The Media Buying Model: Where To Next?

Speakers

Sam Geer, Managing Director, Media, Accenture Song

Chris Colter, Managing Director, Media Strategy, Accenture Song

Session Overview 

The economics of media buying have fundamentally shifted, reshaping how agencies generate revenue and how value is created within the advertising ecosystem. This session explores the commercial realities behind modern agency models, the structural pressures facing holding companies and the growing tension between effectiveness, efficiency and profitability. Grounded in market realities, it examines how these changes are reshaping incentives, relationships and long-term sustainability across the industry.

The Fee Model Reset 

Speaker

Darren Woolley, Founder & Global CEO, TrinityP3

Session Overview

The traditional agency fee model is under sustained pressure. Time-based pricing is increasingly misaligned with how value is created, while procurement-led structures continue to reinforce outdated commercial frameworks. At the same time, output-based models are gaining traction, challenging how agencies price, measure and justify their work. This session unpacks the economics behind agency remuneration, why the industry remains locked into legacy models and what a more sustainable, commercially viable approach looks like in practice.

The Changing Agency Structure 

Speaker

Chris Howatson, CEO, Howatson+Company

Session Overview

Agency staffing models are being redefined by AI, automation and access to external talent. Traditional team structures are struggling to maintain efficiency and profitability as delivery models shift. This session provides a data-driven view of how utilisation, cost structures and margins are being impacted, alongside a structural comparison of legacy vs emerging models. Focused on the broader industry challenge, with practical insight into what a more sustainable model looks like.

PANEL: The Partner Rethink

Speakers 

Virginia Hyland, CEO & Commercial Partner, Squad M&A

Henry Hellegas, Senior Sales Director, Perion

Session Overview 

As agency models evolve, so too do the expectations placed on partners and suppliers. This panel explores how commercial relationships are shifting, what agencies now demand and where friction still exists. From changing pricing models to new ways of collaborating, the discussion focuses on what effective partnerships look like today and how the broader ecosystem is likely to develop over the next few years.

The Client-Agency Evolution 

Speakers 

Lauren Dawber, Optus

Session Overview

The agency of record model is evolving, not disappearing. While some brands retain consolidated structures, others are moving towards modular, multi-partner ecosystems. This session explores how marketers and procurement teams are navigating that shift, the trade-offs between control and flexibility and how success is being measured across different operating models. A clear view of how agency structures are being reshaped from the client side.

PANEL: The Group Agencies of the Future

Speakers

Kristiaan Kroon, CEO, Omnicom Media Group

Aimee Buchanan, CEO, WPP Media Australia & New Zealand

Imogen Hewitt, CMO, Publicis Groupe & CEO

Simon Ryan, Founder & CEO, RyanCap

Session Overview

Scale is no longer a guaranteed advantage. Large group agency structures are under pressure from duplication, siloed teams and slow decision-making. This session examines how leading networks are rethinking structure, moving towards integrated models, centres of excellence and unified workflows. With global and local context, it outlines how complexity can be reduced while retaining the benefits of scale and what a modern group agency model needs to deliver.