The Definitive AI Forum for Media, Information & Events 2026

A unique opportunity to engage with AI and the lessons and learnings of companies right across media, information and events.

“There is nothing more important to media strategy than AI; it offers a world of opportunity and challenge for companies large and small. Our ‘Definitive AI Forum’ will explain the issues, identify the commercial opportunities, highlight the competitive risks and identify the early lessons and successes. This event will be a uniquely practical opportunity to learn about what companies right across the industry are doing with AI. It will again be a day of deep insights, meetings and networking – and exclusive MediaVoices AI Masterclasses and the Flashes & Flames eBook with in-depth, real-world AI case studies” 

~ Colin Morrison CBE, Founder, Flashes & Flames: The Global Media Business Weekly.

The Definitive AI Forum 2026

The first Definitive AI Forum for Media, Information & Events in 2025 helped to provide a context for the strategies of the 30+ industry leaders who engaged with our 215+ delegates. Who was in the room?

It was a full day of insights, experimentation and exploration, presented by the authoritative Flashes & Flames.

Media, business information and events companies, large and small, described AI applications already producing results while others outlined their early testing of ways to improve their business efficiency, maximise discovery of their content and events, and create new revenue streams from behavioural data and analytics. It was a insightful day of innovation, strategies, learnings and lessons. 

Some of the brands that will feature on stage in 2026 (current confirmed speakers -- see more below):

Besides the speaker programme and masterclasses, attendees can meet AI partners and other experts, stretching the value of every hour they spent at The Definitive AI Forum

The feedback from those attending the sellout event was unanimously positive. Overhwhelmingly, most are planning to attend in 2026, with colleagues.

The ideas, innovation and networking with colleagues and media partners were invaluable, as was the exclusive eBook, messaging and meeting systems, live transcripts and audio recordings.

The event returns to London on Wednesday 18 November.

But given that both the 2025 Definitive AI Forum and its sister Monetising B2B event in 2025 and 2026 sold out, early booking is strongly advised.

Confirmed speakers

The Definitive AI Forum for Media, Information & Events 2026 will again feature a stellar lineup of CEOs and industry experts, including the following:

• Anne Lafère, Group CEO, Easyfairs
• Brian Brittain, COO, RX Global
• Christian Broughton, CEO, Independent Media
  
• Danny Groom, CEO, Daily Mail
• Penny Ladkin-Brand, CEO, Taylor & Francis
• Sharon Roessen, COO, Terrapinn
• Gareth Bowhill, CEO, CloserStill Media
• Natasha Christie-Miller, Chair, Sifted EU
• John Barnes, Chief Digital Officer, William Reed
• Alex Roth, Group Strategy Director, Informa Plc
• Amrit Baidwan, CEO, Bauer Publishing UK
• Tami Hoffman, Director of Public Policy, The Guardian
• Emily Shelley, CEO, PA Media Group
• Adriana Whiteley, Director, FT Strategies
• Paul Miller, CEO, Emerald Group
• Roseanne Spagnuolo, Chief Research & Data Officer, Vixio Regulatory Intelligence
• Sean Cornwell, CEO, Immediate Media
• Sajeeda Merali, CEO, PPA
• Stuart Forrest, Head of SEO/GEO, Sky Group
• Rory Brown, Chair, TMT Finance
• Matthew Yorke, CEO, The Channel Company
• Paul Hood, Head of Publishing, House of Commons
• Tom Jackson, CTO, News UK

More speakers will be announced shortly. 

In 2025, our speakers included news, consumer, and B2B media and event leaders such as Jon Slade, CEO, Financial Times, Sue Macmillan, CEO, Mumsnet, Piers North, CEO, Reach Plc, Jacqui Merrington, Director of AI, Mail Metro Media, Nicola Tillin, EVP, Lions Intelligence, Robin Tapp, CIO, RX, Toby Wiseman, Managing Director, Content, Hearst UK, Alison Jackson, group md, Nineteen Group, Greg Hitchen, CEO, Terrapinn Events, Henry Faure Walker, CEO, Newsquest (Gannett), Emily Shelley, CEO, PA Media Group, Dean Curtis, CEO, LexisNexis Solutions Data Services, Tami Hoffman, Director of Public Policy, The Guardian, Sajeeda Merali, CEO, PPA, Robin Booth, Managing Director, Emap (Metropolis), and more.

Masterclasses, eBook and other content

The Definitive AI Forum will again also feature practical MediaVoices demonstrations and masterclasses available for pre-booking by delegates at no additional charge.

All delegates will receive an advanced copy of the exclusive eBook of case studies and reference material to enhance their engagement with the programme. 

They will also have free access to transcriptions available soon after each session, and to audio playback.

Interested in proposing a masterclass workshop? 

• Contact Esther Kezia Thorpe via email.

Partners

At the 2025 edition of the forum, almost 75% of the room held C-suite, CEO, President or Managing Director titles, representing 99 organisations including the Financial Times, The Guardian, Hearst UK and Bauer Media to Reuters, Bloomberg, Daily Mail, Independent Media, William Reed, Immediate Media, Reach and Informa. These are the people actively deciding how their organisations adopt and deploy AI and are able to detail the early successes and also the lessons of the newest technologies.

As a partner, you get direct access to that audience. Not a logo on a wall, but real conversations with the people who matter.

Partnership opportunities include exhibition space, sponsored masterclasses, one-to-one meeting slots and branded content. Packages are tailored to your objectives.

Interested in partnering with us commercially?

• Contact Jussi Makela via email.

Networking and Meetings

The Definitive AI Forum is not just a day for learning, but also a working day with dedicated time to meet peers, partners and suppliers.

It's a chance to be in the same room, and to have the kinds of conversations that don't happen over email.

Whether you're scoping a new tool, testing an idea or looking for a commercial partner, provides a platform where the right colleagues and partners are in the room.

Organisers

This event is organised by Flashes & Flames: The Global Media Business Weekly. Flashes & Flames™ and MediaVoices™ are part of Flashes & Flames Media Ltd. 

Founder-owner: Colin Morrison CBE, Flashes & Flames.

Event producer: Cobus Heyl, That Coalition.