The Changemakers Conference 2026: Ambition | New York
New York
9:30am to 12:00pm EST // 7 October 2026
Register now
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This is not ambition in its outdated, aggressive form.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
Laura Brown
Sam Tomlinson
Venue
Advertising Week New York, THE PENN DISTRICT, 100 W. 33rd St., United StatesDate
7 October 2026Time
9.30am - 12.00pmDress Code
Smart CasualThe 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 marketingHear the stories behind marketing's boldest moves
Gain access to all in-person and virtual sessions throughout Advertising WeekLeave 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 growthSUPPORT Partners