Comms Council announces Media Spotlight line-up for 2026

The Commercial Communications Council’s Media Spotlight is returning for 2026.

The event, sponsored by MediaWorks, is taking place on May 27 at Q Theatre in Auckland’s CBD.

It brings together global and local thought leaders to address the challenges facing the media industry: navigating fragmentation, emerging technologies, and future-proofing brands.

Media Spotlight is relevant for senior advertisers, agency leaders, and media executives seeking insights on the future of media planning and audience engagement.

Commitment to connection

MediaWorks joins Media Spotlight 2026 as the event sponsor, their support reflecting a shared commitment in connecting the industry and seeking insights on the future of media planning.

MediaWorks commercial director – agency sales Jackie Campbell says: “MediaWorks is proud to be the presenting partner for the 2026 Media Spotlight. Events like this provide a powerful platform to connect with brands and agencies, share insights, and help shape the future of the media landscape.

“As Aotearoa’s leading audio company, we understand the power of audio to connect, influence, and cut through like no other channel. It’s a uniquely personal and trusted medium, helping brands build meaningful, lasting relationships with audiences at scale while driving real impact.

“This partnership is a natural fit, giving us the opportunity to collaborate with global thought leaders, champion the role of audio in modern media strategies, and explore what’s next for our industry.”

Speaker line-up

Felipe Thomaz

Felipe Thomaz is Associate Professor of Marketing at the University of Oxford, where he also serves as Director of Research for the Oxford Future of Marketing Initiative. His work is broadly motivated by questions of firm effectiveness and efficiency, as well as the interaction with edge technologies. Thomaz is particularly interested in, and known for his work on media channels, the advertising ecosystem, and branding. From a technical angle, his work involves graph theory, artificial intelligence, and quantum information theory. He has authored policy documents on the decarbonisation of advertising with international industry bodies, on progressive advertising with the United Nations, and practical ethics in AI with the International Chamber of Commerce. Felipe is also managing director of Augmented Intelligence Labs, an Oxford deep-tech spinout specialising in long-range forecasting, trend analysis and anomaly detection algorithms.

Melissa Clark-Reynolds, ONZM

Melissa Clark-Reynolds, ONZM is a visionary, certified futurist. With a career spanning technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship, Clark-Reynolds is known for her ability to navigate the complexities of our ever-evolving world. She has been awarded the Officer of the NZ Order of Merit for her Services to Technology. As the founder of several successful technology companies and a seasoned entrepreneur, Melissa brings a wealth of real-world experience to her role as a futurist. Recognized as a thought leader, Clark-Reynolds has advised governments, Fortune 500 companies, and startups on strategies for navigating uncertainty and driving innovation.

Eugene Healey

Eugene Healey helps people make sense of cultural chaos. He has worked with global brands like Google, Spotify and Red Bull on strategies to succeed in a climate where media is fragmented, attention is fracked, and algorithms have dissolved mass culture into soup. Healey has previously held a session lecturing position in brand management at the University of Melbourne’s postgraduate Business School, and regularly shares his insights on brands and culture via social media to a following of over 500,000.