The biggest shifts in media buying don’t just happen online, they happen at the world’s leading advertising conferences. For 2025, media buyers looking to sharpen their edge need to know where the top digital marketing events are happening. These gatherings bring together the brightest minds in programmatic advertising, ad tech innovation, and performance marketing, giving you insider strategies, tools, and connections that can transform your campaigns.
In this blog, we’ll cover the top 10 industry events every media buyer should know about in 2025, from global networking powerhouses like Cannes Lions to laser-focused summits on affiliate marketing and programmatic media buying.
Event 1: Programmatic I/O
Date and Location: April 2025 in New York and October 2025 in Las Vegas
Overview: Programmatic I/O is the premier event for anyone serious about programmatic advertising and ad tech innovation. It brings together media buyers, agencies, publishers, and technology leaders to share insights on automation, AI-driven ad buying, and the future of real-time bidding.
Why It Matters for Media Buyers: This event is a goldmine for learning how to optimize spend, increase efficiency, and scale campaigns with programmatic strategies. Attendees gain access to deep dives on topics like data-driven targeting, connected TV, and privacy-first solutions that are transforming the advertising ecosystem.
Key Highlights: Expect sessions from industry-leading voices, networking with top advertisers, and hands-on workshops that give media buyers actionable strategies to take back to their teams.
Event 2: Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity
Date and Location: June 2025 in Cannes, France
Overview: Known as the Oscars of advertising, Cannes Lions is where creativity meets business. The festival draws thousands of professionals from advertising, media buying, and brand strategy to celebrate innovation and showcase the campaigns that shape global marketing.
Why It Matters for Media Buyers: Cannes Lions is more than an award show. It is a place to understand how creativity drives performance, discover the latest storytelling formats, and connect with CMOs, media agencies, and tech innovators. For media buyers, it is a rare chance to gain global insights into consumer engagement strategies.
Key Highlights: Award-winning campaigns, networking with global advertisers, and thought leadership sessions featuring top creative and media executives.
Event 3: Advertising Week Global
Date and Location: Multiple cities including New York, London, and Tokyo throughout 2025
Overview: Advertising Week Global is one of the largest gatherings in the advertising and media space, with week-long sessions, panels, and workshops. It covers everything from ad tech, social media, and data-driven marketing to future trends in consumer behavior.
Why It Matters for Media Buyers: This event provides a comprehensive view of the advertising industry across regions. Media buyers can learn about innovations in audience targeting, explore case studies from major brands, and expand their international networks.
Key Highlights: High-profile keynotes, city-specific insights, and cross-industry panels that bridge media, entertainment, and technology.
Event 4: DMEXCO
Date and Location: September 2025 in Cologne, Germany
Overview: DMEXCO is Europe’s leading digital marketing and tech conference, attracting over 40,000 professionals from across the globe. It brings together experts in digital transformation, e-commerce, media buying, and online advertising.
Why It Matters for Media Buyers: DMEXCO is ideal for those looking to understand European advertising trends, explore programmatic advancements, and meet with global technology providers. It serves as a hub for networking with agencies, publishers, and ad tech platforms.
Key Highlights: Cutting-edge showcases from leading ad tech firms, in-depth discussions on privacy and data, and strategy sessions on scaling global campaigns.
Event 5: ANA Masters of Marketing Conference
Date and Location: October 2025 in Orlando, Florida
Overview: The ANA Masters of Marketing Conference is one of the most respected gatherings in the advertising industry. It brings together senior marketing leaders, agencies, and technology partners to share best practices on driving growth and building long-term brand value.
Why It Matters for Media Buyers: This event offers a strategic perspective that helps media buyers align campaign execution with brand objectives. Attendees can gain insights into how top CMOs measure ROI, approach customer loyalty, and balance performance marketing with brand storytelling.
Key Highlights: Case studies from global brands, leadership workshops, and exclusive networking with C-suite decision-makers.
Event 6: Affiliate World Conferences
Date and Location: 2025 editions in Dubai, Barcelona, and Bangkok
Overview: Affiliate World is the largest performance marketing event, bringing together affiliate marketers, media buyers, and digital entrepreneurs. It focuses on growth tactics, scaling campaigns, and learning from the most successful affiliate experts.
Why It Matters for Media Buyers: For those working in performance marketing or pay-per-call campaigns, this is the ultimate event to find proven strategies, meet affiliate networks, and explore traffic sources. Media buyers can directly learn from practitioners running high-volume campaigns across social, search, and native platforms.
Key Highlights: Tactical workshops, networking with affiliates and networks, and exhibits showcasing the latest performance tools and platforms.
Event 7: CES
Date and Location: January 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada
Overview: CES is the world’s largest technology trade show and has become a must-attend event for advertisers. While it is best known for consumer electronics, it is also where new ad tech, connected devices, and immersive media experiences are revealed.
Why It Matters for Media Buyers: CES provides a forward-looking view of how technology is shaping advertising. Media buyers can explore how connected TV, AI-driven personalization, AR, and VR will influence media planning in the coming years.
Key Highlights: Product launches from major tech companies, sessions on advertising innovation, and networking with tech and media leaders.
Event 8: IAB Annual Leadership Meeting
Date and Location: February 2025 in Marco Island, Florida
Overview: The IAB Annual Leadership Meeting gathers industry leaders to discuss the future of the digital advertising ecosystem. With a focus on standards, policy, and innovation, this event sets the agenda for how the industry adapts to new challenges.
Why It Matters for Media Buyers: Media buyers gain first-hand insights into privacy regulations, measurement standards, and the evolution of programmatic ecosystems. It is an essential event for those who want to stay compliant while leveraging new ad opportunities.
Key Highlights: Policy updates, deep dives into connected TV and retail media, and networking with senior executives shaping the future of advertising.
Event 9: C2 Montreal
Date and Location: May 2025 in Montreal, Canada
Overview: C2 Montreal is an immersive business and creativity conference that blends commerce, culture, and innovation. It is known for pushing the boundaries of how brands, creatives, and marketers think about consumer engagement.
Why It Matters for Media Buyers: This event helps media buyers expand their perspective beyond traditional ad buying. It emphasizes creativity, experiential marketing, and innovative approaches that can be applied to digital and offline campaigns.
Key Highlights: Interactive labs, collaborative workshops, and talks from leaders across industries including media, technology, and entertainment.
Event 10: Social Media Marketing World
Date and Location: March 2025 in San Diego, California
Overview: Social Media Marketing World is the leading event dedicated to social media strategy, advertising, and content. It is hosted by Social Media Examiner and attracts marketers from around the world.
Why It Matters for Media Buyers: For buyers focusing on paid social campaigns, influencer partnerships, and platform-specific strategies, this event provides actionable insights. It covers everything from TikTok ads to advanced Facebook campaign optimization.
Key Highlights: Platform-specific workshops, case studies from social media leaders, and opportunities to network with content creators and paid media professionals.
Comparison of Events
Each of these events offers unique value depending on your goals as a media buyer. If you are focused on programmatic advertising and ad tech innovation, Programmatic I/O and DMEXCO will give you the deepest insights. If your priority is networking and global brand exposure, Cannes Lions and Advertising Week stand out. For those in performance marketing and affiliate campaigns, Affiliate World is the event that delivers proven growth tactics. If you want to explore the intersection of creativity and business, C2 Montreal provides a different perspective, while Social Media Marketing World is ideal if your campaigns rely heavily on paid social advertising.
Conclusion
The future of media buying is shaped not only by algorithms and platforms but also by the conversations and connections made at the world’s top advertising conferences. By attending even a few of these digital marketing events in 2025, you can gain early access to new strategies, discover innovative tools, and connect with the people driving change in the industry.
If you want to stay ahead, choose the events that align with your growth goals and make them part of your professional calendar.
