LEAD 2025 unveils growth and value agenda for industry summit

DCMS Minister Sir Chris Bryant joins stellar line-up of advertising leaders and political editors on 6 February

London, UK, 9 January 2025: The Advertising Association, the IPA, and ISBA have announced the full line-up for LEAD 2025, taking place on 6 February at the prestigious Queen Elizabeth II Centre in Westminster.

The summit will begin with a speech by Sir Chris Bryant, the Minister for Creative Industries, Arts and Tourism, who will outline his plans for the creative industries in Labour’s first full year of Government. Key speakers also joining the line-up include Absolute Radio Presenter Matt Forde, Sky News’ Beth Rigby, Nationwide’s Catherine Kehoe, Google’s Dyana Najdi, adam&eveDDB’s Miranda Hipwell, and Aardman’s Emma Hardie.

Aligning with the theme of Growth and Value, the agenda will cover topics including advertising within the UK’s political landscape, our industry’s value to the economy, the role of AI and a deep-dive into brand safety, followed by sessions focussed on how creativity can win back trust in advertising.

A panel of renowned political editors will discuss key events set to define the UK’s political agenda in 2025 and beyond, featuring Camilla Tominey, Associate Editor for The Telegraph, Beth Rigby, Political Editor for Sky News, Kate McCann, Political Editor for Times Radio and MHP Group’s Alison Phillips, formerly Editor in Chief of The Mirror.

Dame Annette King will lead a dedicated panel exploring advertising’s economic and regional contributions, including its pivotal role in funding the UK’s culture, media, and sports. The Advertising Association’s Chair will be joined by Laura Fenton, CEO of OMG UK, Catherine Kehoe, Chief Customer Officer for Nationwide and Kelly Williams, Managing Director of Commercial for ITV.

Key speeches will be delivered by Pete Markey, CMO for Boots UK and ISBA President, and Josh Krichefski, CEO of GroupM EMEA and IPA President. They will introduce topics vital to the growth of the industry, including creativity and trust, as discussed by Miranda Hipwell, CEO of adam&eveDDB and a keynote from Emma Hardie, Executive Commercial and Brand Director of Aardman.

The challenge of AI in generating real growth will be debated by Virgin Media O2’s Simon Valcarcel, Royal London’s Anneli Ritari-Stewart, and Cadbury Equity’s Phil Warfield, while leading tech platforms will explore what is next for brand safety in the UK, featuring Meta’s Sarah Bakai, Google’s Dyana Najdi, and TikTok’s Kris Boger.

Stephen Woodford, CEO, Advertising Association said: “This year’s summit will be packed with political and business insights, and vital discussions on issues ranging from economic growth to AI, brand safety to trust. We look forward to collaborating and hearing from the biggest names in government, politics and advertising at LEAD 2025.”

Partners for the half-day summit include Ozone, Google, Meta, and Bauer Media Group. Tickets are on sale with discounts for AA, IPA and ISBA members. To view the full agenda and book your place, please click here.