From the way people search for brands to the question of how a creative idea becomes a product or drives business growth, the programme of the 32nd Golden Drum will address changes affecting the work of agencies and marketing teams. The festival will take place on 12 and 13 October in Portorož, with announced topics including the application of artificial intelligence, collaboration between creative and media disciplines, and opportunities for ideas from smaller markets to achieve international success.
The relationship between creativity and business performance will be the subject of a talk by Islam ElDessouky, Global Vice President of Creative at The Coca-Cola Company. His session will examine how creativity can become a measurable driver of business growth. David Guerrero, Creative Chairman at BBDO Guerrero and a member of the BBDO Worldwide Creative Council, will also discuss this relationship from the perspective of smaller markets. He will focus on the combination of local insight, an understanding of the brand and a global perspective, while considering the returns that creatively awarded work can generate for clients.
Carl Ewald Jannerfeldt, Creative Director at Rocket—Science, will address the question of where a creative idea is applied. His talk will focus on ideas that become part of the product itself. Emma Follett, Chief Creative Officer at Design Bridge and Partners, will discuss how strategic thinking, emotional depth and execution contribute to brands’ lasting cultural impact.
The programme will address changes in consumer behaviour through two different approaches. Toygun Yilmazer, Chief Transformation Officer at TBWA\Istanbul, will examine the consequences of the increasing reliance on AI assistants rather than traditional search. For brands, this raises questions of visibility and relevance within a different way of accessing information. Katrina Stirton Dodd, Trends Editor at Contagious, will analyse cultural signals such as robotaxis, the film Toy Story 5 and skincare products intended for three-year-olds to explain what they reveal about the future relationship between consumers, brands and marketing.
Fitz Maro, Head of the Americas, Design Technology at the Brand Innovation Lab at Amazon Ads, will discuss the use of artificial intelligence in creative work. Starting from the premise that AI is a tool, his session will explore how technology expands creative possibilities alongside ideas, curiosity and human judgement.
Bringing ideas to life will be the focus of Xavier Blais, Partner and Executive Creative Director at Rethink. He will discuss bringing a culture of making back into creative departments, specifically the importance of people who develop ideas also having the knowledge needed to execute them. Marko Jovanović, Creative Director at Havas Adriatic, will extend this topic to the development of new media experiences and collaboration between creative, strategic, media and other disciplines.
Dirk Schuster and Benjamin Simon, Co-Founders and Creative Directors at FOREAL, will use real projects to show how an unfinished sketch or a seemingly stupid idea can become the beginning of a larger project. The programme also includes The Rant, a talk by Mihnea Gheorghiu, Global Chief Creative Officer at LePub Network, who will be inducted into the Golden Drum Hall of Fame this year.
The main festival programme and winner announcements will take place on 13 October. The Bronze and Silver Drum winners will be announced at 12:55, while the Golden Drum Award Show, supported by Mastercard, is scheduled for 20:00. Klemen Slakonja will host the ceremony.
For regional agencies, one of the more significant recognitions is Adriatic Agency of the Year, supported by Zavarovalnica Triglav. The title will go to the most successful agency in the Adriatic region based on points collected across all competition sections and special groups. NLB supports the Independent Agency of the Year recognition.
The Brand of the Year, Agency of the Year, Production Agency of the Year, Media Agency of the Year, Creative Director of the Year and Network of the Year titles will also be presented, along with recognition for the winner or winners of the Young Drummers Competition, supported by Mastercard Slovenia.
Among the special recognitions is the UNFPA Inclusion Excellence Award, established in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), for creative work that contributes to gender equality and social inclusion. The Game Changer Award, supported by Telemach Slovenia, is intended for work that challenges established approaches through a creative breakthrough or innovative shift. The Best of Social Good and Best of Local Spirit titles will also be presented.
The festival begins on 12 October at 20:00 with Drum Roll: The Opening Party at News Café Bernardin in Portorož. After the awards ceremony on 13 October, the programme continues in Piran, where the Golden Sunset Party will take place at Caffè al Teatro from 22:00, with DJ Alex Dee Groove.
Information about festival passes is available on the Golden Drum website.
