New York, NY, Jan. 26, 2021 – Adweek, the industry leader in coverage of the advertising and brand marketing ecosystem, today announced an ambitious expansion of its third annual Challenger Brands summit, a Brandweek event. As the world’s largest event for game-changing brands, as well as those establishment brands who answer the challenge, it will feature live, virtual programming from five continents, giving a global audience the opportunity to gain insights and learn best practices from the world’s most visionary marketing mavens.
Challenger Brands will take place over four days, Feb. 22–25, 2021, with speakers from the United States plus regional programming each day:
- Monday, 2/22 – Asia Pacific
- Tuesday, 2/23 – Latin America, India and South Asia
- Wednesday, 2/24 – Middle East and Africa
- Thursday, 2/25 – Europe
These regional conversations with brand founders and incumbent brand marketing executives from around the globe will supplement an event already jam-packed with perspectives from the minds behind the world’s most exciting and innovative companies. Joining the more than 100 brand speakers at Challenger Brands will be marquee marketers and entrepreneurs including billionaire investor Marc Cuban; Jennifer Garner, co-founder and chief brand officer, Once Upon a Farm; and Nicole Richie, founder and creative director, House of Harlow 1960.
VIP attendees to Challenger Brands will also be able to participate in a variety of premium access activities and interactive experiences that include Taste of Brandweek sampling sessions, leadership training programs, community meetups, Masterclasses and specially curated one-to-one meetings. Through these unique programs the Adweek team has evolved a virtual event into a stage for continuous conversation and connections.
Adweek CEO Jeffrey Litvack sees Challenger Brands Worldwide as a launch pad for future international expansions.
“Branching out to further include international perspectives is the next logical step in the evolution of Adweek,” said Litvack. “As Adweek’s worldwide audience continues to grow, we’ve seen the positive impact of providing a platform for more diverse voices from around the globe.”
The transformation of one of Adweek’s most prestigious events into a worldwide summit is the latest example of the company’s increased investment in serving the global marketing community. The recent acquisition of Social Media Week has already increased Adweek’s reach, adding international summits across six continents with nearly 100,000 attendees annually.
Another example of Adweek’s international expansion is its increased editorial investment in the coverage of international marketing news and trends. The editorial team covering the European market will include Stephen Lepitak in Glasgow (formerly of The Drum), who joins Adweek in the spring, media editor Lucinda Southern in London (formerly of Digiday) and contributing editor Sara Spary. David Griner has been selected to lead the company’s international expansion in a newly created position as Adweek’s international editor.
“Adweek has always reached a large global audience, and we took this opportunity to reach out to them with daily content focused on their markets and communities,” said Adweek Chief Brand Officer Danny Wright. “Throughout 2021 we’ll be expanding our programs to ensure more international voices on our stages and more opportunities for global marketers to interact at our events.”
About Adweek
Adweek is the leading source of news and insight serving the brand marketing ecosystem. First published in 1979, Adweek’s award-winning coverage reaches an engaged audience of more than six million professionals across platforms including print, digital, events, podcasts, newsletters, social media and mobile apps. As a touchstone of the advertising and marketing community, Adweek is an unparalleled resource for leaders across multiple industries who rely on its content to help them do their job better.
