DigiCon 2026 to bring 2,000 digital industry leaders together in Manila

The Digital Marketing Association of the Philippines (DMAP) will bring together more than 2,000 marketers, creatives, technologists, business leaders, and innovators for DigiCon 2026, happening October 15 to 16 at the Grand Ballroom of the Manila Marriott Hotel.

Now on its 11th edition, DigiCon 2026 will center on the theme “Interoperability: Welcome to the Age of Collaboration,” focusing on how industries, ideas, technology, and talent can work together as businesses navigate an increasingly connected digital landscape.

Why it matters: The conference is designed to move discussions around digital transformation beyond individual technologies and trends, with a focus on collaboration between different industries and disciplines.

DigiCon 2026 will feature keynote presentations, expert-led panels, interactive experiences, and a live debate, giving attendees different formats for exchanging ideas and perspectives.

The details: Global thought leaders Dr. Christian Busch, bestselling author of Connect the Dots and professor at the University of Southern California and the London School of Economics, and Judy John, Global Chief Creative Officer of Edelman, will headline the conference.

They will be joined by DMAP President Miko David, DigiCon 2026 Co-Chairs Raymund Sison and Shayne Madamba, along with local and international speakers from the marketing, advertising, technology, creative, and business sectors.

The conference will also feature Next Monday, a special panel discussion scheduled for October 16 that will bring together leaders from major marketing, advertising, and communications organizations in the Philippines.

The panel will feature Miko David of DMAP, Ronald Barreiro of the Association of Accredited Advertising Agencies of the Philippines (4As), Robbie Aligada of the Ad Standards Council (ASC), and Ana Pista of the Public Relations Society of the Philippines (PRSP). The discussion will be moderated by Shayne Madamba, Managing Director of IdeasXMachina Hakuhodo and DigiCon 2026 Co-Chair.

The session will explore how insights from DigiCon can be translated into actions across the marketing, advertising, communications, and public relations industries.

DigiCon 2026 will also be divided into five specialized tracks covering different aspects of collaboration.

The Innovation track, “Human and Machine Collaborations,” will feature speakers including Gino Nacianceno and Fe Itamar Gero of TrueLogic, Crissy Rollan of Qubel Group, and Bea Lim of TeamAsia. Masaya Asai, Chief Creative Officer of Droga5 Tokyo, will deliver the track keynote.

The Integrated track, “Breaking the Box Collaborations,” will feature Shayne Madamba, Kim Patria of Investing in Women, Philip Zuniga of UP Diliman, Mark Meily of Kindmind Experience Design Lab, Bia Fernandez of ALAB MNL, and Rudy Villar of the Philippine Football Federation. Keynotes will come from Ali Rez of IMPACT BBDO and Yassine Bakkari of L’Oréal Philippines. The track will also feature the first UP vs. ADMU Debate in DigiCon history.

The Immersive track, “Seamless Collaborative Experiences,” will bring together Denise Haak of RS2 APAC, Wanda Pascua of Tonik Bank, Steph Oller of Pure Culture, Roshan Nandwani of Ayala Land Hospitality, Derek Tan of Moving Walls, AJ Atienza of UnionBank, and Miguel Ramos of IPV Network Inc.

The Impact track, “Hyper-Collaborative Cultures,” will feature Jordan Santos of Publicis JimenezBasic, Erwin Razon of Hepmil PH, and Adam Izen of The One Club for Creativity. Keynote speakers include Thomas Hongtack Kim of Paulus Seoul and Nicolas Courant of Ogilvy Singapore.

Other speakers in the Impact track include Nina Zialcita of Best of the Best, Mark Del Rosario of Let’s Eat Pare!, Frances Cabatuando of Home Buddies, and Nicolas Tessier of Not.

The Interactive track, “Create, Play, Collaborate,” will feature Pat Del Castillo of GCash, Art Policarpio of Emporia Group, and LOKAL.

The bigger picture: DigiCon 2026 comes as digital transformation continues to affect how companies develop products, communicate with customers, and work across industries.

“In today’s fast-moving landscape, no brand, business, or industry moves forward entirely on its own. DigiCon 2026 brings the sharpest minds in marketing, technology, and creativity into one space to exchange ideas, challenge conventions, and explore what becomes possible when we work together,” said Raymund Sison, DigiCon 2026 Co-Chair.

Shayne Madamba added that interoperability is intended to be treated as a mindset for the conference, encouraging attendees to cross disciplines, industries, and perspectives and bring new ideas and connections back to their organizations.

What’s next: DigiCon 2026 will take place on October 15 and 16 at the Grand Ballroom of the Manila Marriott Hotel.

The event is supported by Astoria Hotels & Resorts and Wipro–Splash Corporation, with Certified Digital Marketer serving as the track certification partner. Media partners include Philippine Daily Inquirer, Inquirer.net, Inquirer Plus, MBC Media Group, One News, CoinGeek, GMA New Media Inc., and Outcomm.

Tickets and additional event information are available through DigiCon’s official website and socialmedia channels.

The Bottom Line: DigiCon 2026 will bring more than 2,000 members of the Philippine and international digital community together for two days focused on collaboration across marketing, technology, creativity, advertising, and business. Its five-track program will combine industry discussions with interactive sessions and cross-disciplinary activities.