July 31 2026, 9:17 am | BY Adam Shaw | No Comments
More than 300 WA marketers welcomed the sunrise at Fraser’s Kings Park for WAMA’s latest breakfast, Marketing in the Age of AI, proving once again there’s no better way to start the day than with coffee, breakfast and a robust discussion about the future of our industry.
Moving beyond the AI headlines, the conversation focused on the practical realities of integrating AI into marketing, exploring where it’s creating genuine value, where the challenges remain, and why human judgement still has an essential role to play.
Hosted by Jason Balchand, the panel featured Smiljka Dimitrijevic, Dr Shahid Hussain and Vici Richardson, who shared practical examples, challenged common assumptions, and offered an honest perspective on how marketers can embrace AI without losing the creativity, curiosity and critical thinking that make great marketing.
Among the morning’s biggest talking points was the importance of transparency. Whether you’re experimenting with AI or embedding it into everyday workflows, the panel agreed that being open with customers, colleagues and stakeholders builds trust and leads to better outcomes.
Attendees also walked away with a simple reminder that speed isn’t everything. While AI can make marketers more efficient, meaningful outcomes still rely on strong ideas, good judgement and the human perspective that technology can’t replace. The discussion also reinforced that AI’s greatest opportunity may not be replacing marketers, but giving them more time to focus on the things only humans can do, like building relationships, applying judgement and solving meaningful problems.
WAMA extends its sincere thanks to Jason, Smiljka, Shahid and Vici for generously sharing their expertise, as well as to everyone who joined us on a chilly Perth morning. A special thank you also goes to WAMA’s sponsors, whose ongoing support continues to make these events possible and helps bring WA’s marketing community together to connect, learn and grow.