Advertising Week New York, one of the industry’s biggest U.S. gatherings, kicked off this morning (Oct. 16) with a ribbon-cutting ceremony animated by brand icons including Toys R Us’ Geoffrey the Giraffe, B&G Foods’ Jolly Green Giant and Oscar Mayer’s Wienermobile. Beyond the flashy cameos, the four-day event hosted at The Penn District in midtown Manhattan aims to deliver marketers some practical insights about leveraging emergent tactics and technologies at a post-pandemic inflection point. One theme dominating this week’s slate of programming is artificial intelligence (AI), which has its own discussion track following a year of ChatGPT-induced mania.

“What we’re starting to see at [Advertising Week] New York is people talking about the actual practical application,” said Ruth Mortimer, Advertising Week’s global president, in an interview ahead of the confab. “We have quite a lot of content in that area, not just from the big AI companies, but also from a variety of marketers.”

Speakers on AI that attendees may want to drop in on include Mondelez, the National Football League and Johnson & Johnson, with topics ranging from generative AI’s impact on campaign effectiveness to its potential to make safer marketing environments.

Advertising Week, which was acquired by business-to-business events group Emerald Holding last year, is also enlisting the help of sister company D2 to strengthen its series of talks around AI and Web3, including through a themed lounge. Lounges, in general, will have a stronger presence than ever, according to Mortimer. There is a Group Black lounge for highlighting Black culture and an enclave for CMOs to network and take calls amid the on-the-ground hustle and bustle. Retail media, which is forecast to become a $100 billion-plus category, also has its own space for the first time.

“Retail media is one of the spaces we really saw emerging last year. Everybody wanted to hear more about it. They wanted to see more of the tech, more of the platforms,” said Mortimer. 

Featured retail media speakers include executives from Target’s Roundel, Albertsons Media Collective, Kroger Precision Marketing and Best Buy Ads, among others. 

“This year, we have a dedicated retail media space that I hope we'll build out in future years to engage with that community even more,” said Mortimer. 

Navigating the show

Advertising Week New York will be spread out across four floors at The Penn District venue at 100 West 33rd Street, right around the corner from the 34th Street-Herald Square subway stop. In-person attendance is projected to top 10,000, while over 50,000 registrants are expected to tune in virtually.

In terms of audience makeup, about 26% hail from the tech industry while 22% are in media. A little under one-fifth (18%) come from the brand marketer side while media agencies and creative agencies account for 18% and 11% of the pool, respectively. Advertising Week also broadcasts some content specifically for a digital audience, including through an Amazon Ads Studio. 

“Rather than being panels and conference sessions, you’ll see a lot more interviews, a lot more deep dives into different topics,” said Mortimer. “That brings a slightly different flavor to it.”

For those hoping to sit in on live sessions, having a set agenda and game plan is a must. Playing things ad hoc can be overwhelming, and many first-timers have been shocked by the sight of snaking lines and the disappointment of finding out a buzzy talk is at capacity. 

“I definitely tell [attendees] to sign up online so that they can make their own curated agenda,” said Mortimer. 

On-stage discussions focused on Barbie (fresh off the hit film adaption), Paris Hilton and the hosts of “Shark Tank” are expected to bring packed crowds. If one chat fills up, guests won’t have a shortage of alternative options to consider. 

“We have more chief marketers than ever before,” said Mortimer. “We're trying to think of things that can help people get better at their jobs but in an entertaining way.”

While there will be a number of high-profile names pouring into The Penn District through Thursday, Advertising Week is also making renewed efforts to engage more small- and mid-sized businesses through its work with Emerald, which owns a number of other B2B events. Advertising Week this year is running an initiative sponsored by Amazon that seeks to provide more utility to SMBs. 

“How do you get an education in marketing when you’re not the Burger King, you’re not the McDonald’s of this world?” said Mortimer. “That’s one of the things that we're really bringing together as Emerald, rather than just Advertising Week.”

Keeping busy

The Advertising Week organizers are also trying to take advantage of the spaciousness The Penn District affords to accommodate those who still are on call for work or eager to hobnob with their peers. Private meeting rooms and phone booths have been sprinkled in a few areas throughout the venue. Those wanting to take a break can head to the ground level to experience a “Brandega” hosted by Canva, an Olympics-themed cafe from NBCUniversal and a snack bar courtesy of Yahoo, among other distractions. 

“You’ll find this year that we’ve got a lot more locations for people to have meetings, do work and spend more time there,” said Mortimer. “One of the challenges for a show as large as Advertising Week is, because it’s so large, you still often do have to do your day job.”