The Indie Summit 2026 – Bangkok

15th–17th March | Lebua Hotel

A Global Gathering with Purpose

The Indie Summit 2026 brought together a remarkable group of independent agency leaders from across the world in Bangkok for three days of insight, connection, and shared ambition.

Set against the stunning backdrop of the Lebua Hotel, high above the city and overlooking the Chao Phraya River, this year’s Summit was more than just a conference. It was a coming together of a global community – open, curious, and united by a common challenge: how to navigate, and lead, through one of the most significant shifts our industry has ever seen.

There was a clear and shared sentiment throughout: this is a moment of real opportunity for independent agencies. But this was no place for self-congratulation. The focus was firmly on practical learning, honest conversations, and what to do next.

The Indie Summit 2026 set off with Welcome Cocktails on the beautiful rooftop of the Lebua overlooking the entirety of Bangkok…

Hosted at the beautiful Lebua Hotel, the evening blended traditional Thai dancers, incredible food, and even fireworks lighting up the Bangkok skyline. It was a setting that immediately set the tone for what was to come.

But beyond this spectacle, it was the atmosphere that stood out most. And the atmosphere that continued throughout the following days. A gathering of agency leaders from different markets and disciplines, yet instantly aligned. Relaxed. Open. Curious. And ready to share.

As one attendee put it simply: “The secret of success is showing up.” And that spirit carried through the entire Summit.

Day 1:

A Brave New World & The Quest for ROI

The day opened with host Julian Boulding and MC, Kathryn Williams, framing the scale of change facing the industry, and the opportunity for those ready to adapt.

George Kypraios led the first session with a sharp look at how investor priorities are shifting. Agile, independent agencies – particularly those with recurring revenue, strong margins, and low dependency on individuals – are increasingly seen as more valuable than traditional models. Notably, the growing demand for experiential and adaptable agencies signals a reaction to an overly screen-dominated landscape.

In fact, George revealed that experiential agencies are now what investors are most actively seeking—perhaps a reaction to the saturation of screen-based communications pushed out by Meta, Google, and TikTok.

Jules Love then delivered one of the most impactful sessions of the Summit, breaking down what agencies actually need to be doing with AI today. His practical approach, including building custom GPTs using accessible tools, reinforced a key message: AI is already here, and the advantage lies in how quickly and effectively you apply it.

Delegates even left with a hands-on takeaway: their own AI assistant, personalized to their interests—built during the session itself.

Jules Love, Spark AI

Moving into the “Quest for ROI,” Kathryn Williams and Dan Egerton challenged one of the industry’s most entrenched models: billing for time.

As one delegate summarised it: “With AI, time is becoming abundant. Abundance kills price.”

With that shift underway, the implication is clear: time-based pricing is under pressure. The future lies in monetising intellectual property, expertise, and outcomes, rather than hours.

Dan Egerton, ACTUS Consulting

People First, Then Technology

The afternoon shifted focus to a theme repeatedly reinforced throughout the Summit: people remain the ultimate differentiator.

Kimberly Afonso explored how leaders must first build their own brand before their agency’s, clarifying that personal brand is not personality, but perception.

Viviana Žorž brought a sharp lens on employer branding, highlighting the importance of alignment between agency values and employee experience in attracting and retaining top talent.

Sarah Clay, LinkedIn Expert

Sarah Clay then addressed the growing importance of employee advocacy, explaining how audiences increasingly trust individuals over corporate channels — making internal alignment and engagement more critical than ever. As she emphasised, company pages are rapidly losing traction as people seek out real, unfiltered voices over polished narratives. The implication? It’s essential your people not only understand your agency’s story, but genuinely believe in it and actively bring it to life.

As one idea echoed across sessions: People want real voices, not polished narratives.

This session was complemented by contributions from Rhona Glazebrook, who explored building meaningful commercial partnerships, and a global media panel featuring Sebastian Schichtel, Jacquie Alley, and Jessica Toh, who shared perspectives on evolving media challenges and solutions across markets.

Sebastian Schichtel, Executive Director International, Crossmedia, Germany
Jacquie Alley, Chief Operating Officer, The Media Store, Australia
Jessica Toh, CEO, The Media Shop, Singapore 

To end Day 1, delegates ventured to beautiful restaurants in Bangkok in curated dinner groups

Each group was intentionally small and thoughtfully composed, creating space for deeper, more meaningful connections. Hosted by members of thenetworkone, four groups set off to elegant settings – some overlooking the river, others high above the city on Bangkok’s iconic rooftops. Conversations were intimate, honest, and focused on what truly mattered, with everyone given the space to be heard.

These moments captured the essence of the Indie Summit: a community built not just on ideas, but on relationships. Like every year, it was a truly special experience.

Day 2:

The New World Order & Clients and Customers

Day Two, opened by MC, Madeleine Pluck, was for broadening the perspective. After day 1, we move from internal transformation to the external forces reshaping the industry.

In a first-ever husband-and-wife presentation, PR Leader of the Year Nicky Wang and former Mindshare China CEO Ben Condit unpacked how to navigate China’s complex earned, owned, and paid media landscape.

After this, Xavier Prabhu was in conversation with Julian Boulding and brought to life the pace and scale of digital transformation in India. Xavier illustrated a country where theory meets reality at extraordinary speed – where billions of fake paper banknotes have given way to mobile money on your phone.

Together, these sessions reinforced a powerful point: there is no single “global market” anymore – only fast-moving, highly nuanced ecosystems.

Julian Boulding, thenetworkone and Bolor Narantsatsralt, Pizza Hut Mongolia

One of the standout sessions came from Bolor Narantsatsralt, who shared how Pizza Hut Mongolia transformed from an unknown concept into a culturally relevant, Gen Z-driven brand. In 1990 – the year of Mongolia’s independence – pizza was a completely unknown concept. Bolor showed how a combination of product innovation, cultural insight (K-Pop and Manga imagery), media spillover, and bold channel marketing transformed Pizza Hut into a dynamic, Gen Z-appealing brand. A genuine tour de force. A powerful example of how creativity, cultural insight, and bold thinking can drive real impact.

Across sessions on brand experience, fandoms, and community-building – with Alicia Beachley, sharing a classic one-o-one on what makes a great Brand Experiences. Followed by Calvin Innes who took delegates through the latest thinking on engaging with communities and fandoms – one of the hottest topics in marketing communications today – exploring how brands can move from broadcasting to audiences to genuinely participating with them.

This consistent theme emerged: audiences no longer want to be spoken to — they want to participate.

Calvin Innes, Fandom Expert

Creativity, Data and New Horizons

The afternoon turned to creativity in the age of AI, where a compelling tension was explored:

If AI can create “perfect” output, what is the role of human creativity?

From Guan Hin Tay to Ted Lim, and perspectives from Ravid Kuperberg and Anthony Harrison, the answer echoed across multiple talks: don’t out-automate machines… out-human them.

Because in a world of abundant, “perfect” content, the real premium is no longer perfection, it is judgment, originality, and human connection.

Guan Hin Tay, Former BBDO

Or, as Guan Hin Tay insightfully framed it: AI can generate content, only humans can create connection.

The Summit concluded with a lively and, at times, passionately debated panel on the future of earned media, featuring Xavier Prabhu, Founder, Chairman and CEO, PRHUB, India, Lars Voedisch, CEO, PRecious Communications, Singapore, and David Zapata, CEO and Founder, Zapwater Communications, Chicago — a discussion that reflected the diversity of perspectives shaping the industry today.

We always know a panel is going well when the speakers don’t fully agree.

Finally, Julian Boulding and Camilla Honey closed the Summit with a forward-looking perspective on new business and growth — leaving delegates not just with ideas, but with important questions.

Key Themes of The Indie Summit 2026: A Turning Point for Indies

Across both days, several clear themes emerged:

· The shift from selling time to selling value is accelerating
· AI is reshaping the industry, but not replacing human advantage
· Independents are structurally advantaged – with speed, agility, and neutrality
· Creativity, judgment, and human connection are becoming more valuable, not less
· And above all, THIS IS THE MOMENT TO ACT

A community that matters

Beyond the content, what truly defined the Indie Summit 2026 was, of course, the spirit of the community: Open. Generous. Collaborative.

From speakers to delegates, there was a genuine willingness to share — not just successes, but challenges, questions, and uncertainties.

As one delegate reflected: “You arrive with answers, and leave with better questions.”

So, in summary…

The Indie Summit 2026 was a huge success – it was energising, thought-provoking, and deeply relevant. It reinforced that while the industry is changing rapidly, independent agencies are uniquely positioned to lead that change – if they are willing to rethink, adapt, and act.

Most of all, it was a reminder that in an increasingly automated world, the real advantage remains human.

Thank you!

Thank you to all the delegate and speakers who joined us for The Indie Summit 2026, who showed up and made it so special. Thank you for sharing your ideas and asking questions and entering the most important conversations that independents need to be having.

We really hope that you will join us again next year and for those who didn’t make it this year, join us in 2027, to be part of the current conversations then and a community that will spark energy, joy and real relevance.