Against the backdrop of Aspen’s mountains, Forbes hosted the 21st Annual CMO Summit, assembling a group of the world’s most influential marketers for three days of conversation, provocation, and community.
The audience of 150, represented enterprises with an aggregated capitalization/valuation in excess of $15T and marketing spending of over $10B.
The Summit’s theme “What Matters Most,” was intended to galvanize the CMOs and brand stewards from the world’s most iconic and disruptive companies to collectively consider marketing’s most pressing challenges and explore the evolving role of marketing in an era of shifting consumer behaviors, technological disruption and economic unpredictability.
Seth Matlins, Managing Director of the Forbes CMO Network, said in his opening remarks, “When sameness is abundant and mediocrity readily available, the need for brands and marketing to add real meaning to people’s lives has never been more important.”
Throughout the day, panel discussions dove into topics ranging from marketing to machines, driving real-time relevancy, creator-driven growth to the challenges of overcoming algorithmic influence, and the imperative for real-time brand relevance. Notable speakers included Chris Davis (CMO, New Balance), Grace Kao (CMO, Snap), Jen Wilson (CMO, Lowe’s), Frank Cooper III (CMO, Visa), and Zach Kitschke (CMO Canva), among others.
Wednesday began with a speech from Matlins titled “The Great Commodification,” where he urged marketers to always be differentiating meaningfully. Conversations throughout the rest of the day included those with the CMOs from Netflix, Walmart, GM, Amazon, Accenture, Goldman Sachs, and more on how AI is rewiring marketing organizations, B2B “Buyability”, marketing to intergenerational cohorts, and a fireside with famed psychotherapist, Esther Perel. The day ended with a conversation asking whether in this new machine-led era, is marketing still marketing.
The Summit’s final day was dedicated to one, intimate, community-driven conversation exploring the uncertainties and opportunities marketing leaders face ahead.
This year’s Summit was brought to life by the generous support of our sponsors. Title Sponsor Live Nation set the stage for the event, and who brought Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder to the Summit for an explosive solo-acoustic set, while Presenting Sponsors Adobe, Braze, Canva, EY and Rokt created standout experiences across the program including hosting intimate salon dinners and engaging activations for attendees. Partner Sponsors Dentsu, Gale and Sprinklr deepened the dialogue through breakout sessions and Supporting Sponsors Flowcode, Salesforce and 3CV contributed across the summit, helping foster a dynamic and collaborative environment for today’s marketing leaders.
Brand experiences and thoughtful takeaways further elevated the Summit. New Balance featured a curated mix of products; Gymshark outfitted guests with branded apparel during check-in; and Athletic Brewing enhanced the Welcome Reception with a selection of its non-alcoholic craft beers.
With three days of rigorous dialogue, inspiration, and connection, the 21st Annual Forbes CMO Summit reinforced its standing as the premier gathering for the world’s most influential marketing leaders navigating a world of ambiguity and opportunity.
As the marketing landscape continues to evolve, one thing is clear: focusing on what matters most is an imperative.
Media Contact:
Elise Flick, eflick@forbes.com
Feryal Nawaz, fnawaz@forbes.com