Meet the independent agencies you could work with, hear directly from clients, and turn new connections into commercial opportunities.

The Agency Collaboration Group (ACG) is coming together for its first live session at Kantar’s London office on 17 September, bringing independent agencies from across the Alliance community into one room to connect, share expertise and explore how we can win more together.

As clients look for broader capabilities and more connected agency solutions, collaboration gives independents an opportunity to combine their strengths while retaining the agility and specialist expertise that set them apart.

Expect a practical afternoon of client insight, agency experiences and curated matchmaking to help you find your next collaboration partner.

Client Panel: What Brands Really Want from Agency Collaboration

Hear directly from client-side marketers about what they want from agency partners, how they view multi-agency collaboration and what makes a joined-up independent offering work.

Joining the discussion:

• Lee Nelson, VP, Global Marketing and Communications, DHL
• Oliver Lester, Marketing Lead, Direct Line
• David Balko, CMO, Wren Kitchens
• Shomik Ray, Marketing Manager (Europe), Mars
• Lee Farrer, Owner & Fractional Marketing Director, Farrer Marketing

Agency Panel: Collaboration in Action

Explore how independent agencies can turn complementary capabilities into a stronger collective offering, build trusted partnerships and work together on commercial opportunities.

Curated Agency Matchmaking: Collaboration Connections

Put the conversation into practice with face-to-face introductions designed to connect you with agencies whose skills and capabilities complement your own.

Whether you’re looking for a specialist partner for a pitch, expertise you don’t have in-house, trusted agencies to refer work to or collaborators for a client brief, this is your opportunity to share what you offer and discover where there’s a fit.

Joining this session:

• Paul Phelps, Director, AMS Group
• Alistair Burns, Co-Founder, Flight Feather
• Darren Low, CEO, Idea’s + Outcomes

We’ll round off the afternoon with drinks and open networking, giving you time to continue conversations and agree next steps.

The agenda

• 4:00pm – Arrival & networking
• 4:20pm – Welcome & introduction
• 4:30pm – Client Panel: What Brands Really Want from Agency Collaboration
• 5:10pm – Short transition
• 5:15pm – Agency Panel: Collaboration in Action
• 5:55pm – Matchmaking introduction, group changeover & catering
• 6:00pm – Curated Agency Matchmaking: Collaboration Connections
• 6:45pm – Drinks & open networking
• 7:30pm – Finish

Date: 17 September
Time: 4:00–7:30pm
Location: Kantar, Vivo Building, 30 Stamford St, London SE1 9LQ

Your next opportunity could start with someone in this room. Reserve your place and discover who you could work with.

Exclusive AMI CEO Meeting

Join us in Manchester for an exclusive AMI CEO Meeting, hosted by ITV.

This invitation-only event offers AMI CEOs the opportunity to hear directly from our AMI Chairs about the latest member initiatives, upcoming opportunities and what’s ahead for the membership.

Following the meeting, guests will enjoy exclusive access to the Coronation Street Experience, including a Q&A with Iain MacLeod, Creative Director of Coronation Street, followed by drinks and networking.

Event details

2:00pm – Arrival at the Viaduct Suite, with tea, coffee and light refreshments

2:15pm – Welcome from ITV and introduction to the afternoon ahead.

2:20pm – Spotlight on the ITV and AMI partnership

2:30pm – Closed-door AMI CEO Meeting

3:45pm – Introduction to the Coronation Street Experience, including a short Coronation Street VT

4:00pm – Welcome from the Coronation Street team and an opportunity to explore the exhibition, with networking drinks

4:10pm – Q&A with Iain MacLeod, Creative Director of Coronation Street

4:30pm – Alliance group photo behind the Rovers Return bar

Venue

ITV Studios Coronation Street Experience
Trafford Wharf Road
Trafford Park
Stretford
Manchester M17 1TZ

Please use the entrance next to the Imperial War Museum.

Participation is by invitation only.

Why Menopause is a Workplace Issue 

This session makes the case for why menopause matters at work, strategically, culturally, legally, and personally.

It’s designed for all employees and leaders, regardless of gender, and builds a powerful foundation for informed, open conversations and lasting change.

We will explore:

• The psychological and physical impact of menopause at work
• The risks of silence: lost talent, performance dips, presenteeism, and disengagement
• Legal considerations: Equality Act, Health and Safety Act, and tribunal trends
• Why menopause is a business issue, retention, productivity, and culture
•  #HotResignation and why we’re losing women at the peak of their careers

About our Speaker:

Jo Fuller is an award-winning Leadership Coach, international speaker and founder of The Merry Menopause. Her work integrates hormonal health into the way organisations develop, support and retain female talent.

Working across menopause, menstrual health and women’s leadership, Jo helps organisations understand how hormonal change can affect performance, confidence, behaviour and leadership at work.

Through coaching, education, policy and workplace strategy, Jo helps organisations build the knowledge and culture needed to strengthen leadership, support behavioural change and enable women to progress throughout their careers. She has partnered with organisations including NatWest, ASOS, Imperial College London and QVC.

Jo is a trusted media voice, appearing on TV, radio and in the press. She hosted The Merry Menopause Bookclub Podcast, where she challenged outdated narratives around menopause and menstruation in society and the workplace.

At the heart of Jo’s work is one core belief, rather than being barriers, with the right education and support, menopause and menstruation can create opportunities for personal growth, stronger leadership and career progression.

Sign in/attendance to this session contributes 1 hour (1 point) towards CPD points for Alliance of Independent Agencies Members.

Your Nervous System Lab

Understanding Stress for Peak Performance

In our high-pressure industry, understanding your stress response is key to protecting your wellbeing and performing at your best.

The Alliance will be joined by NABS, the advertising and media industry’s wellbeing charity, for this expert-led Lab exploring how stress affects the mind and body, why we react the way we do under pressure, and practical ways to regain balance.

Together, we’ll explore:

• Your personal stress response and triggers and that of your team/colleagues
• The Stress Curve and how pressure impacts performance and wellbeing
• What happens in the nervous system during stress
• Practical techniques to calm your system and build resilience
• Everyday habits that support long-term wellbeing

You’ll leave with a better understanding of your stress response and a practical toolkit to help you feel calmer, more in control and better equipped to navigate pressure at work and beyond.

Our speaker: Emma Pratt is an accredited executive and wellness coach for NABS alongside running her own executive coaching company, Performance Path coaching. Emma has more than 20 years of experience in people development, business, and communications thanks to her background in coaching and advertising. She specialises in helping people to become great leaders, to enhance performance in new and existing roles, and to find clarity and confidence in their careers. Emma is a member of the Association for Coaching (MAC), a registered assessor for The Institute of Leadership Management, a deliverer and assessor for The Chartered Management Institute, and a member of the Neuroscience Coaching Group.

NABS is the charity helping everyone in the advertising, marketing and media industry move forward. From hot tips when you’re ready to fly, to a helping hand when you’ve fallen down, we’ve got you. Industry events or networking? Check out their calendar. Group workshops or in-house training? Sign up to our sessions. Sounding board on promotions, redundancies, parental leave – life in general? They’ll help in ways no one else can. nabs.org.uk

Sign in/attendance to this session contributes 1 hour (1 point) towards CPD points for Alliance of Independent Agencies Members.

Beyond the pitch
Building teams where commercial thinking is everyone’s job

Many agencies treat commercial awareness as something that sits with senior people. Juniors and mid-level team members get pulled into pitches but the everyday commercial thinking, spotting opportunities with existing clients, understanding the value of what they deliver, having confident conversations about scope and fees, that’s left to someone else.

So the organic growth that’s sitting within existing client relationships often doesn’t get spotted and agencies can be slower to notice when client revenue is at risk.

The session will cover both the why and the how:

– Why commercial awareness needs to be a team-wide capability, not just a senior-level responsibility
– What actually holds junior and mid-level people back
– Practical ways to build commercial thinking into everyday work, not just pitch preparation
– How commercially aware teams are better at protecting revenue and retaining clients, not just growing it.

Anna Golding our member lead & Business Director at PrettyGreen will be joined by Emma Ewing of Big Fish Training…

Our speaker:

Emma Ewing is an internationally recognised career coach and founder of Big Fish Training, a company that has been helping PR professionals succeed for over two decades. Through her leadership, Emma and her team have equipped thousands of individuals with the skills to excel in their roles, deliver measurable results, and advance in their careers.
Emma’s practical, results-oriented approach helps people at all levels identify actionable steps to achieve better outcomes and, more importantly, leaves them and their teams feeling happier and more engaged at work. She also runs a monthly free webinar, often accompanied by expert guests, which is designed to give people a step-up with their skills.
To get in touch, please go to the Big Fish Training website or find her on LinkedIn here

CEO Summit: Open House

Thursday 15th October

For the past seven years, the Alliance has held quarterly CEO Summits, bringing together small groups of agency leaders to explore a specific challenge or opportunity with an expert in the room.

As we approach the end of 2026, we thought it was time to do something a little different: open the doors to all Alliance member CEOs and let you set the agenda.

The launch of the Alliance’s Agency Collaboration Group has seen an incredible response, with more than 100 agencies registering to take part. The appetite for independent agencies to connect, collaborate and learn from one another is clearly there.

So, for this CEO Summit, we want to hear what’s on your mind.

What is the one issue, opportunity or challenge you would most value discussing with fellow independent agency CEOs? Whether it’s AI, profitability, talent, new business, changing client relationships, business models, growth or something completely different, you tell us what should be on the table.

The Marketing Store (tms) has kindly offered to host our first CEO Summit Open House:

Date: Thursday 15th October
Time: 2.30pm–4.30pm
Venue: TMS, 16 Hatfields, London SE1 8DJ

Our industry is going through rapid change (when isn’t it?), and there is huge value in sharing experiences openly with those facing many of the same decisions and challenges.

Let’s use the collective experience in the room to help one another navigate what’s ahead for independent agencies in 2027.

Please note attendance this session contributes 2 hours (2 points) towards CPD points for Alliance of Independent Agencies Members.

Please sign up below and, when registering, tell us the ONE agenda topic you would most like to discuss with your peers.