DEPT® 2024 Trends Forecast: Connection, Creativity & Culture
Explore the defining trends across culture, creativity, gaming, business, & technology alongside experts representing brands and businesses at the forefront of their industries—and join us in shaping the future of digital for 2024.
DEPT® Trends 2024: Connectedness, Creativity & Culture
What to expect
The rise of AI (and Barbie), Apple’s Mother Nature Impact Report, the economic slowdown, U2 in the sphere… We all know that a lot can happen in a year. And while no one can predict the future, we’re still going to try.
Join us in shaping the future of digital as we explore the trends across culture, creativity, gaming, business, and technology that are defining the year ahead.
Even within our fragmented, algorithmically-defined niches, we will be more connected than ever before in 2024. From the battle between creatives and AI, to the emergence of a data-driven economy, to the impact of global elections and events, we’re covering it all.
Rethink. Reimagine. Refocus. And prepare for the exciting and challenging times ahead alongside the most future-forward leaders, creatives, technologists, marketers, and digital consumers.
Want to stay ahead of the curve? Register now to join us on December 12th!
Meet the speakers
Tobias Cummins
Global SVP Clients & Managing Director Berlin at DEPT®
With experience in leading businesses in five countries, Tobias Cummins is DEPT®’s Global SVP of Clients and Managing Director in Berlin, responsible for business development across EMEA. Previously, as Managing Director of BYTE/DEPT®, Tobias oversaw expansion into New York and nurtured key relationships with major brands like Spotify, Google, and Twitch.
Isabel Perry
VP of Emerging Tech at DEPT®
Isabel Perry, VP of Emerging Technology at DEPT®, is an expert in Al, Web3, and the metaverse, revolutionizing businesses and ranked among the top 15 advertising executives by Business Insider. At DEPT®, she leads a team of over 400 specialists in five continents delivering innovative, pioneering work for brands such as Google, eBay and Philips.
With a degree in Architecture from Cambridge, she brings a unique approach to design and user experience. During her eight-year tenure at BYTE/DEPT®, she built and expanded the tech team, launched chatbots, augmented reality, games and dynamic advertising for clients including Just Eat UK, Spotify, and Meta, and managed a skilled team, securing lasting brand success.
Steven Denekas
Global SVP of Creative at DEPT® & Chief Creative Officer at BASIC/DEPT®
Steven leads the creative team at BASIC/DEPT®, where he inspires an artistic approach to concepting experiences for the world’s most admired brands. From BBDO and Wieden+Kennedy to Instrument, he’s amassed an impressive list of partnerships and awards throughout his career for his work on Levi’s®, Canadian Club, Nike, Patagonia, and Sequoia Capital. His shifting career has shaped his current role in building teams and environments that cultivate ideas, scale companies, and deliver results. His mission is simple: do work that creates legacies.
Alexis Stepanek
Strategy Director at BASIC/DEPT®
Alexis Stepanek is a Strategy Director with over 10 years of experience working with brands like Sonos, Levi’s, Nike, Marriott, and General Motors to build innovative digital products and services. She approaches every day with curiosity and empathy, working at the intersection of culture, technology, and brand purpose. She has a successful track record of collaborating with brands to make a positive impact and create meaningful connections with their customers. Alexis is passionate about accessibility, tech ethics, and disability advocacy – striving to ensure the impact matches the intent, for all people. Prior to BASIC/DEPT®, Alexis worked at Edenspiekermann, MRM//McCann, Instrument, and AREA17.
Bob Briski
CTO – DEPT® AI
Bob Briski is a technology leader with 20 years of experience in data infrastructure and strategy. As the CTO of DEPT®/AI, he leads the agency’s AI initiatives and projects and is dedicated to understanding client’s’ unique business needs and translating those into practical, innovative AI solutions.
Pooja Dindigal
Global Head of Impact at DEPT®
Pooja leads sustainability & social impact for global digital agency DEPT®. Before joining DEPT®, she had been with B Lab, the non profit behind B Corp Certification for over 6 years, where she helped to grow the B Corp Movement & advise leading businesses on their sustainability & impact journey. Pooja has a deep passion for addressing the intersections of climate change & equity for all people. She’s an amateur outdoorist, pop culture & food lover.
Sandra Masiliso
Global Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Lead
Sandra is the Global Diversity Equity and Inclusion Lead at DEPT and has sound experience developing robust strategies, partnering with external organisations, holding executives to account, developing and coaching senior leaders and taking a variety of audiences on a change transformation journey via the use of sound storytelling channels. Prior to joining DEPT, Sandra worked as the Creative Diversity Lead at the BBC, the Equality Diversity and Inclusion Manager at Newton Europe and as a Management Consultant working with leading FTSE100 companies where she held key agile project management, change management and business strategy roles. Sandra can effectively engage with clients at a range of levels, understand their business challenges and conduct thorough research to produce quality documentation that determines their future strategy. Sandra has also worked within the charity, intergovernmental and academic sector and is an award winning, international, motivational speaker
Chris Brook
Vice President, Google Marketing Platform, Americas at DEPT®
Chris joined DEPT in December 2022 and oversees the partnerships, sales, and strategic consulting services for our clients’ Google Marketing Platform initiatives. Prior to DEPT, he was an original employee of MightyHive (now Media.Monks/S4 Capital), where he opened the NY office and led strategy across data & digital media, creative, content, and technology for clients like LG, Mondelez, Goldman Sachs Bank, TIAA, Caesars Entertainment, and Nationwide Insurance. Chris spends most of his time at his house in VT trying to predict the role that consumer privacy will have on our clients’ adoption of future-proof marketing and advertising technologies.
Joey Egger
MD at DEPT®/Family (APAC)
Emmy, Peabody, and Webby award-winning kids digital content specialist with 20 years of experience, including Sesame Workshop and ABC Kids. Joey and #teammoo are proud to collaborate, innovate, and play jazz flute with the world’s most respected kids’ content creators, non-profits, healthcare and educational specialists to bring their visions to life.
Charlotte Scorer
Head of Paid Social at DEPT®
Charlotte is the Head of Paid Social at DEPT, leading client strategy and success across the full funnel on all the major social platforms. She uses strong platform relationships and in-depth knowledge of the social landscape to keep clients at the forefront of social, whether that is with cutting-edge measurement solutions, new product adoption and platform firsts, or an integration of media with data, creative and tech.
Most recently, it’s Influencer Marketing that has been at the forefront of social; Charlotte has been leading in growing DEPT’s influencer marketing proposition in the UK, using her background in Paid Social to take a holistic view of how influencers can drive business success in the full marketing ecosystem.
Max Pinas
Executive Creative Director at DEPT®
Max is a visionary adept at navigating the intersections of AI, spatial computing, IoT, and the metaverse and the evolving preferences of Gen Z and other newer generations. With a diverse career spanning from organizing unforgettable dance events to innovating in e-commerce, he seamlessly merges creativity with technological know-how. Passionate about leveraging the transformative power of cutting-edge tech and design to address real-world challenges, Max doesn’t just predict the future – he crafts it, making it engaging and relatable. Whether you’re a brand or an individual, stepping into tomorrow with Max promises an enlightening and entertaining journey.
Nikki Melless
Media Director at DEPT®
Nikki is the Media Director at DEPT. She has worked on clients across the US and EMEA including ASOS, Spotify, Just Eat, BMW and Nike in her 10 years in agency.
Nikki’s passion is driving forward innovative, audience-centric strategies that deliver on brand’s goals and ensuring that any strategy and campaign takes the components of social and amplifies that with a platform-first solution that considers takes a media strategy further by considering creative, data and tech.
Phil Gonzalez
Director of Engineering at DEPT®
Phil’s a lifelong tinkerer and educator fascinated by complex systems. With 12+ years in the tech industry and a background in economics and international development, he’s possesses a unique take on technology and our relationship with it. Before joining DEPT®, Phil served in the US Peace Corps, working on HealthTech implementations and teaching computer science abroad.
Lindsay Kennedy
VP, Client Services at DEPT®
Lindsay leads the Account Planning and Project Management teams and client relationships at DEPT@ Marketing Creative. For the past two years, Lindsay has intimately worked across our portfolio of brands, including Google, Spotify, DoorDash, Twitch and more.
Lindsay has over 13 years of experience at creative agencies where her work has spanned from traditional to digitally forward and brands from retail and CPG to sports entertainment and tech platforms. She has expertise in brand building iconic brands, leading fast-paced, high-volume, integrated global accounts, and award-winning social work.
Kate Levy
Business Director at DEPT®
Kate manages production and creator-led initiatives for DEPT® Marketing Creative. She also leads the agency’s e-commerce client vertical, overseeing campaigns for clients in the retail and lifestyle sectors. With over 15 years of experience in the industry, Kate brings a wealth of expertise to her role. Prior to joining DEPT®, she led global brand campaigns for clients such as Shiseido, Vera Wang, Calvin Klein, and HanesBrands, among others, leveraging her extensive production, celebrity/creator, experiential, and digital marketing skills.
The Program
Time
9:00 am CET
3:00 am ET
Speakers
Tobias Cummins, Global SVP Clients and Managing Director Berlin
Keynote
Welcome & Report Intro
Time
9:05 am CET
3:05 am ET
Speakers
Isabel Perry, VP of Emerging Tech
Keynote
The Conceptual WebTM; understanding at scale
Time
9:15 am CET
3:15 am ET
Speakers
Nikki Melless, Media Director
Charlotte Scorer, Head of Paid Social
Keynote
Not just a famous face: The evolution of influencer marketing
Time
9:25 am CET
3:25 am ET
Speakers
Sandra Masiliso, Global Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Lead
Keynote
Why sustainability = growth
Time
9:35 am CET
3:35 am ET
Speakers
Joey Egger, MD at DEPT®/Family
Keynote
The Medical Metaverse:
Using Tech for Good
Time
9:45 am CET
3:45 am ET
Speakers
Max Pinas, Executive Creative Director
Keynote
Not a Glass Bowl: AI revolutionising the game
Time
9:55am CET
3:55 am ET
Speakers
Tobias Cummins, Global SVP Clients and Managing Director Berlin
Keynote
Wrap-up
Time
3:00 pm CET
9:00 am ET
Speakers
Tobias Cummins, Global SVP Clients and Managing Director Berlin
Keynote
Welcome & Report Intro
Time
3:05 pm CET
9:05 am ET
Speakers
Alexis Stepanek, Strategy Director at BASIC/DEPT®
Steve Denekas, Global SVP of Creative at DEPT® & Chief Creative Officer at BASIC/DEPT®
Keynote
The Future of Creativity: AI and the Human Touch
Time
3:15 pm CET
9:15 am ET
Speakers
Lindsay Kennedy, VP Client Services
Kate Levey, Business Director
Keynote
Not just a famous face: The evolution of influencer marketing
Time
3:25 pm CET
9:25 am ET
Speakers
Chris Brook, Vice President, Google Marketing Platform, Americas
Keynote
Digital maturity as a mindset: Growth marketing essentials for 2024
Time
3:35 pm CET
9:35 am ET
Speakers
Pooja Dindigal, Global Head of Impact
Keynote
Why sustainability = growth
Time
3:45 pm CET
9:45 am ET
Speakers
Bob Briski, CTO DEPT® AI
Keynote
The Conceptual WebTM: Understanding at scale
Time
3:55 pm CET
9:55 am ET
Speakers
Phil Gonzalez, Director of Engineering
Keynote
An ARtful Evolution: The Future’s Transparent Interface
Time
4:10 pm CET
10:10 am ET
Speakers
Tobias Cummins, Global SVP Clients and Managing Director Berlin
Keynote
Wrap-up