The 2026 AMIN Integrated Conference brought independent agency leaders from around the world to Pittsburgh for four days of candid conversations, future-focused thinking and practical collaboration centered on this year’s theme, “Grit, No Quit.” Hosted by Gatesman, the conference explored how agencies are adapting to rapid change across AI, integrated communications, client partnership models, creativity and operations while continuing to prove the value of independent thinking in an increasingly consolidated industry. From keynote discussions and breakout sessions to peer-led conversations and immersive experiences throughout the city, the event created space for meaningful dialogue about where the industry is headed next.
For Gatesman attendees, the conference reinforced the importance of resilience, adaptability and human-centered leadership at a moment when agencies are being challenged to move faster, think differently and deliver more connected solutions for clients. Throughout the week, Gatesman delegates had the opportunity to prove they were here by contributing to conversations shaping the future of the industry, building new global connections and bringing back ideas that can create meaningful impact for clients, partners and teams alike.
Below, #teamgatesman shares the ideas, moments and insights that stayed with them most…and the perspectives they’re bringing back to shape the future of our work.
Stephanie Rizzo, Senior Account Executive, PR and Social
The biggest shift I kept coming back to throughout the week of the AMIN conference was how quickly the lines between PR, social and creative continue to blur and how much more intentional we need to be about showing up as truly integrated partners. In several breakout conversations with other PR and social leads, we got honest about the pressure to deliver real-time impact while still building long-term brand equity and the answer kept coming back to smarter collaboration, not just faster execution. The “Grit, No Quit” theme resonated as a reminder that consistency and adaptability are what drive meaningful results. I also left energized by the willingness of independent agencies to share openly, problem-solve together and push each other forward. It reinforced that our edge isn’t just in what we create, but in how we think, connect and evolve alongside our clients.
Jenn Miller, SVP, Director of Marketing Intelligence and Innovation
What stood out most to me in the conversations around AI and innovation was how universal the challenge of ‘context hunting’ has become across agencies. Everyone recognizes that the future of AI isn’t just about generating outputs, it’s about connecting the right context, data and institutional knowledge quickly enough to drive smarter decisions. That’s clearly where the industry is headed.
Independent agencies specifically have a unique advantage right now: the ability to rethink processes and scale change across the organization quickly. Larger organizations often face layers of complexity and internal politics, while we have the agility to adapt, innovate and implement new ways of working at speed.
And in analytics, we recognize that clients don’t necessarily care about every number or technical detail, they care about outcomes. Our focus is on helping them realize value and return as quickly as possible, while ensuring the data and insights are there whenever deeper visibility is needed. AI is making that more achievable than ever by helping us connect disparate data sources, surface meaningful insights faster and reduce the friction between insight and action. Our goal is now to minimize the number of clicks, handoffs and barriers required to make smarter decisions and drive results.
John Gatesman, CEO
One of my biggest takeaways was realizing just how uniquely built independent agencies are for this moment. Across every breakout and conversation, there was a shared understanding that our industry is evolving rapidly. AI acceleration, speed to market, fragmented media and increasing pressure to prove value demonstrates that none of us are standing still. What stood out most was the openness of the group. Our AMIN members aren’t competitors just pretending to get along. We’re a genuine community where people share real challenges, practical ideas, war stories and long term relationships that often become lifelines. We left our Pittsburgh conference stronger, more connected and carrying that “Grit. No Quit.” spirit back to our shops.
Mike Mannion, Associate Media Director
A major takeaway from the AMIN Integrated Conference was that agencies across the network are working to better position their Paid Media offering and tell a stronger story, specifically in new business. That resonated with me because Paid Media in 2026 is much more than a list of tactics or optimizations. The real value is in showing the thinking behind the plan and the overall story that Paid Media tells on behalf of brands and services. More than ever, the audience insight, creative connection, analytics foundation, testing structure and business objective each channel is designed to support all need to be told in a way that clients can get on board with and genuinely be excited about. As media evolves in the new world of AI, the story behind the strategy becomes even more important, especially in new business pitches.
Programmatic media and AI were also major discussion points. Agencies are actively evaluating which DSPs can best support their clients in a world shaped by automation, optimization and rising platform costs. Conversations around Basis, DV360, StackAdapt, MNTN and Illumin reinforced the value of cross-agency collaboration. By sharing experiences, comparing platform strengths and discussing cost structures more openly, independent agencies can make smarter decisions and avoid being fully at the mercy of premium DSP markups.
The conference also reinforced the advantage independent agencies have when they are equipped with the right tools. Bigger is often slower and more expensive, but smaller and mid-sized agencies can move quickly, think creatively and build practical solutions around real client needs. That applies to AI as well. One of the most valuable reminders I took away is that AI tools can be developed in-house when a strong idea is paired with the right product, UX and technical expertise. The future opportunity is not just adopting new technology, but building smarter tools, stronger partnerships and clearer strategic narratives that help clients grow.
Susan English, SVP, Director of Strategic Communications
One idea that surfaced repeatedly throughout the AMIN conference was that while AI is dramatically accelerating research, synthesis and efficiency, it still cannot replace the human interactions where true insight tends to emerge. Across strategy breakouts and keynote discussions alike, agency leaders reinforced that the “ah ha” moments behind the strongest ideas still come from conversations — with audiences, clients and teammates building on each other’s observations and experiences. The most compelling AI solutions shared throughout the conference were not valuable because of the technology alone, but because of the institutional knowledge and human context surrounding them. For independent agencies, that felt like an important reminder: while technology may accelerate the path to information, it is still human proximity, collaboration and contextual understanding that accelerate the path to insight. For the nimbler shops in the AMIN network, that ability to stay close to clients, audiences and each other remains one of our clearest differentiators — and an advantage worth continuing to lean into.
Kelly Currie, Associate Media Director, Performance Media
One theme that brought the “Grit, No Quit” theme to life was advice on how to regard and process “failure.” One presenter encouraged us to view it as “compost,” nutrient-rich soil that can seed future learnings. They even recommended doing "Day of the Dead" exercises for scrapped work to celebrate learnings that teams gained that year.
And as teams use those learnings to identify and/or fuel the next experiment, they encouraged them to focus on the hardest part of the problem first. Not doing so, they likened to “polishing the stool instead of the monkey” if the goal is to train a monkey to recite Shakespeare on a stool. A whacky comparison that definitely stuck with me!
Beth Thompson, SVP, Dir. of PR, Social & Agency Brand Communications
One of the standout sessions for me at AMIN was John Dick’s keynote on Consumer Sentiment, Media Behaviors and Socio-cultural Trends. What made the presentation especially compelling was how clearly it connected emotional wellbeing, trust and cultural shifts to actual consumer behavior. While economic anxiety is rising, in some cases reaching levels not seen in more than a decade, consumers are still spending, particularly in categories tied to comfort, self-care, identity and emotional escape. Health and wellness, travel, entertainment and small indulgences continue to resonate because they help people regain a sense of control or optimism during uncertain times.
Another major takeaway was the continued erosion of trust in large institutions and the resulting shift toward more personal, authentic forms of influence. Consumers are becoming more skeptical of traditional authority and polished influencer culture, placing greater trust in friends, family, communities and brands that feel emotionally genuine. The session also touched on the rapid rise of AI adoption alongside growing concerns around misinformation and influence, reinforcing that understanding emotional context and cultural sentiment is becoming just as important as understanding the data itself.
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Thanks for following along our 2026 AMIN conference journey! Stay in tune to our newsroom for continued thought leadership from #teamgatesman.
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