Our Conversation with Darryl Grant on AdWeek New York 2025

If you haven’t noticed, the Publisher Collective team have been frequent flyers lately. Between DMEXCO in Cologne last month and Beeler.Tech’s Base Camp in Lisbon next month, we’ve been attending key industry events around the globe. This week, our Global Sales Director Darryl Grant was in the Big Apple for AdWeek.

Every year, thousands of leaders and innovators flock to AdWeek in New York City to see what’s trending in marketing, media, tech, and culture. This year’s event ran from October 6–9 and if you’re curious about who attended and spoke, you can check out the full agenda here.

We thought it was the perfect time to sit down with Darryl to hear his thoughts on AdWeek and why he believes it’s such an unmissable event for anyone in the industry.

What makes AdWeek compared to other industry events?

Adweek events are pretty special — they gather brands, agencies, and media owners for some serious idea-sharing about the future of advertising. Plus, they showcase the coolest and most innovative work from the past six months. Like the London event, Adweek New York brings together top creative minds from in-house teams, agencies, and tech companies, making it a great place to swap thoughts and ideas.

‍What conversations or themes are you most looking forward to engaging in?

I’m eager to connect with our New York-based agency partners and gain insights into current trends and improvements from their perspective. Understanding where our trusted partners believe the industry is headed is incredibly valuable. Additionally, I anticipate gathering excellent insights from talks and seminars that I may not have the opportunity to attend personally.

‍Why is it important for Publisher Collective  to show up at events like this?

We’re an international advertising partner, so it’s crucial to attend events like AdWeek NYC. It provides a platform to not only highlight the effectiveness of our Collective Intelligence but also to forge new, valuable connections that enhance our business operations.

‍From your perspective, what’s the biggest challenge facing our industry right now?

The most significant challenge lies in its overreliance on vanity metrics amidst a tough economic climate. This focus on broad reach and basic lower-funnel measurements undermines the power of genuine attention,  brand connection, community engagement, and, critically, authentic storytelling.

‍What’s one trend or innovation you think will reshape how we do business in the next 2–3 years?

The biggest trend to watch out for is how media convergence is going to allow barriers to be removed between the social walled gardens, media owners, and the growth of addressable AV formats. We’ll be able to build campaigns developed by media owners, such as our publishing partners, that live on social platforms, extend across various video channels, and remain discoverable through traditional digital media. The ability to let every channel work to tell one cohesive story is near.

‍What do you personally enjoy most about attending events like this? Networking, learning, or something else?

I enjoy exchanging ideas at these events. It's great to grab a coffee, learn about a brand, and then later discuss it with other industry professionals.

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As AdWeek unfolded in New York, we were proud to be part of the global conversation shaping the future of media, creativity, and technology. Connecting with advertisers and partners face-to-face is what fuels our innovation at Publisher Collective, helping us deliver smarter, more impactful campaigns for brands around the world.

If you weren’t in New York this week but want to learn more about how we collaborate with advertisers to drive meaningful results, we’d love to hear from you.