When it comes to customers, trust and loyalty are hard to build and easy to break, and when using AI, perilously so. With first-party data at the core of modern marketing strategy, MarTech leaders face an almighty struggle in turning data into actionable, personalised communications. In our opening international keynote, we’ll will examine the foundational layers to prepare for AI-driven marketing operations.

The big three areas this session will delve into are: the data layer, why a robust data infrastructure is non-negotiable, and what practical steps you can take to get it under control; the infrastructure layer, and how to set up the systems that power AI, from machine learning models for segmentation to reinforcement learning; the activation layer, and strategies for integrating AI into multi-channel activation. Expect a build-first mindset, and a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to make AI work in your MarTech stack.

Ashton Media’s hit podcast, where we talk to leaders about a missteps, mistakes and failures in their careers that have helped them become the leader they are today, hits the stage for the first time in a special MarTech Edition. Hosted by Tomas Haffenden, this will be a session unlike any other as we take a deep dive with a very brave MarTech leader as they discuss what’s gone wrong with ownership models, when AI hasn’t quite worked, how you cultivate a mindset that deals with the rapidity of change, and how to manage expectations when things don’t quite workout as they’ve planned…

There are tech savvy marketers, and there are customer conscious digital leaders. There are MarTech stacks owned by the digital and/or IT function and there are organisations where that ownership of platforms and customer data fully, or partly, sits in marketing. No one is scaling the cliff-face in quite the same way, but there are some trends emerging that indicate that suggest a maturity curve as to where people are likely to sit. This evolving landscape has created challenges around skill requirements, operational structures and strategic leadership.

With marketing technology now encompassing everything from data analytics and personalisation to content supply chains, in this panel we’ll explore the best organisational design for MarTech success and get into the real issue of what sits with marketing and what sits with digital when owning MarTech functions. In this session we’ll pit a tech leader and a marketing leader with ownership of MarTech under the CMO against a tech leader and marketer with MarTech under the CTO to discuss:

• Should we define MarTech as ‘the leveraging of first-party data and digital marketing to create more personalised experiences for customers’?
• Does it matter where MarTech sits? Should a B2B, for example, conceptualise their ‘maturity’ level against not having MarTech ownership under their CMO?
• Who should ultimately be accountable for ROI from MarTech investments – Marketing, IT or a dedicated MarTech function?
• How do you build the exec level sponsorship into your MarTech strategy, and how do you asses the maturity of that ELT in MarTech terms?
• Who should be the executive sponsor for large vendor partnerships
• In an environment where Marketing wants speed and IT (functional stream) wants control, who should have the final say in vendor selection and tool configuration?
• What’s one MarTech capability you believe should never sit with Marketing? And one that must?

Marketing and technology partnerships are at the heart of modern business growth—but they often speak different languages. Misaligned objectives, unclear data questions, and competing priorities can stall progress before it starts. So how do you build bridges, not barriers?

We’ll unpack how to get the best out of your marketing and tech collaboration—by asking better questions, clarifying stakeholder needs, and designing systems that drive progress, not perfection.

We’ll introduce the 55/5 rule, demonstrating why a well-articulated problem is the key to efficient data work, and explore how to translate business questions into hypotheses and experiments. You’ll gain a clear framework for working with IT and data gatekeepers, reduce friction in cross-functional teams, and build better documentation and workflows that keep pace with business needs.

The marketing technology landscape has reached a pivotal inflection point. With over 15,000 MarTech solutions now available and AI transforming everything from content creation to customer journeys, marketers face both unprecedented opportunities and complex challenges. This presentation cuts through the noise to deliver actionable insights from the comprehensive State of Martech 2025 report, helping marketing leaders navigate the shift from complicated, deterministic systems to complex, AI-powered ecosystems.

We’ll explore how the traditional “long tail” of commercial software is evolving into a “hypertail” of custom, AI-generated applications, why your MarTech stack is becoming more like a rainforest than a Ferrari, and how successful teams are balancing the art of marketing with the science of artificial intelligence. You’ll leave with a clear roadmap for making strategic technology decisions that amplify human creativity rather than replace it.

The art of being a MarTech practitioner is a unique thing, and, as has already been explored on this programme, there is no set template for ownership across different organisations. One thing, however, is clear: the need for cross-functional collaboration is essential. Relying on MarTech unicorns is not the answer. You will either need more tech-savvy marketers, or more customer-focused digital/tech professionals – if not both. Central to this is building cross-functional leaders.

In this conversation, we’ll be exploring how a decentralised model of MarTech ownership, along with a single-stack approach, can allow for the right collaborations to take place, between the right people at the right moments. Sharing insights from the highs and lows, the challenges and the triumph’s, you’ll learn how the qualitative art of leadership leads to quantitative results in journey mapping, customer attention and activation.

Traffic through web is down, consumers are transitioning away from the traditional routes, with new channels on the rise for the next generation. This means you need to be able to transition to something more optimised, efficient, and appropriate for the future of MarTech. Central to this will be exploring how organisations can ensure the ownership of data when collaborating with partners.

This session will show how to shift the narrative for your internal stakeholders and undergo a tech-stack transformation that delivers savings in decommissioned tech without effecting performance. Understanding that in 2025 a delivery of savings without harming performance might be ‘what good looks like’ for delivering ROI when redefining the rules of what makes a good stack. You’ll learn how to map the strategy, change the narrative, achieve the stakeholder buy-in and measure the results for a true multichannel MarTech stack.