Hungarian Communications Industry prepares for transformative THE SHIFT conference amid milestone celebrations
The Hungarian communication industry will gather early next year for THE SHIFT, a one‑day conference co‑organised by the Hungarian Advertising Association (MRSZ) and the Hungarian Association of Communication Agencies (MAKSZ) that organisers say is intended to “innovatively advance” the sector’s future. The event is scheduled for 18 February 2026 at Budapest’s Eiffel Műhelyház, and early bird tickets are already on sale.
The conference is being staged as a landmark occasion: MRSZ marks its 50th anniversary and MAKSZ its 30th, milestones that the two bodies present as an opportunity for industry reinvention and renewed professional purpose. According to the original report, the joint initiative aims to bring the whole domestic marketing, media and communications ecosystem together, from agency and brand representatives to teachers, students, artists and journalists.
Organisers describe THE SHIFT as more than a trade gathering: they characterise it as an “honest, inspiring, future‑focused forum” that will reframe advertising as culture, society and science as well as commerce. The full‑day programme is being designed for several hundred attendees and will combine keynotes, roundtables, fireside chats and debates intended to provoke discussion and challenge established assumptions.
Programming will be organised around seven thematic strands that the organisers say capture the sector’s major pressures and opportunities: consumer behaviour; identity and brand culture; value and media relevance; talent and workforce evolution; the immediate role of artificial intelligence; cross‑sector collaboration; and agency and business model transformation. These “SHIFT” tracks will ask practical questions about how consumers and brands relate, what constitutes media relevance, what new revenue logics are emerging and who will carry the profession forward.
Organisers have already confirmed several international names among the headliners. Announced speakers include Ludovic Basset, chief executive of the European Advertising Standards Alliance; Barry Cupples, former global chief executive of Talon Outdoor; and Charley Stoney, executive director of the European Association of Communications Agencies. The line‑up, organisers say, mixes global thought leaders with prominent domestic voices, some of whom have not previously appeared in Hungary.
The event website and the MAKSZ site list ticket tiers, including early bird, standard and VIP options, with attendant benefits, and offer practical details for attendees. The company‑style materials emphasise the conference’s inclusive remit and encourage broad sector participation; industry data and observers will be watching to see how successfully the event converts membership momentum into cross‑sector collaboration.
While organisers frame THE SHIFT as a moment for strategic renewal, the tone and scope reflect a broader trend in European communications: convenings that explicitly address technology disruption, measurement challenges and the social role of brands. Industry bodies say such gatherings can accelerate consensus on standards, talent pipelines and new business models, but their impact depends on follow‑through beyond a single day of discussion.
For associations, confederations and trade bodies in particular, THE SHIFT offers a practical case study in event design: how milestone anniversaries and joint leadership can be used to convene disparate stakeholders, surface contested ideas and pursue collective action. The organisers’ emphasis on candid debate, international perspectives and diverse participant lists suggests they are aiming for conference outcomes that extend into 2026 programmes and partnerships.