Agenda
Join the biggest marketing and technology event in the Middle East, where over 350 leaders and top minds in Martech, Adtech, and CX converge from 250+ leading companies. Discover insights, explore innovations, and strategies shaping the industry’s future.
Breakout Boardroom
8:00 AM
Breakout Boardroom: Channel Diversification: Spreading Risk While Expanding Reach
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8:00 AM
Breakout Boardroom: How AI is Changing Consumer Expectations
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9:50 AM
Opening Remarks - Vibe Marketing Tech Fest
10:00 AM
Panel Discussion: Performance vs. Brand Building: How to Strike the Right Balance
This discussion will focus on balancing short-term performance goals with long-term brand-building efforts. With limited budgets, marketers face challenges integrating these two crucial objectives. This session provides insights into overcoming those hurdles and driving sustainable marketing success.
Alyza Beg
Group Chief Marketing and Communications Officer,
Easa Saleh Al Gurg Group
Haris Javed
Global Director of Marketing - Careem Rides,
Careem
Sevgi Gur
Chief Marketing Officer,
Property Finder
Sharad VK
Marketing Director,
Century Financial
Alyza Beg
Group Chief Marketing and Communications Officer | Easa Saleh Al Gurg Group
10:30 AM
Tech Talk: Navigating the Future of Media: How Brands Can Benefit from the Omnichannel Edge
As the media landscape continues to evolve, brands must adapt to new technologies and platforms to stay ahead. This session will explore how leveraging an omnichannel approach can drive greater engagement, enhance customer experiences, and create more effective brand strategies. Industry experts will share key insights on how brands can harness the power of multiple touchpoints, integrating online and offline media seamlessly to achieve measurable success.
Yasmine Al Turk
Advanced DOOH & Digital Supply Lead,
GroupM Nexus
Joshua Mathias
Head of Media & Digital Middle East & Africa
Huawei Consumer Business Group
Ashnee Thacker
Associate Account Director,
The Trade Desk
10:50 AM
Keynote: The Enduring Power of Behavioural Science
Technology evolves rapidly—but human decision-making remains remarkably constant. Research suggests that 95% of purchase decisions are driven by subconscious factors. In this talk, we introduce the enduring fundamentals of behavioural science and explore how simple nudges can boost conversion rates by up to 15%. With insights from a behavioural marketing expert and real-world examples, discover why 80% of marketers now believe behavioural insights are key to enhancing campaign performance.
Richard Shotton
Best-Selling Author & Behavioral Marketing Expert, Founder,
Astroten
11:15 AM
Tech Talk: The Social Metrics That Matter
Traditional social media metrics don’t tell the full story. In this presentation, we’ll explore why marketing leaders need to move beyond vanity metrics and start measuring what truly drives business impact. You’ll discover how social is now a direct sales driver, a key customer touchpoint, and a real-time feedback loop whilst learning why a unified approach to analytics is essential.
Heba Al Nabulsi
Account Technology Strategist, Emplifi
11:35 AM
COFFEE BREAK
12:00 PM
Breaking Through the Noise: How Nothing Redefined Visual Branding
How do you stand out in an era where every brand is fighting for attention? Nothing, the disruptive tech brand, has rewritten the rules of visual storytelling—using bold design, immersive content, and a distinct aesthetic to capture global audiences. This session dives into how Nothing leverages striking visuals, minimalism, and video storytelling to turn passive viewers into active buyers. Explore the strategies behind their viral product launches, social-first content, and brand-led community engagement that transformed them into a cult favourite. What can marketers learn from their approach? Let’s break it down.
Rishi Gupta
Regional Director: Middle East & Africa,
Nothing
12:15 PM
Tech Talk: Melting Points: Where Creativity Meets Technology
This session cuts through the technical noise to reveal a simple truth: digital transformation doesn’t have to be complex. With tools like Braze that harness AI, automation, and predictive personalisation, advanced marketing becomes accessible, allowing you to focus on what truly stands out in the age of AI – humanity in action.
Orlando Beakbane
Principal Customer Success Manager, Enterprise,
Braze
12:30 PM
Sticky Installs: Crafting Habit-Forming Apps That Integrate with Users’ Lives
Learn how to transform a fleeting app download into a daily habit. This session explores strategies for creating addicting experiences, nurturing long-term app retention, and driving consistent revenue.
Omais Waiz
Performance Marketing Director, MultiBank Group
12:45 PM
Tech Talk: App Engagement & User Retention Best Practices
In today’s competitive, privacy-first app landscape, retaining users is more critical than ever. This session explores real-world re-engagement strategies, AI-powered performance marketing and CRM tactics, and how to drive effective user acquisition with limited data. Join us to gain actionable insights on boosting retention through proven re-engagement tactics, leveraging AI to optimize lifecycle marketing, and making UA work despite signal loss and growing costs. Whether you’re a marketer, CRM lead, or growth strategist, this talk will equip you with fresh ideas and hands-on strategies to elevate your app’s performance in 2025 and beyond.
Sanjay Raturi
Sales Lead EMEA
AppsFlyer
1:00 PM
The Creative Conundrum: Can AI Capture the Human Spark?
Explore the debate between AI and human creativity in design and storytelling. Can AI replicate the depth of human emotion and artistic vision, or is true creativity inherently human? Recent research from Adobe found that 79% of creative professionals believe human ingenuity remains essential, even as AI tools enhance creative workflows. This session examines whether AI serves as a powerful tool to augment creative expression or challenges the irreplaceable role of human imagination.
Will Snow
Associate Director Digital Technologies,
Yum! Brands
1:15 PM
Tech Talk: Channel Convergence: Maximising Synergies Across Mobile, CTV, and DOOH
Marketers are always looking for innovative ways to refine their strategies and expand their reach. This session delves into the powerful convergence of mobile, connected TV (CTV), and digital out-of-home (DOOH) media, revealing how these channels can work in harmony to deliver a seamless and impactful customer experience. Discover how to harness cross-channel synergies, leverage next-generation measurement techniques, and optimise engagement to drive stronger marketing performance and business outcomes.
Charles F Manning
Chief Executive Officer & President, Kochava
1:30 PM
LUNCH SPONSORED BY LEMNISK
1:20 PM
Lunch Break
Tarv Nijjar
Senior Director, Business Insights and Analytics | McDonald's
2:30 PM
Interactive Session - Hacking the Human Mind: How to Give Your Marketing a Behavioural Science Superboost
How can a small behavioural nudge transform your marketing results? Studies from MIT have shown that minor changes in messaging can alter customer choices by as much as 35%, while effective nudges can increase customer retention by 20%. This session delves into the behavioural biases that shape consumer behaviour, featuring both cutting-edge research and classic experiments. Organised into a simple framework, discover how to apply these insights to overcome your marketing challenges and drive real engagement.
Richard Shotton
Best-Selling Author & Behavioral Marketing Expert, Founder,
Astroten
3:00 PM
Tech Talk: Driving Growth with Prediction, Incrementality, and Scalable Strategies
Discover how leading companies achieve sustainable growth by leveraging predictive insights, measuring incrementality, and implementing scalable strategies. This session explores data-driven approaches to enhance engagement, optimise campaigns, and drive measurable success in a competitive landscape.
Riyad Khalil
Director - Middle East and North Africa,
Adjust
3:15 PM
Panel Discussion: How Can Marketers Prepare for the GenAI Revolution?
Wondering how to bring AI into the mix without losing that personal touch that keeps teams engaged and customers coming back? AI is great for speeding things up, but critics are worried about brands seeming too robotic. The challenge is figuring out how to use AI to make things more efficient while still keeping interactions personal and genuine.
Haris Khan
Vice President - Growth,
Rain
James Dutton
Chief Product Officer ,
UM MENAT
Nandakumar Vijayan
Global Director, Marketing & Communications,
LuLu Group International
Roxana Nicolescu
Vice President of Brand Marketing & Social Media,
Wego
Khadija Huseynova
Director of Communications and Content,
Global Hotel Alliance
3:45 PM
END OF DAY 1
8:00 AM
Breakout Boardroom: How WhatsApp is Transforming Conversions and Customer Engagement
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8:00 AM
Breakout Boardroom:The Future of Engagement with AI, Data and Personalisation at The Forefront
Powered by SAP Emarsys
9:50 AM
Welcome Note - Vibe Marketing Tech Fest
10:00 AM
Purpose-Driven Engagement: Bridging Values and Innovation in MENA
Today’s consumers, especially in the MENA region, demand more than just products—they seek authenticity and a genuine purpose. This session explores how brands can merge cutting-edge technology with meaningful, purpose-driven messaging to create lasting connections. With 66% of consumers willing to pay a premium for sustainable brands and 63% expecting companies to champion social causes, authenticity is paramount. Discover how regionalised storytelling and localisation, as demonstrated by leaders like Starbucks with their dairy-free alternatives and ethical sourcing, can elevate customer engagement and build emotional loyalty. How can brands effectively adapt to these shifting expectations? Join us as we unpack strategies to turn values into measurable business growth.
Olena Lemeshko
Vice President, Brand & Customer Experience | Starbucks MENA, Alshaya Group
10:15 AM
Tech Talk: The Future of MarTech in the Middle East: AI, Automation, and CDPs
As AI and marketing automation reshape the martech landscape in the Middle East, businesses are leveraging Customer Data Platforms (CDPs) to unify data and deliver hyper-personalised experiences. This session explores how AI-driven martech is driving marketing innovation, enhancing customer engagement, and shaping the region’s digital future.
Subra Krishnan
Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Lemnisk
10:30 AM
Sustained Engagement: Keeping Audiences Hooked Beyond the First Click
Grabbing attention is one thing – but how do you ensure audiences stay engaged long after the first interaction? With shortening attention spans and endless distractions, brands need to go beyond eye-catching visuals to create sustained engagement. This session explores behaviour-driven content and personalisation strategies as well as multi-touchpoint storytelling to keep customers engaged, reduce churn, and maximise conversions over time.
Aleksandar Derbogosijan
Creative Director & Brand Architect
instashop
10:45 AM
Tech Talk: From Fragmented Data to Focused Revenue: Your Blueprint for Customer Understanding & Growth
In today’s rapidly evolving Martech landscape, it’s tempting to chase the latest AI trends. However, sustainable revenue growth hinges on something more fundamental: developing a truly deep understanding of your customers and orchestrating engagement across their entire life cycle. This panel cuts through the noise, addressing the core challenge of fragmented data that prevents this holistic view. We’ll provide a practical blueprint for Middle East brands, demonstrating how unifying data sources within a Customer Data & Engagement Platform (CDEP) builds the essential foundation of deep customer insight into behaviours and preferences. Discover how to leverage this understanding to activate personalised, lifecycle-aware campaigns that deliver focused, predictable customer revenue growth.
Aditya Mujumdar
Digital Marketing Manager
Dubai World Trade Centre
Anupama Gupta
Director of CRM & Loyalty,
ADCOOP.COM
Kunal Badiani
Regional Vice President - Growth & Strategy,
MoEngage
Sriniwas Sharma
Assistant General Manager - Growth
Aster Pharmacy
11:00 AM
Panel Discussion: Why Are Brands Struggling with Hyper-personalisation?
Customers expect personalised interactions. This panel focuses on the critical importance of capturing customer intent at the right moment and place. We’ll discuss the missteps organisations often make in understanding intent and the transformative potential of getting it right. By leveraging the newest technologies and data-driven strategies, brands can seamlessly integrate customer experiences across channels, turning fleeting interest into lasting loyalty.
Mustafa Bohra
Associate Director - Martech and Analytics,
Careem
Pravin Kumar
Global Head of Digital & Ecommerce,
Dabur International
Santadip Roy
Regional Managing Director,
Magna Global
Yolande Dmello
Senior Editor,
Martechvibe
11:30 AM
COFFEE BREAK
12:00 PM
Tech Talk: Building AI-Ready Organisations for Seamless Personalisation at Scale
In today’s dynamic ecommerce landscape, delivering hyper-personalised experiences across channels is no longer a nice-to-have—it’s a strategic imperative. This session will explore how leading luxury brands are building agile, AI-ready organisations that connect teams, unlock the power of data, and stay ahead of rapidly evolving customer expectations.
Hugh Kimber
General Manager,
Bloomreach
12:15 PM
RMNs - The Next Frontier of the Digital Advertising Ecosystem
Retail Media Networks (RMNs) are redefining advertising, with 2024 ad spend projections surpassing traditional digital platforms. Offering unmatched access to high-intent shoppers, RMNs drive superior conversions and high-margin revenue. But how are they outperforming traditional channels in spend, effectiveness, and direct impact? This session explores how retailers monetise first-party data to optimise merchandise strategies and deliver ads that convert at critical decision-making moments.
Sohail Nawaz MBE
Head of Retail Media,
Landmark Group
12:30 PM
Tech Talk: Cheers to Data: Serving Up Smarter Hospitality with McGettigan’s
What happens when a brand stops designing for the masses and starts designing with the community in mind? This session dives into how McGettigan’s is evolving from one-size-fits-all customer strategies to hyper-localised, data-informed experiences. From tapping into real-time customer insights to tailoring entertainment, content, and offerings by location, learn how this shift toward macro-personalisation is driving higher engagement, stronger brand affinity, and scalable customer experiences across regions.
David Egerton
Chief Digital Officer,
McGettigan Group
12:45 PM
Panel Discussion: How Can Any Brand Win With RMNs?
Retail Media Networks (RMNs) are no longer just for retailers—brands across industries are tapping into these high-intent audiences to drive measurable results. With RMN ad spend projected to surpass TV advertising, the opportunity is massive. But how can non-retail brands get in on the action? This panel dives into how brands can profit from RMNs by leveraging first-party data, real-time personalisation, and in-store digital integrations. How do you reach consumers at the perfect moment, even if you don’t sell in stores? What are the biggest challenges in tapping into RMN ecosystems, and how do you navigate them? Expect real-world case studies, insider insights, and a roadmap to making RMNs a revenue channel—no matter your industry.
Harish Pandey
Head of Revenues, Retail Media, Landmark Group
Mitin Chakraborty
Head of Marketing, Babyshop
Landmark Group
Oliver White
Group Executive Director Commerce (Middle East & Asia),
MCN Middle East Communications Network
Rajesh Verma
General Manager, Middle East, Epsilon
Tayab Hasan
General Manager of Ads,
Careem
1:15 PM
Tech Talk: Finding Your Competitive Advantage With Social
The world is a chaotic place, with content saturation online and a huge amount of data for organizations to get lost in. Discover how to break through the noise, uncover strategic insights, and build a standout social presence in this session.
Taylor Dickson
Senior Research Consultant,
Brandwatch
1:30 PM
LUNCH SPONSORED BY LEMNISK
2:30 PM
Solving the Multi-Touch Attribution Puzzle for Smarter Marketing
With only 30% of marketers confident in their attribution models, the struggle to measure true campaign impact is real. Are your marketing dollars working as hard as they should? This session dives into the challenges of modern attribution and unpacks proven and emerging solutions—Marketing Mix Modeling (MMM), Incremental Attribution, and Multi-Touch Attribution (MTA)—to help you make sense of fragmented data. Discover how AI is transforming attribution, bridging the offline-online gap, and unlocking a clearer path to maximising ROI and marketing effectiveness.
Oleg Nesterenko
Chief Marketing Officer,
Storytel
2:45 PM
Beyond Retention: Designing Spotify-Inspired Journeys That Win Hearts
With 252M+ premium subscribers in 2024—more than double the count from early 2017—Spotify has mastered the art of turning personalisation into pure profit. From freemium conversions to the viral success of Spotify Wrapped, this session decodes how data-driven engagement, AI-driven recommendations, and smart pricing fuel year-on-year growth. What can brands learn from Spotify’s playbook? Let’s break it down.
Marwen Ben Messaoud
Director of Growth - MEA and South Asia,
Spotify
3:00 PM
Keynote: Making AI the Heartbeat of Retail Engagement
AI is no longer a behind-the-scenes tool; it’s the engine driving retail’s transformation into a deeply connected, customer-centric ecosystem. With 75% of consumers expecting retailers to understand their needs and preferences, this keynote dives into how AI is shaping retail strategies to resonate emotionally while delivering tangible results.
Hitesh Malhotra
Marketing Head,
6th Street.com
3:15 PM
How Far Can a Story Go? Lessons from KIA’s ‘Cycle of Life’
With 82% of consumers saying brand trust is influenced by environmental and social impact, sustainability is no longer a nice-to-have — it’s a narrative imperative. This session takes you behind the scenes of KIA’s impactful “Cycle of Life” campaign, rolled out across the GCC and Africa, to explore how purpose-led storytelling can drive measurable shifts in brand perception and customer engagement. Learn how KIA crafted a sustainability message that resonated across diverse markets, and why integrating values into marketing isn’t just good ethics — it’s good business.
Jimmy Chamata
Head of Marketing & PR,
Kia Middle East & Africa
3:30 PM
Driving Demand: Full-Funnel Strategies to Boost Search and Consumer Intent
Brands that implement a full-funnel digital strategy see up to 45% higher ROI and a 7% lift in offline sales compared to single-stage campaigns. But how exactly does this approach influence consumer search behaviour and intent? This session unpacks the power of integrated social media, influencer collaborations, and strategic content execution in shaping demand—not just for brands, but entire categories. Through a compelling case study, we’ll explore how performance marketing and creative storytelling work together to turn digital engagement into measurable business growth. Don’t just capture attention—drive action.
Tahir Kheshgi
Director of Digital,
Home of Performance
3:45 PM
How is AI transforming the Future of Search and Interaction?
AI is revolutionising search, creating more natural, intuitive, and personalised interactions between businesses and customers. From chatbots to voice search, conversational AI uses natural language processing (NLP) to understand human queries and deliver the most relevant information instantly.
Kara Moddemann
Vice President, Growth & Marketing,
The Luxury Closet
