined" with six speakers seated on white chairs in front of a large screen.

The Venue

Spring Studios, located at 50 Varick St. (Tribeca), is one of New York City’s most iconic creative spaces. Known for hosting global fashion shows, media events, and cultural moments, the venue blends industrial design with sweeping Hudson River views and open, light-filled studios.

About Smartly

Smartly is the leading adtech platform shaping the future of advertising by connecting creative, media, and intelligence into a unified system. We built ADVANCE from that same belief: that better outcomes come from bringing the right pieces, and the right people, together.

At a time when the industry is flooded with new tools and ideas, what matters most is understanding what actually works, and how to make it work at scale. Through our platform, ecosystem, and partnerships with leading platforms like Meta, Pinterest, Reddit, Snap, and TikTok, Smartly helps brands turn connection into something meaningful, measurable, and built for growth.

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“You can sense the excitement of the productivity that ADVANCE will unlock and the opportunities it's presenting, whether it's creative automation or more efficiency between partners.”

Senior Client Partner
750+

Attendees

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45+

CEOs

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55+

Industry Speakers

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FAQs

What is ADVANCE?

ADVANCE is a one-day conference in New York City with top marketing leaders across brands, agencies, and platforms. The primary focus is to discuss the future of advertising and learn how to connect creativity, media, and intelligence to achieve better outcomes.

When and where will ADVANCE 2026 take place?

ADVANCE 2026 will happen on September 29th at Spring Studios, 50 Varick St, New York City

How much does it cost to attend ADVANCE?

Unless you qualify for a complimentary ticket, the price is $675 per person. (Check your qualifications first.)

Who Qualifies for a Complimentary Ticket?

ADVANCE provides complimentary tickets to qualified attendees from a brand or advertising organization.
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To be eligible, applicants must:
- Hold a Director-level role or higher
- Oversee a significant digital advertising budget across multiple platforms
- Register using a corporate email address
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*Please note that meeting these criteria does not guarantee admission. All submissions are subject to review.

Can I attend virtually?

ADVANCE is a live event only. Its unique, workshop-style vibe is what inspires marketing leaders to have real, honest conversations about the future of advertising.
Being in the room makes a difference. It’s where ideas get challenged, connections happen naturally, and conversations are more likely to turn into something you can actually take back and use.

The Next Era of Advertising Gets Decided on 9.29.
Don’t Miss It.

Spring Studios | NYC

Register now
Register now
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Woman wearing striped jacket and speaking enthusiastically from a seated position on stage.
Crowd attending a conference with attendees seated facing a speaker stage inside a large event space with tall windows.
Woman wearing striped jacket and speaking enthusiastically from a seated position on stage.
Three men in business attire having a conversation in a modern office with large windows and plants.
Four panelists seated on stage engaged in discussion, two men and two women.
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Three men in business attire having a conversation in a modern office with large windows and plants.
Four panelists seated on stage engaged in discussion, two men and two women.
Four people sitting closely on a couch smiling, two standing people partially framing the photo.
Five attendees posing and smiling in front of large purple "ADVANCE" letters at an indoor venue.
People walking near large purple letters spelling "ADVANCE" inside an indoor event space.
Audience seated indoors facing a stage with speakers in front of a purple backdrop and screen.
Five attendees posing and smiling in front of large purple "ADVANCE" letters at an indoor venue.
People walking near large purple letters spelling "ADVANCE" inside an indoor event space.
Audience seated indoors facing a stage with speakers in front of a purple backdrop and screen.
Crowd attending a conference with attendees seated facing a speaker stage inside a large event space with tall windows.
Man smiling, holding a purple Smartly Advance sign paddle at an event entrance with multiple Smartly Advance logos behind him.
Crowd attending a conference with attendees seated facing a speaker stage inside a large event space with tall windows.
Man smiling, holding a purple Smartly Advance sign paddle at an event entrance with multiple Smartly Advance logos behind him.
Group of event attendees laughing and socializing with name badges visible, one woman holds a phone and a drink.
Panel discussion on stage with five speakers seated in front of a purple Smartly Advance backdrop showing their names and titles.
Woman with microphone speaking animatedly during a panel discussion with purple background.
Audience members attentively listening during a panel discussion at a conference event.
Group of event attendees laughing and socializing with name badges visible, one woman holds a phone and a drink.
Panel discussion on stage with five speakers seated in front of a purple Smartly Advance backdrop showing their names and titles.
Woman with microphone speaking animatedly during a panel discussion with purple background.
Audience members attentively listening during a panel discussion at a conference event.