AI, Insight, and Imagination Collide at WPP Media's 'NextM: The Canopy Effect'

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In a world where every channel, device, and platform is connected, 'NextM: The Canopy Effect' explores how to make that complexity work for growth — not confusion. It’s about reimagining media as a living ecosystem where creative, strategy, and technology thrive together.

Opening the summit, Ted Lappas, Data Scientist at Satalia and academic researcher, will unpack how generative AI is no longer just a tool but a force connecting creativity, strategy, and data. His session, titled “The Superpowers of Generative AI,” will examine how automation is evolving into true collaboration — transforming the creative process itself.

Next, Joseph Bradley, CEO of TONOMUS and a leading cognitive technologist, will guide audiences through the rise of “cognitive cities.” His keynote will explore how predictive environments — where data anticipates human needs — will redefine the relationship between citizens, brands, and the spaces they inhabit.

“In tomorrow’s cities, engagement isn’t reactive — it’s predictive. Brands must learn to shape experiences before consumers even know they want them,” Bradley notes.

From cities to citizens, Damian Thompson, Global Head of Insight at Choreograph, and Marie Abiad, Regional Strategy Director MENA at Wavemaker, will reveal findings from a joint WPP Media–Oxford Saïd Business School study that re-examines how people make decisions. Their research challenges traditional “funnel-first” thinking, showing how community, culture, and content collide to shape choices long before the final click.
Their discussion promises to arm marketers with strategies that influence consumers earlier in the journey — across multiple touchpoints and mindsets.

Morgan Evans, Global Head of Display, Video, and Audio at Amazon Ads, will dive into the ever-expanding “platform canopy.” His talk focuses on crafting platform-specific strategies — understanding how each environment, from streaming to shopping, demands its own creative approach to truly connect with audiences.

In one of the day’s most anticipated panels, Laura Gleadhill, General Manager at Keyade, will moderate a high-level discussion on the “New Currencies of Media” with Terry Kane (The Trade Desk), Ziad Khammar (DMS), and Filip Jabbour (Amazon). The session will explore what defines value and ROI in a media world dominated by retail networks, creators, and real-time data — and how to measure integration in financial terms.

As signal loss and privacy changes reshape measurement, Younma Borghol, Head of Science at Snap Inc. EMEA, will tackle how to root media strategy in effectiveness. Backed by new research from Bain & Company, she’ll outline a framework for future-proof measurement — one that blends marketing fundamentals with data intelligence to deliver real business impact.

To close, Perry Nightingale, SVP of Creative AI at WPP, and Eunah Lee, Creative Technologist, will take the stage with Oracle, their humanoid robot collaborator. Together, they’ll demonstrate how WPP’s creative teams are merging human imagination with machine precision — with live examples from Boston Dynamics’ Atlas and Unitree.
The session highlights how AI and robotics are redefining production workflows, making creativity both more accessible and more ambitious.

WPP Media’s “Canopy Effect” may just be the clearest metaphor yet for the region’s evolving media landscape. This feels like a much-needed rethink of how creativity, technology, and effectiveness can actually coexist — not compete.