NASA creative director David Rager will headline the IHAC Advantage Summit 2026, as the Australian event for in-house and hybrid agency teams returns to Melbourne on October 22, 2026.
The summit, organised by the In-House Agency Council (IHAC), will bring together more than 250 in-house agency and marketing leaders for a full day of sessions, networking, exploring how to turn the creative talent and expertise into a genuine growth lever.
Rager will be joined on stage by executive producer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Sami Aziz, for a session exploring how NASA translates complex, high-stakes space exploration missions into creative storytelling.
The pair will unpack the creative principles behind NASA’s approach, dubbed ‘Moon Joy’, and how they can be applied to creative teams.
The first wave of speakers announced also features some of Australia’s leading marketing and in-house talent, including ex-Guzman Y Gomez chief marketing officer Lara Thom.
She will also be joined by Tim O’Neill from Time Under Tension, Mike Kevan from Coles, Harley Hamer from Sportsbet and Robert Brittain, Marketing Strategy & Measurement Advisor, with more speakers still to be announced.
“NASA is probably not the first organisation that comes to mind when you think about in-house creative teams, which is exactly why we’re so excited to have them join us this year. While NASA operates in an incredibly complex, high-stakes environment, it understands the power of creativity and storytelling to make extraordinary ideas resonate,” said IHAC head Abby Blackmore.
The summit, now in its fourth year, will be held at The Timber Yard in Port Melbourne.
Further speakers and the full agenda will be announced in the coming weeks.
