As the older cohort of Gen Zs approaches their 30s - what will a youth audience look like in 2025 and beyond? With exclusive insights from Pion’s Youth Trends Report, uncover the transition to a new wave of 16-24s and the tools you need to unlock the values and purchasing power of this digitally fluent hybrid generation.

Get ready for a high-energy introduction to Gen Zalpha - the in-betweeners that are shaping trends and culture right now. It’s not just data; it’s a roadmap for your business in finance, retail, beauty and more.

Not all trends are created equal - but how do you tell which ones matter and the role they should play in shaping your brand and marketing strategy? This session will be your go-to guide for making sense of the trend landscape, helping you navigate how to observe and stay close to trends for decision-making (from small to big).

Join Tom and Tosca, experts in consumer insight and cultural trends - most recently at adidas - as they share their front-line experience. Together, they’ll unpack how to spot, interpret, and act on trends that align with your brand’s goals.

Expect a deep dive into

• What a trend actually is and how you tell them from fads and fairytales
• How data sources, time horizons and the type of trend should steer you towards certain actions
• Why cultural relevance is nice, but commercial effectiveness is better
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Whether you're shaping campaigns or long-term strategy, this session will help you cut through the noise and focus on what truly moves the needle.

Real impact comes not just from trend spotting but trend-setting. In this session, Campfire's CCO Alex Brown breaks down how to harness data, creativity, and cultural moments to create viral brand moments that drive real engagement. Learn how Campfire helped NYX Cosmetics explode on social with a 3.7M+ view stunt, and why bold, strategic thinking is the key to owning the conversation before your competitors even see it coming.

Discover how a community-first approach is empowering students to become active social media content creators and brand ambassadors. Join Adam as he shares how the UK's largest online student community is engaging its members—harnessing the authentic voice of students to influence and guide their peers during key decision-making moments, such as exploring university options.

This session will share real-world experiences of working with a vibrant student network to produce compelling, student-led content. From storytelling spaces to social-first strategies, learn how students are empowered to influence and inform their peers during key decision-making moments like university exploration.

Whether you're in higher education, student marketing, or community management, this session will highlight the untapped potential of working with student influencers—and offer insights into building genuine, mutually beneficial relationships that resonate across social media.

Join our workshop for senior brand and agency decision-makers followed by a networking lunch.

Agenda:

• Icebreaker: Unlock Your Buyer's Mind with Behavioural Science - In this entertaining keynote, Dr. Peter Hughes, psychologist and CEO of Cognition, will uncover the psychology that really drives consumer behaviour. Using examples from a casino in Las Vegas to a bank robbery in Pittsburgh, he will take you on a tour inside your buyer's mind (and your own!). You'll learn about the biases that drive engagement, and how they affect the decisions made by brand and marketing leaders.
  
  
• Fearless leadership for Zalpha and beyond - marketing success for next-gen consumers - Hear from our panel of marketing chiefs that are tackling this competitive landscape head on. They will share their insights into understanding their Gen Zalpha consumers and preparing your marketing teams for a new generation of youth audiences.
  
  
• Roundtables - Meet, discuss, and exchange ideas with your peers across the following topics:
  
  • The changing shape of the marketing function
  • What youth audiences look like in 2025 and beyond
  • The leader vs team member age gap
  • And more!

‍Sign up here - places are limited to 40 places.

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Followed by a networking lunch by Pollen + Grace serving healthy salad bowls & wraps.

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Hollister's Senior Marketing Manager Hanne Fiksdal sits down for a fireside chat with Pion's Richard Jackson to talk about the success of their recent student focused IRL events. Creating interactive and personalised shopping nights for students in various locations across the UK, they dive into how to connect students with the brands they love in innovative and memorable ways - whilst driving high engagement and sales for the brand.

As competition for student recruitment intensifies, it's crucial to assess the effectiveness of your media strategy. Join us for a deep dive into the latest SMRS Media Mapper 24/25 research, which uncovers how prospective students truly engage with media—insights often overlooked by traditional research tools.

In this session, we’ll explore key trends in student media consumption, from the influence of social media and peer-driven content to the importance of niche platforms like UCAS and TSR. We’ll provide actionable steps to assess your media plan’s 'health,' optimise your media mix, and ensure your messaging connects with students at every stage of their decision-making journey.

Gain the insights and tools you need to refine your strategy, maximise your recruitment efforts, and stay ahead in an evolving landscape.

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How can UX research insights help brands and agencies align with the values and expectations of Gen Z and be the key to winning their trust and loyalty? Tariro Mupamhadzi, User Researcher at Charlotte Tilbury will share how to design experiences that truly work for people. She will explain how understanding user needs can shape innovative, customer-centric strategies that resonate with this younger demographic.

Discover how to turn research into ideas that make a real impact with insights into:

• Leadership as Advocates - Gain executive support by demonstrating how user-centred strategies drive measurable marketing results, similar to Amazon aligning leadership with customer-first principles.
• Collaborative, Agile Teams - Build cross-functional teams that prioritize iterative, user-driven campaign development, inspired by Spotify’s agile squads.
• Insights that Drive Results - Use customer feedback and data analytics to refine campaigns continuously, following Slack and Netflix’s approach to amplifying user insights for better personalization and engagement.

Our panel explores how brands can tell their story and connect with audiences in a meaningful way that can help to empower the youth of today. They will discuss the power of social to educate and how leveraging unexpected partnerships, creators and UGC can inspire a new generation.
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Why we're excited:
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• Andrew Fox delivers campaigns at Aviva around key life moments and shares how traditionally 'unsexy' sectors can create engaging content for youth audiences.
• Aiden Rouse connects brands to young consumers at Snapchat, in meaningful and relevant ways to ensure they get the most of out of the platform in the right way.
• Jessica Redman works with brands to ensure their credible content is discoverable so brands can reach the right audiences.
• Kelly O’Donnell is aninfluencer and creator expert who crafts partnerships for brands to ensure they’re connecting with their audiences.
• John Sadeghipoor is a seasoned marketer who has developed award winning youth marketing campaigns for multiple brands, globally.

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At SMRS, we’ve dedicated the last five years to refining our syndicated research in the Higher Education sector, and now we’re excited to share the latest insights with you. In this session, we’ll take you on a journey from data to strategy, unlocking key trends and actionable takeaways that will empower your institution to make informed decisions.

Our research dives deep into the minds of prospective students, revealing their pain points, motivations, and how they engage with universities. With this understanding, you'll be equipped to build effective strategies that address audience challenges head-on, meet their evolving needs, and ultimately enhance engagement.

Join us for a data-driven exploration that will help you transform insights into impactful strategies for your university’s success.

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Gen Z's digital expectations demand more than traditional marketing. This session reveals how strategic tech partnerships – going beyond basic influencer deals – unlock explosive growth with this influential generation. Discover how Awin empowers brands with cutting-edge tech solutions like the AI-driven Help Me Choose to personalise the customer journey and Contester, a platform maximising influencer impact through video & livestream, ultimately driving measurable business results. We'll showcase real-world examples of successful Gen Z campaigns powered by Awin.

Key Takeaways for Marketers:

• Mastering Gen Z Engagement Through Tech: Learn how to leverage strategic tech partnerships to create personalised, seamless, and engaging experiences that resonate with Gen Z's digital behaviours and preferences.
• Awin's Solution for Gen Z Marketing: Discover how Awin's platform and partner ecosystem connect brands with innovative technologies like Help Me Choose AI and Contester to drive successful Gen Z campaigns.
• Measuring Gen Z Partnership ROI: Learn how to track and analyse the effectiveness of your Gen Z partnerships facilitated through Awin, demonstrating their impact on key business metrics like sales, brand awareness, and customer acquisition.

Youth audiences are developing new passions not from intent, but from algorithmic exposure. The algorithm surfaces unfamiliar or niche content that hooks them — turning passive curiosity into obsession. This gives rise to a new class of trusted nano-experts (niche creators), and shifts the mechanics of influence from mass to micro.

This change is emotional (identity, validation, joy) and behavioural (trust, peer confirmation, decision-making). It represents a shift from interest-based targeting to aesthetic- and curiosity-driven engagement.

Audience engagement agency Word on the Curb will share how curiosity, creators and chaos are conditioning the next wave of youth obsession.

Extending a primary recruitment campaign to create authentic connections that truly resonate with young people is key to engaging Gen Z and Alpha. In this session, hear directly from the voices behind Social Roster as they share the insights, strategies, and best practices for connecting with today’s young audiences. From short-form content to student-led campaigns, we'll explore what works in social media when it comes to youth engagement in education.

Our experts will discuss:

• Key trends shaping Gen Z’s social media behaviour
• How Higher Education can use social media to build trust, spark conversation, and foster genuine connections
• How brands outside the education sector are winning with youth-focused strategies – and what universities can learn from their approach (think authenticity, influencer partnerships, and community-driven content)

Join us to uncover what we’ve learned so far – and get ready to rethink your approach to engaging the next generation of students.

Brand collaborations are the gift that keeps giving, but how are they evolving to help brands build bridges to new audiences? Our panel will share their insights into some of their recent brand partnerships and delve into what makes the ultimate collab.

Why we're excited:

• Francesca developed strategy and ideas for all multi-channel seasonal campaigns and marketing activations at Ann Summers, aligning the brand with key partners.
• Lucy is passionate about creating attention-grabbing and impactful partnerships for CoppaFeel!, the UK's only youth-focussed breast cancer awareness charity.
• Chris has spearheaded VistaPrint's partnerships from the French Tennis Federation to Enterprise Nation to increase the brand's reach to new communities.

Gen Z is constantly on a quest for truth; seeking authenticity, transparency, and real connections in all that they consume; and with 63% of Gen Z consumers preferring brands that offer meaningful experiences (McKinsey), an experiential strategy has never been more important.

Experiential work has the unique ability to cut through the noise by eliciting raw and authentic emotions. It transcends the superficial by creating immersive moments that feel real, compelling, and true to life. These experiences offer a sense of connection that resonates with Gen Z on a deeper level, providing them with something tangible in a world that often feels fragmented.

Hosted by immersive storytelling experts SWAMP, our panel will explore the secrets behind the success of their experiential work and how their theatrical expertise garners a uniquely human approach. SWAMP will discuss how they are bringing the fun, creating a lasting emotional impact and working with content creators to maximise IRL experiences in the digital world.

Why we’re excited:

• Clem at SWAMP will share how they bring their storytelling expertise to the world of brand activations; and how their theatrical skillset allows them to incite powerful and authentic emotions - delivering astounding engagement results for their clients.
• From mansion parties for uni students to supper clubs and running meet ups, Maddie at Tinder will share how they are shaking up the dating world to bring their online community together IRL - and why their strategy is all about the feelings you want them to walk away with
• Charlie brings a wealth of experience from his 20 year career in the creative industries, including roles at the BBC, Lego and now ITV.

In this session Oliver Yonchev, Founder of cocreatd.com, dispels the myth that AI is not creative, exploring how the industry will likely change - for some this is great, for others probably not. No one can see into the future, but there are steps you can take today to ensure that whatever the fate of our AI-filled future, creatives can still thrive.

Many of the brands winning today are doing so because they speak to young people in their own language - but how do you get it right and not be cringe? Weird, relatable, unpolished content is a secret weapon — and it’s working. Forget perfect, our panellists on the frontline of social media hosted by Here Be Dragon's Founder Paul McEntee, share how they lean into human, funny, and real content - with language that gets the balance right between brand and audience.

Why we’re excited:

• Michael is Ryanair's former Head of Social and now heads up Frankly, a social media consultancy not afraid to go against the status quo.
• Frankie is spearheading Linklater’s grad recruitment social media strategy. The only magic circle law firm on TikTok, Frankie is helping demystify legal jargon for future young professionals and widening access to opportunities for diverse talent.
• Curry’s has completely changed Gen Z perceptions of the brand, through genuinely engaging content with Gen Z slang leading the way. Ryan shares his behind-the-scenes insights into some of the most viral campaigns of the year.
• Chloe is a Global Business Marketing Communications Executive at TikTok (aka a Gen Z corporate baddie) where she will be providing insight into how brands can show up authentically on the platform to reach the Gen ZAlpha generation without the ick.

In a world of endless scrolls, brand love is built through shared experiences. For young audiences, showing up in the right real-life moments can supercharge social media impact - creating moments that cut through the noise and turn attention into lasting loyalty.

Join us to discover how Hawaiian Tropic’s partnership with Perrie Edwards is sparking cultural conversation online and off. Learn how Wilkinson Sword’s Intuition is using its Rugby World Cup collaboration to drive community and in-store action. And hear how Bulldog Skincare’s partnership with IRONMAN is helping the brand show up with purpose - and translate real-world presence into social engagement.

Our panel of AI fans at the heart of some of the biggest brands in the world share their excitement around the tech solutions that are helping them as marketers. They share how they navigate the exciting but often complex world of AI solutions and how they are enhancing their jobs, not replacing them.

Selfridges’ Head of Recruitment and Onboarding Sharlene John joins us for a fireside chat to talk about how to drive inclusion with young people at the heart of your organisation. Demonstrating her passion for creating a diverse and inclusive environment at Selfridges, she will share how the luxury brand is cultivating a culture where all team members can thrive - from the shop floor and up - and what other brands can learn.

Join Exolyt for a deep dive into the power of TikTok communities. Discover how to analyse video content for more context and nuances and uncover deeper cultural and behavioural insights.

In this session, you’ll explore the intersection of social video listening and cultural intelligence, using Exolyt to identify community-specific trends, including micro-movements and bigger behavioural shifts across popular segments like BookTok, GameTok, and BeautyTok.

The goal of the session is to bridge social data and cultural insights, helping you decode TikTok community-driven trends and apply these findings to create more authentic and impactful strategies.You'll get insights into:

• Why it's important to decode video content to reveal deeper social listening and qualitative insights.
• How advanced analytics enables the detection of key signals and video clusters to identify emerging trends.
• How analysing video content insights helps you better understand your audiences.
• Spotting & understanding TikTok communities and subcultures.
• Using cultural intelligence to underpin strategy and enhance your brand’s marketing approach.

Get a behind-the-scenes look into how non-profit brand RSPB is leading the way for the environmental sector on TikTok, growing audience engagement with a younger demographic through gold-star storytelling, memes and just the right balance of education and entertainment. Yas Devi who looks after all things TikTok at RSPB will share how they have inspired young people to get involved with nature through the use of absolutely unhinged bird memes.

Join Pion’s exclusive workshop to supercharge your shopping season strategy and get your brand set up for Black Friday, Cyber Monday and the whole festive season.
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What’s in store:

The Ultimate Cheat Sheet for Cyber & Festive Wins - Black Friday, Cyber and Festive are the most important shopping events of the year. Richard Jackson at Pion will share exclusive research into student spending and activity across this key shopping season.

You think it’s too early to be thinking about Cyber and Festive? - Our panel of brands and students hosted by Pion's Ellie Simpson share their insights into what works (and what doesn’t) and how they are navigating strategy ahead of this key time of year.

The new Q4 playbook for marketers - Sheeva and William at Pion look into Pion’s roadmap to help you land your Q4 campaigns and the new playbook for marketers looking to win in the most competitive landscape yet.
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Then join us for exclusive drinks in the networking area.

Sign up here - limited to 40 spaces.

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Joeri Van den Bergh will share new insights from a global study on Gen Alpha, the newest generation set to influence the future. Their economic footprint is projected to exceed €5.2 trillion, with spending power growing three times faster than any other generation by 2030. Raised by Millennial parents and immersed in a digital-first world, Gen Alpha is already influencing household decisions and shaping cultural trends. What do they dream of in a world shaped by smart technology, climate challenges, and shifting ideas about fairness and identity? What fears do they carry and what ambitions drive them to make a difference - even as kids?

Joeri’s keynote will share his findings and show how to build G.O.A.T. (Greatest of All Time) brands that resonate with this powerful generation.

Step inside the world of entertainment with an all-star panel of marketing experts behind campaigns for hits like Bridget Jones, Stranger Things, Fast & Furious, and more. Discover how the biggest studios build buzz, shape culture-defining moments, and turn audiences into loyal fans. Whether you're a brand, marketer, or creative, this session offers invaluable lessons from both British and Hollywood studios—on storytelling, fandom-building, and the power of entertainment IP. Packed with insight, inspiration, and behind-the-scenes secrets, this is one you won’t want to miss.

How do you take a functional brand and make it culturally relevant for your audience? Perla Bloom is a strategist at the intersection of tech, creativity, and culture and is passionate about tapping into passion points to humanise brands.

Currently leading Expedia Group’s communications strategy across entertainment, social and editorial content, we sit down with Perla for a conversation on why culture is more than just TikTok trends and how your brand can leverage technology to tell stories and boost brand experiences.

Hear from Pion’s panel of outspoken students to talk honestly about their spending habits. We’ll cover what encourages them to spend and how they prioritise their spending uncovering different personas - from parent-supported splurgers to work hard, play hard spenders and self-supported, cautious spenders. We’ll quiz them on the brands they love, their use of loyalty and discount schemes, key times of year for spending and what catches their attention when it comes to marketing targeting students. 

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Squishmallows, Labubu, Jellycats… Ever wondered how and why Gen Z is bringing their teddies into adulthood? In this session, Anto will tell you everything your brand needs to know about the Kidulting trend, where Gen Z embraces childhood interests. By creating nostalgic products, adult versions of childhood favorites, and immersive experiences, brands can strategically leverage the Kidulting trend to connect authentically (and playfully!) with this gen.

Anto will be sharing YPulse’s exclusive data on the Kidulting trend, alongside real-life examples from Mattel, arguably THE hottest toy brand out there.

Youth audiences shape culture. But trends change quickly. Join Lee Molyneaux, Skechers Football European Marketing Manager, Chloe Morgan, Head of She’s A Baller, and Sola Kasali, EA SPORTS FC, Football Partnerships Lead for Northern Europe, to explore how brands can adapt amidst change, and competition.

Moderated by Eni Shabani, Director of the fastest growing football media brand for youth audiences, Rising Ballers, the panel will explore the intersection between virtual (gaming, online and social media) and IRL brand perception.

Leave with insight into how you can better utilise fandom to influence Gen Z and beyond (Gen Alpha) and hear from leading global brands on how they have pivoted to remain culturally relevant.

Why we're excited:

• Lee will share how Skechers disrupted the football boot market and quickly grew brand affinity with next-gen audiences.
• Chloe will share key insights, specific to the women’s game, that can help brands immerse themselves within women’s football culture.
• Sola will share how EA SPORTS FC is continuing to blur the lines between the real and virtual worlds of football and entertainment, through product development, game innovation and football sponsorships.

In today’s digital age, chasing virality can feel like the ultimate goal but true success lies in building a community, not just an audience. During this keynote, Ama explores why strategic content, not just trending moments, drives long-term growth, trust, and conversion.

Learn how to use content as a form of meaningful communication that deepens connection, fuels engagement, and turns followers into advocates. Discover how focusing on depth over reach can unlock the kind of community that moves people and your business forward.

For a generation coming of age in crisis, hope isn’t inherited - it has to be rebuilt.

This session explores why impact can no longer sit on the sidelines. To engage the next generation and unlock new solutions to deep problems, we must embed serious issues at the heart of youth culture.

Imali Hettiarachchi of The LEGO Group and Geli Luna of impact-first agency Shape History will draw on their personal and professional journeys to share how brands can meet this moment - by showing up where young people already are. Because the real power of impact isn’t just in changing the world, it’s in helping young people believe a better one is still possible.

Key Takeaways:

• Understanding how the changing world affects the next generation
• The opportunity for brands to drive both positive change and win with young audiences
• Co-creation beyond a buzzword - how to do it effectively with young people

Student discounts aren’t new, but the way that brands are presenting what they can offer is changing. Our panel of brands that students love share their tips and tricks to making a student discount part of their content strategy - from creators and paid social to experiential and in store.

Why we're excited:

• Haydn Parkes, Head of Marketing at Stonegate Pubs - who own 221 student led bars, pubs and nightclubs across the UK - shares his insights into loyalty and instant gratification and how they are able to influence student behaviour through MiXR, their booking and rewards app that students love.
• Kostas Varlamis is on the performance marketing team at high street favourite schuh - he'll share why students are key customers for the brand and how their loyalty programme is winning over this demographic.
• Nadine heads up marketing at student favourite wagamama, and has a passion for creating work that connects culturally and drives impact.

How do you market to a generation that’s been swiping since they could speak? Generation Alpha are the most digitally native, emotionally expressive, and brand-savvy cohort we’ve ever seen. Born between 2010 and 2024, these kids are not just future consumers—they’re already influencing household decisions, shaping brand perceptions, and redefining what authenticity means in a post-trust, post-pandemic world.

In this session, I’ll unpack exclusive insights from The Kite Factory’s recent research paper, The Gen Alpha Playbook, including:

• Why 47% of parents say they always buy the brands their kids prefer.
• How Gen Alpha’s emotional needs—Autonomy, Play, and Peace—are shaping their media choices and brand expectations.
• The platforms that matter: why YouTube, TikTok, and Roblox are dominating their world—and what that means for marketers.
• Actionable strategies from the Empathy Framework to build lasting emotional connections with this discerning generation.

This goes beyond chasing trends—it’s about building brand relationships that grow with Gen Alpha, not just at them. Whether you’re a youth brand, nonprofit, or content creator, you’ll leave with a practical playbook for relevance, resonance, and real impact.

Vision One unveils a powerful new way to measure brand success—backed by data, designed for growth. Discover how this all-in-one metric fits into your strategy, why it matters for attracting new audiences, and how tapping into youth markets can breathe new life into your brand. We’re talking real insights, real impact, and real evidence. Smart, sharp, and seriously useful—don’t miss it.

We live in a world where many brand, marketing and agency folk are fearful of losing vital roles in creative fields to emerging technology and the likes of AI. However, amongst the development of technology, there’s also a new contender that is being introduced: creators. Creators have gone from executing briefs to rewriting them and in many cases, they’ve become a treasure trove for audience insight and data.

This panel unpacks how brands and agencies can embrace the full potential of creator partnerships by understanding their value, integrating them into their strategic and creative process earlier and why marketers may be looking at a world where the floor is shared with creators.

Key takeaways:

• Why brands need to listen to creator insights
• How creators can help brands tap into culture with authenticity
• Practical ways to give creators more creative control without losing brand alignment

What do brands need to do to stay ahead in the creator economy? Our panel of experts will share how they are winning with creator led strategies - but also what they have learnt from trialling and testing and what hasn’t worked. Want to future-proof your influencer marketing strategies for next-gen consumers? We’ll delve into:

• How Gen Zalpha will shape the creator economy
• What brands need to do to stay ahead
• Real-world success stories from brands winning with creator-led strategies
• A glimpse into the future of influencer marketing

Join our expert brand specialists in this specially crafted lab session, designed to give you the space to explore the challenges and opportunities facing your university's brand. Together, we'll dive into why understanding your brand's connection with your audiences, helps you find your brand voice.

Sign up here - places limited to 40 guests.

Join Contiki’s Brand Marketing Director Rachel Storey and CMO Lottie Norman for a candid discussion on the future of youth travel. In this 25-minute session, they’ll discuss the strategy behind Contiki’s brand positioning, grounded in fresh insights about what young people truly want from travel in 2025 and beyond.

Get a behind-the-scenes look at how the youth travel specialists are supporting young adults’ evolving expectations around wellbeing, mental health, and social connection in a post-pandemic world. You’ll also hear about Contiki’s innovative new product developments, from sober-curious trips to run clubs, all tailored to Gen Z’s evolving values and lifestyles. Stay tuned for the open Q&A, and be prepared to walk away with data-driven insights on how brands can adapt to meet the ever-changing demands of young travellers.

Join Pion’s performance marketing themed panel discussing how brands are addressing the changing online shopping habits of Gen Zalpha. Spoiler alert: tech is shaping the future of retail. This is your not to miss session on all things loyalty, optimisation and the challenges and opportunities for digital focused marketers.

Join us for an interactive session with a panel of candid young individuals from Gen Zalpha, hosted by Pion. This live session offers a unique opportunity to seek the unfiltered opinions of young people on a wide range of topics.

Get ready to put them in the spotlight as they share their perspectives on everything from technology and social media to education and their hopes and fears for the future. Don't miss this chance to connect with the voices of the next generation. The floor is yours!