MANILA, Philippines — The Digital Marketing Association of the Philippines (DMAP) is bringing together more than 2,000 marketers, creatives, technologists, business leaders, and innovators as DigiCon 2026 returns for its 11th edition on October 15–16 at the Grand Ballroom of the Manila Marriott Hotel.
In photo from L to R: Denise Haak, Immersive Track Lead; Avron Fernandez, DigiConX; Gino Nacianceno, Innovation Track Lead; Alan Fontanilla, Partnerships & Sponsorship Lead; Dale Lopez, Director for Creative & Experience; Kit Ramos Disini, DMAP Vice President for Internal Affairs and Board of Trustee; Raymund Sison, DigiCon 2026 Co-Chair; Jordan Santos, Impact Track Lead; Mori Rodriguez, Director for Publicity;; and Rey Tiempo, DMAP Board of Trustee.
DMAP officially kicked off the next phase of DigiCon 2026 with the announcement of its global keynote speakers, conference tracks, and partnership opportunities.
Anchored on the theme “Interoperability: Welcome to the Age of Collaboration,” this year’s DigiCon puts the spotlight on what happens when industries, ideas, technology, and talent work together, creating new possibilities for brands and businesses navigating an increasingly connected digital landscape.
Beyond its lineup of thought leaders, DigiCon 2026 will feature diverse session formats, from keynote presentations and expert-led panel discussions to interactive experiences and a live debate. These formats are designed to spark meaningful conversations, encourage the exchange of different perspectives, and create more opportunities for collaboration across disciplines.
Opening the program, DMAP Vice President for Internal Affairs and Board Trustee Kit Ramos Disini welcomed members of the media and industry partners, emphasizing DigiCon's role in bringing together the marketing ecosystem.
"The pace of change in marketing has never been faster, and no one organization has all the answers. DigiCon exists to create the space where brands, agencies, platforms, creators, and innovators can learn from one another and build the future together,” she said.
Headlining this year's conference are global thought leaders Dr. Christian Busch, bestselling author of Connect the Dots and professor at the University of Southern California and the London School of Economics, and Judy John, Global Chief Creative Officer of Edelman. In video messages shared during the press conference, Dr. Busch previewed his keynote on unlocking innovation through serendipity and meaningful connections, while John spoke about the importance of cross-disciplinary thinking.
They will be joined by DMAP President Miko David, DigiCon 2026 Co-Chairs Raymund Sison and Shayne Madamba, and a diverse lineup of local and international industry experts.
DigiCon 2026 Co-Chair Raymund Sison shared the conference's vision and what attendees can expect from this year's edition.
"This is only the beginning of what we'll be unveiling over the coming months. From additional speakers and DigiConX activations to new industry partnerships, we're building a conference that reflects the collaborative future we're asking the industry to embrace,” said Sison. He added: “In today's fast-moving landscape, no brand, business, or industry moves forward entirely on its own. DigiCon 2026 brings the sharpest minds in marketing, technology, and creativity into one space to exchange ideas, challenge conventions, and explore what becomes possible when we work together. The conversations and partnerships we start here have the potential to influence what our industry does next.”
“Interoperability isn't just a buzzword for us this year; it's a mindset,” added DigiCon 2026 Co-Chair Shayne Madamba. “We want people to cross disciplines, industries, and perspectives, and leave DigiCon with new connections and ideas they can actually bring back to their organizations.”
Extending the conversation beyond the conference, DigiCon 2026 will bring together leaders of the country's major marketing, advertising, and communications organizations for Next Monday, a special panel discussion on October 16. Featuring DMAP President Miko David, Association of Accredited Advertising Agencies of the Philippines (4As) Chairman Ronald Barreiro, Ad Standards Council (ASC) Executive Director Robbie Aligada, and Public Relations Society of the Philippines (PRSP) President Ana Pista, the discussion moderated by IdeasXMachina Hakuhodo Managing Director and DigiCon 2026 Co-Chair Shayne Madamba will explore how insights and learnings from DigiCon can be translated into meaningful action across their respective industries and professional communities.
Five tracks, one collaborative future
Taking the idea of interoperability beyond the plenary stage, DigiCon 2026 will feature five specialized conference tracks designed to give participants a closer look at the collaborations transforming industries:
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Innovation: Human and Machine Collaborations features Gino Nacianceno and Fe Itamar Gero of TrueLogic, Crissy Rollan of Qubel Group, and Bea Lim of TeamAsia, with a track keynote by Masaya Asai, Chief Creative Officer of Droga5 Tokyo.
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Integrated: “Breaking the Box” Collaborations brings together Shayne Madamba of IdeasXMachina Hakuhodo, Kim Patria of Investing in Women, Philip Zuniga of UP Diliman, Mark Meily of Kindmind Experience Design Lab, Bia Fernandez of ALAB MNL, and Rudy Villar of the Philippine Football Federation. Highlights include keynotes from Ali Rez of IMPACT BBDO and Yassine Bakkari of L’Oréal Philippines, alongside the first-ever UP vs. ADMU Debate in DIGICON history.
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Immersive: Seamless Collaborative Experiences features Denise Haak of RS2 APAC, Wanda Pascua of Tonik Bank, Steph Oller of Pure Culture, Roshan Nandwani of Ayala Land Hospitality, Derek Tan of Moving Walls, AJ Atienza of UnionBank, and Miguel Ramos of IPV Network Inc.
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Impact: Hyper-Collaborative Cultures features Jordan Santos of Publicis JimenezBasic, Erwin Razon of Hepmil PH, Adam Izen of The One Club for Creativity, and keynote speakers Thomas Hongtack Kim of Paulus Seoul and Nicolas Courant of Ogilvy Singapore. Other featured speakers include Nina Zialcita of Best of the Best, Mark Del Rosario of Let's Eat Pare!, Frances Cabatuando of Home Buddies, and Nicolas Tessier of Not.
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Interactive: Create, Play, Collaborate features Pat Del Castillo of GCash, Art Policarpio of Emporia Group, and LOKAL.
In a panel discussion moderated by Director for Publicity Mori Rodriguez, Track Leads Gino Nacianceno (Innovation), Jordan Santos (Impact), and Denise Haak (Immersive), together with DigiConX Co-Director Nikki Sunga, explored how organizations can move beyond AI hype to real business value, create immersive experiences through cross-sector partnerships, build authentic purpose-driven campaigns, and transform audiences from passive consumers into active collaborators.
Expanding reach and experiences
For this year's edition, DigiCon includes exciting features to maximize participation and engagement. Breaking from traditional conference boundaries, delegates can look forward to connecting with peers, local creators, and potential partners through networking sessions on the community stage, gaining insights during keynote sessions, building practical skills in hands-on workshops, and exploring immersive brand activations.
DMAP is also pioneering DigiConX, a nationwide expansion of the conference experience through a series of satellite pop-ups across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Ahead of the main conference, DigiConX brings the industry's biggest conversations closer to communities by partnering with organizations, schools, and brands to host talks, panels, and learning sessions across the country.
Turning conversations into meaningful collaboration
As digital transformation continues to reshape industries, DigiCon 2026 aims to move the conversation beyond emerging trends and technologies toward the partnerships and collaborative approaches needed to navigate an increasingly interconnected business environment.
DigiCon 2026 is supported by Astoria Hotels & Resorts and Wipro–Splash Corporation, with Certified Digital Marketer as track certification partner. Media partners include Philippine Daily Inquirer, Inquirer.net, Inquirer Plus, MBC Media Group, One News, CoinGeek, GMA New Media Inc., and Outcomm.
DigiCon 2026 invites the digital community to connect beyond silos, collaborate across disciplines, and help shape what comes next. Secure your tickets now via DigiCon’s official website (digicon.dmap.com.ph) and social media channels. For sponsorship and partnership inquiries, contact [email protected].