AI is moving faster than many businesses can absorb. Across Asia, brands are testing new tools, automating workflows and rethinking how customers are reached. Yet one question remains unresolved: are companies truly transforming, or simply adding AI to old ways of working?

For Hong Kong, the stakes are high. The city has long positioned itself as a bridge between Chinese Mainland and the world. In the AI era, that role could become more valuable, as marketers seek to combine Mainland innovation, international standards and regional growth opportunities. But advantage will depend on speed of execution, not positioning alone.

This is the context in which IAB Hong Kong C26: Business Re-imagined returns on 20 October 2026 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Positioned as Hong Kong’s largest AI and marketing conference of the year, C26 arrives at a timely moment for executives who need to look beyond hype and understand what AI means for growth, competitiveness and leadership.

“As IAB Hong Kong marks its 10th anniversary, C26 captures a defining moment for the digital marketing industry as AI redefines what is possible in this sector,” said Brian Hui, Chairman of IAB Hong Kong. He added that by connecting innovators, technologists and marketers from Hong Kong, Mainland China and around the world, the conference reinforces the city’s role as a place where ideas and expertise converge.

me, “Business Re-imagined,” is well chosen. Much of the early AI conversation has focused on speed and productivity: faster content, faster media optimisation, faster reporting. But speed alone is not a strategy. The more important question is whether AI can help businesses identify new revenue opportunities, design better customer experiences and build more adaptive organisations.

“AI is no longer just about doing things faster — it is changing how value is created, how work gets done and how brands remain relevant in an increasingly automated environment,” said Arthur Chan, C26 Organising Committee Chair. That observation points to the central issue now facing business leaders: whether AI is being used merely to improve efficiency, or to rethink growth itself.

C26 is designed to address that question from multiple angles, bringing together 1,500+ CMOs, brand leaders and digital innovators, with 50+ speakers, 20+ sessions and 20+ exhibitors under one roof.

The speaker line-up reflects the scale of the debate. Global and regional leaders including Sir Martin Sorrell, Founder and Executive Chairman of S4 Capital; Caroline Laird, Senior Director at Google; Shailley Singh, COO and EVP of IAB Tech Lab; and Edward Bell, General Manager, Brand, Insights and Marketing Communications at Cathay, will offer perspectives on how AI is reshaping marketing, media infrastructure, brand building and customer engagement.

But the real value of C26 may lie in its practical focus. The agenda moves beyond abstract discussion to examine operational questions now facing boardrooms and marketing leadership teams. How will agentic commerce change the way consumers search, compare and buy? How will agentic advertising affect media planning, buying, optimisation and reporting? What happens to brand safety when AI-generated content floods the open web? How should companies govern AI adoption without slowing innovation?

These are not future concerns but live commercial issues. AI-powered search and recommendation tools are already changing customer discovery. Retail media is becoming more strategic. Generative content is increasing production capacity while raising questions about authenticity and control. AI bots, low-quality impressions and opaque automation are creating fresh risks for advertisers.

C26 also gives Hong Kong a chance to assert a more distinctive role in the regional AI conversation. The city’s value lies in connecting Mainland innovation, international brand standards and Asia-facing commercial ambition. That is why the presence of companies such as Alibaba, BytePlus, iFLYTEK, JD Technology, Huawei, iQIYI, Adobe, Meta, Cathay, Hang Seng Bank, HKT, Manulife, MTR, Starbucks and Visa matters.

The exhibition floor will add a practical layer, with solution providers such as BytePlus, DoubleVerify, Magnite, StackAdapt, admanGO, Appier, AnyMind, Teads, Digital Zoo, Ingenium Digital, MindWorkz, Votee, WOGI and JoJo Ventures showcasing how AI, advertising intelligence, analytics, content production and customer engagement tools are being integrated into real marketing workflows.

Another important dimension is talent. AI transformation is not only a technology agenda; it is a leadership and capability agenda. Businesses will need marketers who can work with data, automation and AI systems while still exercising judgment, creativity and ethical responsibility. The inclusion of education and future talent discussions reflects a reality many executives already recognise: the AI-ready workforce will not emerge by accident.

For senior business leaders, the case for attending C26 is straightforward. This is not merely a marketing conference or another AI showcase. It is a forum for understanding how AI is moving from experimentation into execution, and what that means for growth, governance, brand relevance and organisational design.

Hong Kong’s next advantage will depend not only on its East-meets-West positioning, but on whether its companies can turn that position into faster learning, smarter adoption and more trusted innovation.

On 20 October 2026, C26 offers a concentrated view of where that transformation is heading. Event: IAB Hong Kong C26: Business Re-imagined Date: 20 October 2026 Venue: Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre Registration: