The Global Entertainment Awards’ Insights Forum lands in London this October, bringing together the brightest minds in film, games, TV, and streaming marketing. Over two days, industry leaders and creatives will unpack the trends reshaping how stories are told and sold—from authenticity in the age of AI to the rebirth of live activations, the future of the trailer, and the power of sonic branding. With keynotes, panels, fireside chats, and live AI sprints, this is a rare chance to step inside the conversations shaping entertainment’s future—while making the connections that will drive it forward.
Thursday 02 October
16:00 – 16:45
Opening Keynote
Professor Lyndsay Duthie
– Pro Vice-Chancellor, University for the Creative Arts
17:00 – 18:00
Panel: The New Optics of Power – Redefining Authenticity and Engagement in Entertainment Marketing
Panel:
Athena Witter – Founder – Engine Pop
Ipar L’Amiable – Global Creative Director – OC
Mike Craddock – Co-Founder & CEO – NewGen
Audiences move fluidly between real and digital personas. This session explores how brands can cut through shifting identities, AI-driven feeds, and fragmented attention spans to build connections that feels authentic in an increasingly artificial landscape.
18:00 – late
Welcome reception, networking and activations
Friday 03 October
09:30 – 10:00
Keynote Address
10:15 – 11:00
Breaking the Feed: F2F Marketing in a Pixel World
Panel:
Denise Parkinson – VP of Business Development – Allied Marketing
Mathias Upton-Hansen – CEO & Co-Founder – Blacklist
Chris Aylott – VP Brands and Marketing, Strategic Projects – BBC Studios
From striking outdoor spectacles to viral pop-ups, physical activations are making a comeback. In a world dominated by screens and endless scrolling, are audiences craving authentic, in-person moments? Discover how hybrid campaigns are turning live activations into content goldmines, and why face-to-face experiences are now at the heart of some of the most shareable entertainment marketing.
11:15 – 11:50
Fireside Chat: The Future of the Trailer: Is the 2-3 Minute Cut Dying?
With:
Rob Darvell – Executive Creative Director – The Picture Production Company
In a world of TikTok teasers and AI-generated edits, is the long-form trailer losing its grip? A candid conversation on the craft, future, and survival of the industry’s most iconic marketing format.
12:00 – 13:00
From Cue to Culture: Sonic Identities That Stick
Panel:
Ryan Sim – Tech Audio Supervisor, Game Audio – Warner Brothers
Samuel Justice – Founder – Sweet Justice
Lee Herrick – Supervising Sound Editor – Fight or Flight – Hard Truths
The right sound can define a franchise. This panel uncovers how sonic signatures become cultural shorthand and billion-dollar assets, resonating across films, games, streaming platforms, and social feeds.
14:30 – 16:15
Live Creative AI Sprint
See creativity in action as leading artists put AI tools to the test live. Watch creative assets built in real time—showcasing what happens when human imagination prompts machine intelligence.
16:30 – 17:30
AI – the toolkit for the creative sector
Panel:
Richard McGuinness – Sales Specialist End User Accounts Enterprise – HP
Lola Gamester – Joint MD & Co-Founder – Blacklist
Haz Dulull – Director / Producer – Film, TV and Games – Beyond the Pixels
AI is reshaping entertainment marketing, from trailers to thumbnails. This panel examines what’s genuinely useful, what’s hype, and how to experiment responsibly balancing speed and scale without losing the value of the human creative spark that audiences connect with.
18:00
Networking and activations
