It is clear that communication markets in the region are increasingly moving around the same questions. Although differences between them still exist, topics such as business models, technology, talent management and client relationships are becoming a shared framework within which the industry operates. That is precisely why the exchange of experience is gaining a more concrete role, as a tool for understanding and adaptation.
Dani komunikacija, which will take place from May 7 to 10, 2026 in Rovinj, dedicate part of their programme to this regional dimension. Through a series of sessions, they bring together experts from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, North Macedonia, Serbia and Slovenia, with a focus on market comparison, knowledge exchange and opening questions that define the direction of industry development.
Market overview from the perspective of those who build them
How markets function from within is demonstrated by the session Meet Your Neighbours: The Balkan… Oops, We Mean CEE Markets Snapshot. The format relies on short presentations that combine key data with concrete practical experience, revealing patterns that often remain outside official reports.
Their markets are presented by Anamarija Horaček, Predrag Nikolovski, Irena Miličević Vukoja, Maja Radak and Žare Kerin, each through a perspective that includes both what drives and what limits the development of their local environments.
What an agency trying to stay relevant looks like today
The panel The Future-Ready Agency (or Whatever We’re Calling It Now) focuses on how agencies are adapting to continuous change. Pressures come from multiple directions, from clients and the market to internal organisation and team management, and the responses are still not fully defined.
This is discussed by Sanja Petek Mujačić, Anđelko Trpković, Janez Rakušček and Manuela Šola, through concrete examples of business model transformation, but also open questions the industry has yet to resolve.
Media agencies between buying and systems
The changing role of media agencies is the focus of the panel Next 5 Years of Media Agencies: New Business Models on the Horizon. The focus is shifting from traditional media buying towards the development of systems that connect data, technology and clients’ business goals.
The panel brings together Irena Petek, Ahmed Hadžić, Valerija Prevolšek and Marija Matić, who through examples from their markets show how much these changes have already been implemented and where limitations still exist.
What is actually thought, but rarely said out loud
The session Hot Take Commentary Session by Marketing Magazin opens space for views that more often remain in informal conversations than on conference stages. The format involves short, direct “hot take” comments, followed by discussion.
Participants include Maro Pitarević, Matjaž Germ and Igor Černiševski, moderated by Marjan Novak, focusing on topics around which the industry often lacks clear consensus.
Leadership and visibility from the perspective of experience
The regional dimension is also reflected in the panel Breaking Barriers, Shaping Narratives by Woman.Comm, which deals with the experiences of women in leadership positions in the industry. The focus is on situations that are not always visible, but have a direct impact on decision-making and the perception of professional authority.
These issues are discussed by Brankica Janković, Nataša Pavlović Bujas and Katja Fašink, moderated by Irena Knežević.
BalCannes as a cross-section of regional competitiveness
Regional creativity comes together again through BalCannes, which this year also records strong interest and a large number of entries. The competition provides an overview of projects from across the region and enables comparison of ideas beyond local frameworks.
Winners will be announced during the festival, with the awards ceremony hosted by Lela Laković and Aljoša Bagola, in a moment that brings the regional industry together in one place.
This part of the programme clearly shows that key topics in the region are increasingly overlapping, regardless of the size or specificities of individual markets. That is why the focus is not only on presentation, but on comparison and understanding of how different approaches work in practice. In Rovinj, these perspectives will come together in one place, through conversations that should provide a clearer insight into where the industry currently stands and where it is heading next.
