Smartly‘s flagship event, ADVANCE, returns to New York City on Sept. 29, 2026, at Spring Studios. The event will bring together more than 750 senior marketing and advertising leaders from brands, agencies and leading technology platforms. As AI reshapes how brands are built and consumers discover products, creativity, media, and intelligence are becoming one connected system. ADVANCE will explore what this shift means for marketers, their teams, and the next generation of brand and business growth.

The agenda features leaders from across the marketing ecosystem, including Accenture Song, DoorDash, Google, Horizon Media, Meta, NBCUniversal, The New York Times, Pinterest, Reddit, TikTok, WPP, Wpromote and YouTube, alongside opening remarks from Smartly CEO Laura Desmond. Additional speakers and special guests will be announced in the coming weeks.

Closing the day, NBA Champion and New York Knicks forward Josh Hart will join Smartly CEO Laura Desmond in conversation alongside Matthew Hillman, CEO of PATH Talent. Together, Hart and Hillman co-host The Roommates Show, one of sports’ fastest-growing podcasts. Drawing on their experience building loyal communities on and off the court, they’ll explore what it takes to create authentic cultural relevance, build enduring brands and turn defining moments into lasting impact.

“As access to AI becomes universal, competitive advantage shifts somewhere new,” said Laura Desmond, CEO of Smartly. “It will belong to the companies and marketing leaders who turn abundant data into intelligence that compounds. Making every decision, campaign, creative asset, and every outcome better than the last. ADVANCE is where the conversation takes place, where the connections are made, and where marketers uncover their competitive advantage in the intelligence era.”

Complementing the mainstage program, ADVANCE features two tracks: Creative AI and Commerce AI. The Creative AI track explores how brands can build enduring creative systems in the age of AI, while the Commerce AI track explores how marketers are driving growth through cross-channel orchestration, measurement and responsible automation. Across both tracks, conversations will explore the evolving role of marketing teams, platform strategy, trust, authenticity and the practical application of AI.

ADVANCE is made possible with support from partners including Google, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Roku, Snapchat and TikTok, whose collaboration helps shape programming and experiences throughout the event.

Registration is now open. Qualified attendees from brands and advertising organizations may be eligible for complimentary admission.

To view the agenda, learn more and request a ticket, visit AdvanceSmartly.com.

About Smartly

Smartly is the AI-powered advertising technology company ranked as the leader in The Forrester Wave™: Creative Advertising Technologies. Our platform unifies creative and media to produce intelligent creative, dynamic, data-driven image and video assets optimized for seamless activation across channels. Brands manage, optimize, and scale high-performance campaigns in one place, achieving PwC-validated results, including a 5.5x return on ad spend (ROAS) and 42 minutes saved every hour.

We support 800+ brands and manage over $7 billion in ad spend globally. With strategic partnerships across major media platforms, including Amazon, Google, Meta, Pinterest, Reddit, Snap, Spotify, and TikTok, we help Fortune 500 companies deliver relevant advertising at speed and scale. Backed by deep media expertise and best-in-class customer support, we empower brands to maximize performance and drive real business outcomes. Visit Smartly.io to learn more.

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