Making People Care in the Age of AI: Why Storytelling Still Matters At ADFEST 2026 in Pattaya, Oliver Atkinson, Managing Director of London-based production company Casual, delivered a session that reminded the creative industry of a simple truth: no matter how advanced technology becomes, connecting with people emotionally remains the heart of effective marketing. Titled “Making People Care: Storytelling in the Age of AI,” the talk combined insights, innovation, and a live demonstration of...

The culmination of ADFEST 2026 is the announcement of Lotus Special Awards at PEACH, Royal Cliff Hotels Group in Pattaya, Thailand. ADFEST is pleased to announce the winners below. A new Special Award has been added to the line-up this year with Independent Network of the Year joining the line-up. ADFEST 2026 SPECIAL AWARDS NETWORK OF THE YEAR ADFEST 2026 proud to announce that Dentsu has retained the title of Network of the Year. The group of 11 offices that entered the ADFEST Lotus Awards...

The ADFEST 2026 Young Lotus Workshop has been completed by 29 young creatives, representing 15 cities, including Bangkok, Colombo, Dhaka, Guangzhou, Gurugram, Ho Chi Minh, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Riyadh, Seoul, Singapore, Taipei, and Tokyo. Vinit Suraphongchai, Chairman of ADFEST welcomed all the participants to ADFEST before the start of their two-day workshop. He explained, “Young Lotus is at the heart of ADFEST. Local advertising associations from the region screen and...

The culmination of the final day at ADFEST 2026 on Saturday, 21st March saw the second of two presentations of Lotus Awards to the elected winners in 9 categories, Outdoor, Press, Radio & Audio, Film, Creative Strategy, Effective, Sustainable, INNOVA Lotus and Lotus Roots. In addition, the Young Lotus, Grande for Humanity and Special Awards were also announced to a packed hall. The awards were presented at PEACH, Royal Cliff Hotels Group in Pattaya, Thailand. A total of 1,405 entries were...

ADFEST 2026 is now gearing up at PEACH, Royal Cliff Hotels Group in Pattaya, Thailand. This year it is welcoming 770 delegates from 56 cities who have been streaming through its doors since the start of the three-day festival. ADFEST 2026 runs from 19th March to 21st March 2026 and is hosting is a full program to keep eager delegates busy, including 61 back-to-back speaker sessions, broadcasts at the breakout stage, interactive workshops, Production Hut hub and an exhibition of all the...

The culmination of the second day at ADFEST 2026 on Friday, 20th March saw the first of two presentations of Lotus Awards to the elected winners in 12 categories, including Brand Experience, Commerce, Digital & Social, Direct, Digital Craft, Media, PR, Print & Outdoor Craft, Entertainment, Design Lotus, New Director (Inc. Fabulous Five) and Film Craft Lotus. The awards were presented at PEACH, Royal Cliff Hotels Group in Pattaya, Thailand. The second ceremony will take place tomorrow night on...

ADFEST 2026 is gearing up at PEACH, Royal Cliff Hotels Group in Pattaya, Thailand. This year it is welcoming 770 delegates from 56 cities who have been streaming through its doors since the start of the three-day festival. ADFEST 2026 runs from 19th March to 21st March 2026 and hosts a packed program to keep eager delegates busy, including 61 back-to-back speaker sessions, regular broadcasts at the breakout stage, 7 interactive workshops, the Production Hut hub and an exhibition of all the...

ADFEST 2026 has opened its doors at PEACH, Royal Cliff Hotels Group in Pattaya, Thailand, welcoming 770 delegates from 56 cities attending the three-day festival from 19th – 21st March 2026. There is a packed program full of ideas and inspiration, featuring 61 back-to-back speaker sessions, 7 interactive workshops, Production Hub, an exhibition of all the entries submitted for the Lotus Awards as well as the presentation of the awards themselves. Under the theme “Human+” , ADFEST 2026 places...

ADFEST 2026 returns to Pattaya from Thursday 19th to Saturday 21st March 2026 at the Pattaya Exhibition and Convention Hall (PEACH), Royal Cliff Hotels Group, under the powerful theme Human+. ADFEST 2026 “Human+” At a time of accelerating change, the spotlight often shines on technology, platforms and increasingly complex systems. The focus at ADFEST 2026 is founded on a clear conviction: true, enduring value lies not only in these tools, but in how people are empowered by them. Human+ calls...