The UK’s well-known Festival of Marketing is going global—and it’s starting with Asia.

Haymarket Media Asia, publisher of Campaign, has announced the launch of Festival of Marketing Asia (FoM Asia), set for September 3, 2026, at PARKROYAL COLLECTION Kuala Lumpur. The move marks the first regional expansion of the franchise since Haymarket acquired it from Centaur Media in 2025.

If the UK edition is anything to go by—drawing over 1,000 marketers annually—FoM Asia is aiming to become a cornerstone event for the region’s marketing leadership. But instead of scaling up, the organizers are deliberately keeping things tight, focused, and senior.

A Smaller, Sharper Marketing Event

Unlike sprawling multi-day conferences, FoM Asia is launching as a single-day event—a design choice that feels less like a constraint and more like a response to executive fatigue.

The target audience: mid- to senior-level marketers, including CMOs, strategy leaders, and MarTech decision-makers. The goal isn’t volume; it’s relevance.

That positioning reflects a broader shift in the events space. As marketing leaders juggle AI transformation, data privacy pressures, and ROI scrutiny, there’s growing demand for high-signal, low-noise gatherings—events that deliver actionable insights rather than keynote overload.

Built Around Asia’s Marketing Reality

What differentiates FoM Asia from simply exporting a UK format is its localized agenda.

An advisory board of senior marketers from brands like Mastercard, McDonald's Malaysia, Unilever, Schneider Electric, and Standard Chartered is shaping the program. That mix spans B2C and B2B, reflecting the increasingly blurred lines between the two disciplines.

It’s a notable move. Many global marketing events struggle with regional nuance; FoM Asia is attempting to bake it in from day one.

What’s on the Agenda

The programming leans into both big-picture strategy and hands-on execution—arguably the most in-demand combination in marketing right now.

Main Stage: “The Big Picture”
Expect macro-level discussions on how AI, data, and shifting consumer behavior are reshaping marketing across Asia.

Focused Tracks:

• Creating Customer Value: Data-driven engagement, personalization, and campaign performance

• Excellence in B2B: Rethinking B2B marketing strategies in a digital-first world

Knowledge Lounge
Smaller, informal sessions focused on practical tools and real-world case studies—less theory, more application.

C-Suite Boardrooms
Closed-door discussions for CMOs and strategy leaders, designed for candid peer exchange rather than polished presentations.

This mix mirrors a broader industry trend: marketers are no longer just storytellers—they’re operators, expected to connect brand, data, and revenue in measurable ways.

Why Kuala Lumpur—and Why Now

Choosing Kuala Lumpur as the launch city is a strategic play. The city has positioned itself as a regional hub with strong connectivity across Southeast Asia, making it accessible for marketers from Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, and beyond.

Timing is just as important. Asia’s marketing landscape is evolving rapidly, driven by:

• Accelerated digital adoption

• Rising investment in MarTech and AI

• Increasing demand for measurable ROI

• A growing emphasis on first-party data strategies

In short, the region is primed for a platform that brings together brand marketers, tech leaders, and agencies in one room.

A Signal for the Events Industry

FoM Asia’s launch also says something about where marketing events are headed.

Instead of bigger expos and broader agendas, the emphasis is shifting toward:

• Curated audiences over mass attendance

• Actionable insights over inspiration alone

• Peer exchange over passive listening

It’s a model that competes less with trade shows and more with executive forums—where the value lies in who’s in the room as much as what’s on stage.

The Bottom Line

With FoM Asia, Haymarket is betting that Asia’s marketing leaders don’t need another conference—they need a focused, high-impact environment that respects their time and delivers tangible value.

If it works, expect more global event brands to follow suit, trading scale for substance in a region that’s quickly becoming central to the future of marketing.

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