ADCE Creative Leaders Summit 2026: «Relationships» in Barcelona

ADCE Creative Leaders Summit 2026: Who Will Be Speaking in Barcelona?

From November 17 to 20, 2026, Barcelona will host ADCE Creative Week—and with it, the ADCE Creative Leaders Summit, the exclusive program for leaders in the European creative industry. This year’s theme is «Relationships» and focuses on the human connections that drive exceptional creative work: trust between clients and agencies, chemistry within creative teams, and conversations that spark new ways of thinking.

The Art Directors Club of Europe (ADCE) has announced the full lineup of speakers for Creative Week 2026. In addition to the Creative Leaders Summit, the four-day festival will feature international jury sessions, portfolio reviews, the ADCE Student Awards Gala, and the ADCE Awards Gala with a closing party.

16 leaders, 13 sessions

Over the course of two days (Thursday and Friday, November 19 and 20), 16 industry leaders will participate in 13 sessions. The format was adapted from the Creative Leaders Summit organized by the One Club for Creativity and, according to the organizers, creates a space for open, honest conversations between agency leaders, founders, and senior executives. The topics range from client-agency dynamics to creative co-leadership and organizational trust—many of which extend far beyond the traditional scope of creativity.

Confirmed keynote 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 and Guillem Casasus (Founding Partner and Co-Founder, respectively, 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 and Laura Amarelle (Global Head of Product Design and Global Head of Brand Communications, Breitling), Martell Beck (Head of Marketing & PR, Deutsche Bahn), Malcolm Poyton (Former Global CCO, Cheil Worldwide), Koka Kamushadze (Managing Partner, Playmakers), Ulrich Klenke (Chief Brand Officer, Deutsche Telekom), as well as Abel Sanchez-Hermosilla Martinez and Corina Alexandra Pop (EMEA Head of Brands Innovation and EMEA Creative Services Lead, HP).

The complete program for ADCE Creative Week

Creative Week kicks off on Tuesday, November 17, with the closed-door ADCE Awards jury and Creative Express—an educational initiative for emerging talent up to age 28. Participating teams have 24 hours to respond to a live briefing from a partner brand. On Wednesday, November 18, the final jury round will open its doors to the public: All jury chairs will publicly debate the Special Awards and the Grand Prix. In addition, the Creative Express final presentations, a portfolio review with representatives from 25 leading agencies, and the ADCE Student Awards Gala will take place.

The ADCE Creative Leaders Summit will take place on Thursday and Friday, before Creative Week wraps up with the ADCE Awards Gala and a closing party. In addition, the AI Creative Challenge returns for the second time this year—a live event in which participants work through a surprise creative briefing on stage using AI tools in real time.

About the ADCE and Its New President

The Art Directors Club of Europe (ADCE) is a nonprofit organization based in Barcelona. It brings together 25 professional clubs and associations from 24 European countries and, according to its own figures, represents more than 7,000 professionals. The ADCE was founded in 1990 with the goal of promoting creative excellence in advertising and graphic design throughout Europe. The ADCE’s new president is Dörte Spengler-Ahrens, chairwoman of the Jung von Matt Group. The ADCE is part of the One Club for Creativity, based in New York.

You can register for the Creative Leaders Summit at: http://www.adceurope.org – Space is limited.