My typical baseline for conferences has been joining events of 100 – 350 broadcasters and media colleagues. As such, it was both unsettling and exciting to register for Vancouver Web Summit, May 27-30, alongside 550 media, 345 speakers and a huge crowd representing 117 countries. 

Here are my reflections after mingling with 15,727 Web Summit attendees.

Gen Z

These discussions led to my biggest aha moment. Their age segment covers 1997 to 2012, which puts them at 13-28 years old (I live with two), and these digital-native humans are making big waves in media, marketing and across the world.

I realize I’ve been underestimating the importance of the Gen Z segment. In radio and TV advertising, selling an d buying is largely A25 – 54 / 64. There’s an accepted culture of regaling and highlighting the purchasing power of consumers, 30+. 

Meantime, digital marketers are eyes wide-open and leaning into the importance of Gen Z consumers; not just for their purchases, but their impact on marketing going forward.

In the words of Chief Marketing Officer Charlotte Mostaed of Health-Ade, whose background includes brand management for Procter & Gamble and POM beverages, “Gen Z creates tension. They call us out and demand transparency while not having the buying power of the older segments. They’re inspirational and authentic.”

In these circles, Gen Z is respected for being values-driven, socially responsible and diverse. They expect two-way communication and for brands to be responsive and authentic. 

The advice is for companies to be very active in the DMs (Direct Messages) and chats. Hasn’t radio been great at this for decades? Personalities and newsreaders are one-to-one communicators, taking listener calls and requests and delighting people at community and client events.

Also, here’s a fun fact: in broadcast buying terms, Gen Z already represents four years of the A25-54 demo. In five short years, they’ll represent 1/3 of this key demo.

AI

Who knew there’d be hundreds of AI references and discussions across four days? Everyone! Prior to Web Summit Vancouver and the Canadian Telecom Summit in Toronto, I generally felt naïve and worried.

Thanks to excellent speakers and presentations, I now have a sense of framework for open-minded learning going forward. Every time AI was mentioned, the human factor quickly followed. As one panelist said, “Responsible innovation starts with responsible innovators.”

The well-known IBM story was highlighted. In early 2023, they let go of 8,000 workers and automated 94% of standard HR needs, which was followed by a natural backlash. CEO Arvind Krishna later spoke of investing cost-savings into high-value roles, stating “our total employment has actually gone up, with hiring in areas like sales, marketing, software engineering and client-facing roles.”

These distinctions will be noteworthy for me going forward:

(1) AI utilization internally by companies & staff for efficiencies & quality enhancement versus customer-facing, external uses 

(2) Companies & industries leveraging AI for role cuts & staff reductions versus investments to support staff, customers & industry improvements

Advertising & Marketing

I was emboldened by the timely affirmation that paid advertising is number one for marketing ROI (SEO and email rounded out the top three). The slide, by Neil Patel, co-founder of NP Digital, showcased what percentage of revenue each marketing channel drives.

In this noisy, social media world, I say hold on tight to this status and proudly represent the industry of paid advertising!

Second, if you’re like me, the notion of predicting or articulating what the future of marketing looks like is hard to fathom. I was comforted to hear two experts provide their quick prediction for five years from now.

“I think we have no idea what’s next, and our job is to just stay current,” Mostaed asserted, while SYLVAIN CEO and Co-Founder Joey Camire told the audience “I think it’ll probably be 50% the same and 50% different”. 

Radio or Television in the convo?

It may be scary or even obvious, but I didn’t hear a single mention of either radio or TV. Yes, it’s the “Web Summit”, but even the “Where Media Goes Next” panel was comprised of the respective Editor-in-Chiefs for Newsweek and the San Francisco Chronicle, along with the Executive Editor of digital news site, Axios.

Per the common pitch by most legacy media companies, they detailed how they’re protecting and leveraging their core, while pursuing digital extensions.

Each stage had an MC/host handling a couple of hours of transitions between sessions, thanking the past speaker and setting up the next panel. That’s where I discovered Vancouver content creator, Sam Levin, known as @OMGHeySam on the socials. She’s personable and comfortable speaking on a big stage with an impressive audience. I can think of dozens of talented radio and TV on-air folks who would also be fully capable, but I wondered if broadcasters seeking this new reach and venue are even being thought of?

Is there a bridge to be built between radio and TV stations and these modern-day storytellers (content creators with 50K, 100K or much larger followings)? It’s new reach with fresh voices and would be a win-win.

If you have Canadian spirit, you have a leg up!

Web Summit didn’t just stimulate my pride, it showcased that Canadians should have and feel swagger. 

Web Summit has previously been hosted in Lisbon, Rio De Janeiro and Hong Kong. Vancouver leaders worked hard to stand out this year. Web Summit Founder Paddy Cosgrave seemed genuinely impressed and was very complimentary of Canadian talent, character and our tech and media savvy. 

Most Canadians tend to be diplomatic and understated…until they really want something, they’re pushed, or the puck drops!

If you’re looking for that spark of confidence before a big meeting or presentation, write down “Grateful to be Canadian. We rock creativity, innovation, entertainment & media!”

Rob Brimacombe is VP of Sales + Partnerships at Momentum Media. With over 30 years of experience in media sales leadership across Canada and international markets, he’s held senior roles at Corus Entertainment, Rogers Sports & Media, and Discovery Channel. Rob now drives strategic revenue initiatives across Broadcast Dialogue, Cartt.ca and other Momentum properties. Contact Rob >