Our Conversation with Rob Brett on Beeler.Tech’s Base Camp

Our Director of Business Development, Rob Brett, is heading over to Beeler.Tech’s Base Camp in Lisbon, Portugal. This three-day, invite only event, has been bringing together AdOps professionals and publishing leaders for several years to tackle some of the industry’s most pressing challenges. The Lisbon Base Camp runs from November 2–5—if you’re nosy like us, check out the full agenda here.

Unlike traditional conferences, Base Camp is all about collaboration, open dialogue, and community-driven problem solving.

Rob has attended Base Camp before, so he knows firsthand the value of these conversations and the unique spirit of the event. We sat down with him to hear his perspective on why Base Camp matters, what makes it different from other industry events, and what he’s most looking forward to this time around.

What makes Beeler.tech stand out compared to other industry events?

Beeler.Tech’s Base Camp is all about collaboration. The event brings a wide range of publishers and carefully selected vendors, offering different topics and sessions that suit your interests and needs. But unlike most conferences, the focus is really on collaboration and community. You get what you put in, so there’s lots of opportunity to learn and develop together. Most publishers face the same challenges, and by working as a community, we can make publishing stronger.

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

Having attended Base Camp on both sides of the pond, I’m looking forward to reconnecting and building on previous discussions. Being part of the community means we’re not just meeting once a year. We stay connected through Slack and ongoing projects, continually pushing things forward. It’s an opportunity to check the progress we’ve made from previous conferences, on topics like “no-bid reasons” or “adblock,” or tackle entirely new challenges.

Right now, one area I’m focused on is “signals” and how publishers can be more effective in what they share with the buy side. Too often, we’ve left this responsibility to others, but as a community, we’re uniquely positioned to take ownership, and we should.

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

Since our merger with Snigel, we now represent hundreds of publishers worldwide. One of our core pillars is performance without compromise. It’s about helping our partners maintain a positive UX, providing the right signals to the buy side, unlocking new opportunities, and staying ahead of evolving policies.

The most successful publishers on the open web attend Base Camp, so it’s an invaluable space to learn from each other. By attending these events, we strengthen our expertise and bring greater value to our partners.

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

AI is clearly a huge challenge. Crawlers are wholesale “stealing’” content and data. At the same time, AI is also our biggest opportunity. What I do know is that this challenge  is best tackled together, and I know Base Camp  will provide the arena for us to debate and work on solutions.

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

Publishers are like hosts, creating spaces on their sites that welcome both readers and advertisers. Unfortunately, the adtech industry has historically generated mountains of low-quality ad units, relying on third-party technology to clean up the mess. I see publishers tackling this issue now, focusing on adopting fewer, higher-quality units that deliver real value. This will be driven by the adoption of standardized signals and consistency in standards, which will improve efficiency and trust across the ecosystem. I see this shaping the next two or three years of the industry. By working more closely with the buyside, we can make sure they can easily and accurately reach the open web.

When you connect with peers at this event, what kinds of discussions are you hoping to spark?

Unlike other conferences, Base Camp treats us as adults— no speed dating, no pitching. We’re free to speak to anyone about anything. That encourages open conversations about new technologies we have tested, success stories, and failures.  For me, talking openly about what we did wrong is just as important as what went right. If we’re not making mistakes, we’re not learning.

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

Learning. I don’t have all the answers and never will. But I know I have the same issues as other publishers. The Beeler.Tech team are masters of giving the stage to new speakers and uncovering hidden gems in our industry.  I always look forward to meeting people I haven’t met before, while also reconnecting with the familiar faces of the “older guard”!

Is there a speaker or topic you’re especially excited about this year?

I always enjoy Rob Beeler’s opening of the conference, where he sets the scene and reminds us of one big thing: it’s our conference. If a topic is not on the agenda, he will shoehorn it in.  That means the speaker I often look forward to most is the one who doesn’t even know they’ll be speaking yet! This is where I get to meet and learn from some of the best in the industry and explore incredible locations like Las Vegas, Barcelona, and, this year, Portugal.

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Publisher Collective’s presence at Base Camp highlights our commitment to driving collaboration and innovation across the publishing ecosystem. For Rob and our team, attending isn’t just about being part of the conversation, it’s about sharing our expertise, learning from peers, and tackling the industry’s biggest challenges together.

Are you a publisher or advertiser interested in joining us in this journey? Get in touch.