ADCE Creative Week returns to Barcelona from November 17th to 20th, featuring four dynamic days of activities, including international judging, portfolio reviews, Awards Galas, and the highly anticipated Creative Leaders Summit. The festival continues to bring together Europe’s leading creative voices, to create a moment to get inspired, exchange and connect with top leading voices.
This year the topic will be “Relationships” to center on the power of the humans behind the best ideas. The power of relationships and the dialogue required to bring groundbreaking work to life today.
Creative Leaders Summit
Adapted from The One Club for Creativity, the Creative Leaders Summit brings together agency leaders, founders, and senior executives to share perspectives, navigate industry change, and explore what it takes to lead with clarity, conviction, and responsibility.
Centred on the core theme of “Relationships”, the Summit looks beyond the final creative output to examine the human connections that make great ideas possible: trust between clients and agencies, chemistry within creative teams, conversations that spark new thinking, and relationships that transform bold ideas into extraordinary work.
Over two days, 16 industry leaders will take part in 13 sessions, offering candid perspectives and practical insights on the issues shaping their businesses and the wider creative industry — many extending far beyond the traditional scope of creativity. Designed as an exclusive programme, the Summit creates a rare space for open conversation, meaningful exchange, and ideas that can be taken back to teams and organisations.
Main Stage Speakers
This year’s lineup brings together top-tier agency executives, brand-side leaders, world-class strategists, and creative partners:
Confirmed speakers include:
- Sir John Hegarty – Creative Director & Co-Founder, The Business of Creativity
- Juliana Paracencio – Executive Creative Director, Droga5
- Dustin Duke – Global Executive Creative Director, Brand Innovation Lab at Amazon Ads
- Anna Berbiela – Founding Partner, SMLXL
- Guillem Casasus – Co-Founder, SMLXL
- Liza Enebeis – CD and Partner, Studio Dumbar/DEPT
- Sophia Lindholm – Independent Creative Leader
- Tiffany Rolfe – Chair and Global Chief Creative Officer, R/GA
- Pablo Widmer – Global Head of Product Design, Breitling
- Laura Amarelle – Global Head of Brand Communications, Breitling
- Martell Beck – Head of Marketing & PR, Deutsche Bahn
- Malcolm Poynton – Former Global CCO, Cheil Worldwide
- Koka Kamushadze – Managing Partner, Playmakers
- Ulrich Klenke – Chief Brand Officer, Deutsche Telekom
- Abel Sanchez-Hermosilla Martinez – EMEA Head of Brands Innovation, HP
- Corina Alexandra Pop – EMEA Creative Services Lead, HP
The sessions will explore relationships from every angle, including client-agency dynamics, creative co-leadership, and organizational trust.
Spots for the Creative Leaders Summit are available here. Seats are limited.
The Full Programme
Day 1 — Tuesday, 17th November
ADCE Awards Jury
Not open to the public
The prestigious international jury, composed of leading creative professionals from across Europe, meets in Barcelona to evaluate the year’s best work and award Gold, Silver and Bronze distinctions across the different categories.
ADCE Creative Express
Not open to the public
Creative Express is an educational initiative designed to inspire the next generation of creative talent through a collaborative international challenge.
For the 2026 edition, ADCE member clubs will organise local programmes and select the creative duo that will represent them in the final competition in Barcelona. Open to creatives aged 28 and under, participating teams of two will have 24 hours to develop a creative response to a live brief set by a partner brand, before presenting their work to the final jury.
Day 2 — Wednesday, 18th November
ADCE Awards Jury — Final Round
Open to the public
The final judging session brings together all Jury Presidents to debate and select the recipients of the Special Awards and Grand Prix. The session offers audiences a rare opportunity to witness leading industry figures discuss and champion Europe’s most outstanding creative work. While the discussion is public, the final voting remains digital and confidential.
ADCE Creative Express — Final Presentations
Participants in Creative Express will take the stage to present the results of their 24-hour challenge. The winning team will be selected following the presentations, while the Greatness Challenge winner will also be crowned on stage.
Portfolio Review
The Portfolio Review connects students and emerging creatives with representatives from 25 leading agencies, offering direct feedback, career advice and insight into the industry. An afternoon dedicated to learning, exchange and building connections between the next generation of talent and established creative professionals.
ADCE Student Awards Gala
Now in its second edition, the Student Awards Gala celebrates the next generation of European creative talent. As part of Creative Week, student winners, agency representatives, educators, friends and family come together for an evening of recognition, networking and celebration.
Day 3 — Thursday, 19th November
Creative Leaders Summit
Inspired by the successful format developed by The One Club for Creativity, the Creative Leaders Summit brings together agency leaders, founders and senior executives to explore what it means to lead in a rapidly changing creative landscape, with clarity, conviction and responsibility.
Under this year’s theme, Relationships, the Summit will examine the connections, collaborations and partnerships that make great creative work possible.
AI Creative Challenge
Returning for its second edition, the AI Creative Challenge brings participants on stage to tackle a surprise creative brief using AI-powered tools in real time. A live format where creativity, technology and experimentation come together in front of an audience.
Day 4 — Friday, 20th November
Creative Leaders Summit
The Summit continues with a second day of conversations, interactions and insights from leading voices across the creative industry. Building on the previous day’s discussions, the programme will focus on practical perspectives and real-life experiences that attendees can take back to their teams, agencies and organisations.
ADCE Awards Gala & Closing Party
The week culminates with the ADCE Awards Gala, where the winners of the 2026 ADCE Awards will be unveiled in a celebration of the finest European creativity in design and advertising.
The ceremony will be followed by the Closing Party, bringing the European creative community together to celebrate the work, the people and the connections behind another edition of ADCE Creative Week.
To learn more about ADCE Creative Week and Creative Leaders Summit & enjoy discounted passes, contact us at adct@adct.org.tr
