The Changemakers Conference 2026: Ambition | New York

New York

9:30am to 12:00pm EST // 7 October 2026

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New York 2026 Conference Changemakers Ambition

This year we're delighted that our Changemakers Conference is returning to Advertising Week New York. Our conference will be open to our Members, invited  guests and Advertising Week Attendees. More information on tickets below. 

Changemakers: Ambition

This year’s conference theme is Changemakers: Ambition – a rallying cry for marketers to reclaim their rightful place at the heart of business growth, leadership and societal progress.

This is not ambition in its outdated, aggressive form. This is ambition rooted in purpose, culture and collective progress. It is about leaders who drive growth while shaping organisations, brands and societies for the better.

Ambition is what moves marketing from possibility to progress. It is the optimism to see what could be and the drive to make it happen. For marketers, ambition means setting bold objectives, creating meaningful change for businesses and society, and turning imagination into action. It is personal and collective, fuelled by energy, intention and the courage to pursue growth – even when the path is not certain.

Why Ambition? Why Now?

Marketing sits at the heart of business growth, leadership and societal progress, yet too often underplays its own impact. At a time when businesses are navigating uncertainty, transformation and pressure, ambition becomes the force that reconnects confidence with responsibility.

For marketers and business leaders, ambition is about aiming higher,  for businesses, careers, industries and communities and believing that better outcomes are possible. It is about restoring pride in what marketing can achieve, telling those stories more boldly, and giving people permission to be confident about their role in shaping the future.

Incremental thinking is rife across business. But that does not drive the step changes we need to see. We need to think bigger: on innovation, on collaboration, on decision-making, on business process, and on where we look for inspiration and commercial value.

Ambition for our careers. Ambition for our brands and businesses. Ambition for the future of work and growth. For Marketers Who Mean Business.

The Speakers

Linda Boff

President, Forbes CMO Network & Chief Executive Officer of Said Differently Passionate about all things digital and the future of media and communications, Linda Boff...
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Laura Brown

Founder of LB Media and co-author of All the Cool Girls Get Fired: How to Let Go of Being Let Go and Come Back on...
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Sam Tomlinson

A story of human endurance and resilience. Society Member Sam on how ambition drove him to the extreme limits of the human body.
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Venue

Advertising Week New York, THE PENN DISTRICT, 100 W. 33rd St., United States

Date

7 October 2026

Time

9.30am - 12.00pm

Dress Code

Smart Casual

The Agenda So Far...

Linda Boff, President, Forbes CMO Network & Chief Executive Officer of Said Differently

Aim Higher, Build Bolder: Marketing's Case for Ambition

Linda draws on two decades shaping one of the world's most iconic brands at GE, and her leap to founding Said Differently, to make the case that ambition isn't a personality trait, it's a discipline. She'll unpack what separates leaders who set the bar and clear it from those who quietly lower it to feel safe.

BOOK YOUR SPACE

Members will be given a free delegate pass to Adverting Week, valued at $749. This pass will give you access to our conference on October 7 and also all the wonderful thought leadership content throughout the week

MEMBER

This event is complimentary as part of your membership. Please make sure you're logged in and then click on book your ticket at the top of the page. Once you book your space, details on how to redeem your pass for Advertising Week New York 2026 will be sent.

INVITED

We welcome you to join our event if you have received an invitation by The Marketing Society Board Members or Speakers. The link to register for your free Advertising Week New York pass will be in your invitation.

NON-MEMBERS

This event is open to all Advertising Week attendees, come and join us at Hub 4. If you aren't attending Advertising Week and interested in joining us for this event, you can register your interest at the top of the page and a member of the team will be in touch.

WHY JOIN US

In just one day, get the reset every ambitious marketer needs

Spend the day with some the sharpest minds in senior marketing

Hear the stories behind marketing's boldest moves

Gain access to all in-person and virtual sessions throughout Advertising Week

Leave with ideas ready for action, not just theory

Go back ready to make a bigger case for marketing, and for your place at the heart of growth

SUPPORT Partners

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