State of Social, an Australian digital and social marketing conference, will return to Perth on August 25 and 26 for its ninth year.
Held at Optus Stadium, State of Social brings together marketers, creators, strategists, and brand leaders from across Australia and the Asia-Pacific region for two days of learning, debate, and connection.
Founded in Perth and independently owned, The event has steadily grown in scale and influence while remaining focused on substance over spectacle, with a program designed to provide tangible, real-world value.
The 2026 theme, Friction, speaks directly to the pressures shaping modern marketing. From the tension between strategy and instinct, creativity and constraint, humans and machines, and ambition and budgets, friction has become an unavoidable part of the job. State of Social ‘26 explores how marketers can work within that tension to create better thinking, stronger strategy, and more resilient outcomes.
Held over two days, the conference aims to deliver a curated, customisable program featuring keynote presentations, breakout sessions, and deep-dive sessions on strategy, creativity, technology, and emerging trends. Sessions are free from sales pitches and recycled content, emphasising honest conversation and insights that attendees can apply immediately.
Founder Meg Coffey said the ninth year marks a defining moment for the event, “Nine years in, State of Social has become a place where digital marketers come to think clearly, challenge assumptions, and sharpen how they work. In a landscape that feels louder and more complex than ever, that focus matters,” she said.
