Independent Media Agencies Australia (IMAA) is launching a new thought leadership forum designed to put independent agency leaders and their commercial partners in the same room to tackle the issues shaping the sector.
Called Indies Up Close, the premium forum will debut on 23 September at Sydney’s Mitchell Library, bringing together senior independent agency executives, publishers, platforms, technology partners and industry bodies.
The inaugural event is expected to attract around 100 attendees and will feature founder and strategy panels, audience Q&As, small-group discussions and networking, with the agenda centred on growth, partnerships and the future of media.
IMAA CEO Sam Buchanan, who will host the event, said the organisation had been looking for a way to create more direct and commercially relevant conversations between its members and partners.
“Indies Up Close is an exciting new event for the IMAA and one we’ve been wanting to bring to life for many years,” Buchanan said.
“Our members and partners have consistently told us they want greater opportunities to have open, commercially relevant conversations that really focus on what they need to thrive – growth, partnerships and the future of media.”
The founder panel will feature Equality Media + Marketing founder and managing director Marilla Akkermans, Hatched Media managing partner and CEO Stephen Fisher who took out the top spot in B&T’s Best Of The Best Independent Media Agency Bosses, Thinkerbell CEO and partner Margie Reid who took out third place in B&T’s Best Of The Best Indie Creative Agency Leaders, and Enigma founder Lisa Sutton-Gardner.
The session will explore what it takes to build and grow an independent Australian agency, with discussion expected to cover leadership, growth and the realities of running an independent business in the current market.
A second strategy panel will turn its attention to the agency-partner relationship, featuring This Is Flow head of investment Sue Cant, Half Dome strategy director Adrian Cosstick, Yango general manager of product and operations Robert Nagy, and Love Media managing director Rob Wall.
The panel will examine investment and channel planning, client expectations and emerging trends, as well as what agencies actually want from their commercial partners.
Buchanan said the agenda had been shaped by direct feedback from both IMAA members and partners.
“For our agencies, it’s a focus on current economic pressures, client expectations, revenue growth opportunities, and new business challenges,” she said.
“While our partners want transparency around what a good partnership looks like, what agencies value most, pain points with vendors and how partners can become more useful.”
She added that the forum was intended to move beyond traditional industry networking and create a more open exchange between the two sides of the media ecosystem.
“We’ve designed our panel discussions to explore these themes, ensuring they are thought-provoking, relevant and grounded in the real experiences of the sector,” Buchanan said.
The event will finish with breakout discussions facilitated by independent agency leaders, giving attendees the opportunity to dig further into the issues raised during the panels.
Buchanan said the forum formed part of the IMAA’s broader push to strengthen the relationship between independent agencies and the partners they rely on.
“This is a chance to provide our industry media partners with direct access to agency decision-makers to foster stronger collaboration, build deeper strategic relationships and continue that critical value exchange,” she said.
“Indies Up Close is part of the IMAA’s commitment to building trusted connections between the independent media agency community and its partners, creating opportunities to share knowledge, strengthen relationships and drive the industry forward together.”
