Advertising Week returned to the city that never sleeps from October 5 – 8, 2026. The event was highlighted by all-star appearances from the greatest minds across business, entertainment, media, and more. Famous faces that popped up throughout the extravaganza included Alix Earle, John Legend, Kerry Washington, Issa Rae, Trevor Noah, Nick Cannon, Russell Wilson, Venus Williams, Rob Gronkowski, Sophia Bush, Dhar Mann, Fat Joe, Jordyn Woods, Questlove, Wayne Gretzky, WILLOW Smith, Terry Crews, Flavor Flav, Anthony Anderson, and Al Roker.
Highlights across the action-packed four days included Nick Cannon celebrating his monumental 46th birthday hosting a clever marketing-themed spinoff, The Masked CMO, at the exclusive Dhar Mann’s Creator Experience. Music icon Big Boy surprised him on stage with a one-of-a-kind birthday cake alongside pals Fat Joe, Christina Milian, Harry Jowsey, Ryan Serhant, Adam Waheed, and Haley Kalil. It was quite the way to kick off another year around the sun for the “Gigilo” singer.
Presented by Snapchat, this year’s Future is Female Awards was another magical moment of the week. The prestigious ceremony honored Crystal Foote, Founder and CEO, Digital Culture Group; Fatima Zaidi, Founder and CEO, Quill and CoHost; Jo Cronk, Co-CEO, Whalar, part of Accenture Song; Laura Hutfless, CEO and Co-Founder, FlyteVu Agency; Laurie Lam, Chief Brand Officer, e.l.f. Beauty; Leanne Bernardo, President, GM, Salt XC; Lynette Wong, Chief Growth Officer and Co-Founder, TruBlossm; Smriti Sharma, Chief Analytics and Technology Officer, Comscore; Teresa Barreira, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, Publicis Sapient; and Tess Finkle, Founder, Metro PR.
The celebrations didn’t stop around THE PENN DISTRICT, either. The place to be was a late-night takeover last Tuesday at Masquerade for Unplugged Collective’s “Strangers No More.” an event built around getting people off their phones and actually connecting on the dance floor while wearing elaborate masks. The night blended music, a dreamy atmosphere, and an unforgettable crowd in conjunction with the ‘Unplugged State of Mind’ events. Samantha Michelle and Mark Pappas kept the groovy beats going throughout the wee hours of the morning. It was the ultimate party and spectacle of the loaded week.
Football icon Russell Wilson also hosted an important discussion about creating a safer social media platform for kids in an ever-changing online world. The ruler of the gridiron shared how he and his wife, Ciara, approach raising kids in the public eye. “We believe our kids are going to be stars in what they do, but they are going to work their butts off,” said the former NFL quarterback in an intimate moment.
Missed the action this year? It’s never too early to make plans to be on hand for ‘27. Readers who want the opportunity to network with their next potential business partner can visit advertisingweek.com for more information.
Photo Courtesy of Kyle Stevens / @ thekylestevens
Delegates were on hand at this year’s Advertising Week last Monday through Thursday in New York.