THE GROWTH CONFERENCE FOR AGENCY LEADERS

GYDA SUMMIT

GYDA Summit is the growth conference dedicated to helping agency leaders, run the agencies that they want to run, so that they can lead the lives they want to lead. 2025’s summit is in London on the 7th May.

GYDA SUMMIT 

The Growth Conference for Agency Leaders

7th May 2025, London

Bringing together Agency Leaders and Growth Experts, GYDA Summit is a one-day interactive conference that combines keynotes, short TED-Talk-style presentations, deep-dive exercises and peer-learning activities.

The summit is brought to you by the team behind GYDA, Robert Craven and Janusz Stabik and their team of agency growth experts. Plus a gang of 2025 sponsors and partners will be on hand to share their platforms, services and experience of growing agencies... we are also thrilled to announce that GYDA Summit 2025 is hosted by Microsoft Advertising!

Your Summit Experience

  • AGENCY LEADERS, GROWTH EXPERTS, INDUSTRY SPEAKERS

    Join us and meet your agency peers, collaborate with industry experts and watch some awesome speakers. Throughout the day you’ll gain insight into how others have built a stronger, smarter and more profitable agency. You’ll be in the room with others on the same journey, working together to grow your agencies in 2025.

  • INTERACTIVE, ENGAGING, CHALLENGING

    Don’t expect to be sat in your seat all day! The Summit agenda includes workshop activities, networking and social time. We combine keynotes, short TED-Talk-style presentations, deep-dive exercises, peer-learning activities and wrap up with an after-party where you can relax after spending a day working on your agency.

  • GROWTH-CENTRIC, STRATEGY-FOCUSSED, AGENCY-SPECIFIC

    The Summit content is tailored for agencies. You’ll gain insight and leave the day with tangible actions to create impact in your agency. We focus on strategy, finance, teams, sales, marketing and business models, whilst relating to current industry themes and trends such as AI, Resilience, Growth, Agency Opportunities and the High-Performers.

GYDA SUMMIT TICKETS

DELEGATES: This event is for agency leaders only.
TICKETS: £250 per delegate - Use code MICROSOFT for a 30% discount ending soon! Thanks Microsoft Advertising for hosting our 2025 summit!
ADD-ONS: £50 each. Add the parties as extras to your ticket during checkout!

NB If the checkout box is not viewing corrected opposite, CLICK HERE to check out directly on Eventbrite.

PRE-EVENT DRINKS PARTY
DATE: Tuesday 6th May 2025, 6pm - 10pm
LOCATION: The Shoreditch Exchange, Senna Building, Gorsuch Pl, London E2 8JF
Tickets £50

Whether you're flying in the night before, or a local to London, join us to kick off GYDA Summit 2025 at our pre-event drinks party! Meet your agency peers and some of our speakers between 6pm - 10pm on Tuesday 6th May, at our new summit venue, the Shoreditch Exchange.

GYDA SUMMIT
DATE: Wednesday 7th May 2025, 9am - 5.30pm
LOCATION: The Shoreditch Exchange, Senna Building, Gorsuch Pl, London E2 8JF
Tickets £250

Join our one-day growth conference. Tickets include a light breakfast, buffet lunch, afternoon cakes, unlimited tea and coffee all day and a drink to close the summit. Plus your Summit tote bag, filled with swag from our sponsors and treats from team GYDA!

AFTER-PARTY
DATE: Wednesday 7th May 2025, 6.30pm - late
LOCATION: UBA Restaurant, Hart Shoreditch Hotel, 61 – 67 Great Eastern Street, London, EC2A 3HU
Tickets £50

After a fulfilling day working on your agency, join us to relax and connect at UBA restaurant within the Hart Shoreditch hotel, a 10-minute stroll from the Summit. Delight in the flavours of pan-Asian cuisine paired with expertly crafted cocktails, to celebrate the close of GYDA Summit 2025.

Introducing our 2025 Speakers!

MAINSTAGE SPEAKERS

The Efficiency Paradox:
How Companies Lose Their
Customers with AI.

This talk dives into how companies are using AI in ways that hurt their relationship with customers. It explains the "efficiency paradox," where businesses focus so much on streamlining processes with AI that they lose sight of what really matters—building customer loyalty. Through real examples, the talk shows how prioritizing efficiency over personal connection can backfire, leading to unhappy customers. It offers practical insights on how to use AI without sacrificing the human element that keeps customers coming back.

F*ck Normal, Weird Works: Use Your Weirdness to Generate and Qualify Leads.

Bibi will be bringing her one-of-a-kind energy to fire up GYDA Summit! Get ready for practical tips and bold inspiration – zero fluff included.

What’s this talk about… basically, it's about using your, uh, weirdness to get leads. You know, cuz normal is boring! Hold onto your seats and get your notepads ready!

The Agency Gen AI Conundrum –
Gift Vs Curse

With Gen AI tools becoming omnipresent in the Marketing Agency world – is this a gift that will reimagine the agency, or is this a curse and simply a race to the bottom?

Financial Confidence for Digital Agencies: A Framework for Building the Business You’ve Always Wanted.

If you want to grow your profits, to be confident about your cashflow and ultimately to scale successfully, you need to become financially mature. And the bigger you become, the more this matters. But what does good financial management look like for your agency?

You have a distinctive vision for your business, which means you need a distinctive financial plan and benchmarks to get you there. And that means making finance a core part of your business, not a support function. Stop comparing yourself to other businesses, start getting clear on what results you want and confident about how to get them.

The Meraki Way. Creating a Magnetic Business That People Want to Work for, Clients Want to Pay for — and You Love to Run.

What if the real edge in business today isn’t speed or scale—but soul? In this talk, Eleni shares how she built one of Europe’s leading Squarespace agencies by doing things differently—intuitively, intentionally, and human-first. She introduces The Meraki Way: a strategic approach to growth rooted in presence, truth, and emotional intelligence. Packed with practical insights and real-life examples, this talk is for agency leaders who want to grow sustainably, lead authentically, and build businesses that truly last.

From Clicks to Connections:
Building Meaningful Relationships
to Fuel Growth.

Whilst technology has expanded our reach and skills in many ways, it’s also impacted the quality of our client relationships and as a result, our ability to grow. Mette will show how human connection can contribute to longer-term success, providing practical tips on how to build better relationships with your clients that will improve both your bottom line and agency feel-good factor.

Lessons from the Frontline: Challenges of Adopting AI.

This talk will cover practical examples of problems and solutions in adapting to AI. Paul’s time in Afghanistan in 2006 and the adaption of multiple significant equipment upgrades gave him practical experience that has helped with AI adoption at Push. He’ll share his and Push’s Story; challenges faced initially adopting AI, various workarounds they put in place (DIAL) and the new structure for adopting AI.

Virality Won’t Pay the Bills. DMs Will: A Tactical Playbook for Using LinkedIn DMs to Drive Pipeline and Revenue.

With every agency fighting for attention on LinkedIn, it’s tempting to chase likes, comments, and viral reach. But most of that engagement isn’t coming from the people who’ll actually buy from you.

In this talk, Mark Colgan will walk through a practical LinkedIn playbook for agency owners who are ready to stop posting and start prospecting. He’ll show you how to create a valuable asset, use it as a reason to reach out, and start real sales conversations in the DMs.

You don’t need to go viral. You just need a system that brings the right people into your inbox - and in this session, you’ll walk away with the exact playbook to make that happen.

SOAPBOX AND PARTNER SPEAKERS

What We Learned from 25,000 Agencies (and Why it Might Change Yours).

Ever wondered how your agency really stacks up? Tom Salmon, co-founder of Agency by Agency, steps up with never before seen insights from their deep-dive analysis of over 25,000 UK agencies across 28 service areas from Amazon to UX. In a sector starved of comprehensive benchmarking, this soapbox talk reveals the patterns, gaps, and standout moves shaping the agency world today. Come curious, leave informed (and maybe a little inspired to fix a few things).

Gravitas: Unlock the Six Keys to Assertive Communication.

What does it take to command respect with clients, colleagues and stakeholders?

Gravitas is a crucial quality for success. In a competitive environment, agency leaders with gravitas build stronger working relationships, win more business and get better results.

In this Soapbox session, Antoinette reveals the six qualities that people with gravitas share and presents a model that enables you to assess, and accelerate, your own gravitas.

What Clients Really Think: Insights to Strengthen Human Relationships.

What do clients really want—and what are agencies missing? Based on findings from the Brilliant & Human Agency-Client Benchmark Report, this talk explores what truly builds trust and connection in agency-client relationships.

Remeny Armitage shares insights into the often-overlooked gaps between agency perception and client reality—revealing what clients value most when it comes to onboarding, communication, and delivery.

Search Fragmentation in the age of AI.

Seize the opportunity of AI-driven platforms fragmenting traditional search and position your clients for success in the new search environment. With customers increasingly turning to decentralized and AI-powered ecosystems, staying visible has never been more critical. Get actionable insights and strategies that will keep your clients visible and empower them to thrive in this unknown reality.

What We Learned from 25,000 Agencies (and Why it Might Change Yours).

Ever wondered how your agency really stacks up? Tom Salmon, co-founder of Agency by Agency, steps up with never before seen insights from their deep-dive analysis of over 25,000 UK agencies across 28 service areas from Amazon to UX. In a sector starved of comprehensive benchmarking, this soapbox talk reveals the patterns, gaps, and standout moves shaping the agency world today. Come curious, leave informed (and maybe a little inspired to fix a few things).

Punching Way Above Your Weight Class: AI for Underdog Agencies.

Big agencies used to win because they had the people, the budget, and the pitch polish. Now? Two smart people and the right AI stack can outpitch a 40-person team. This talk is for the underdogs — the independents — tired of losing to bloated networks with better decks and bigger rooms. AI isn’t a threat — it’s your slingshot. I’ll share how small, fast-moving teams can use AI to crank out strategy, creative, and production-level work that looks like it came from a global agency. The only question is: are you watching the wave, or riding it?

A Huge Welcome to Our 2025
Sponsors and Partners!

HOST
We are thrilled that GYDA Summit 2025 is hosted by Microsoft Advertising!

Discover what's possible

Microsoft Advertising is building a new world of advertising possibilities to empower growth for all.

SPONSOR
A huge welcome to DUDA as a sponsor for 2025!

Scale faster than you ever thought possible

The professional website builder you can call your own.

SPONSOR
Welcome back to MAP as a sponsor for 2025!

Achieve the full potential of your agency

Accountants and Outsourced Finance Function for the Digital Sector.

SPONSOR
Welcome back to JobRack as a sponsor for 2025!

Start Hiring

Where Agencies Hire the Best Remote Talent from Eastern Europe & South Africa.

PARTNER
Welcome back to Digital Agency Network as a partner for 2025!

Powering Digital Partnerships

DAN connects brands with the world’s top-tier digital marketing and advertising agencies.

SPONSOR
A huge welcome to SiteBox as a sponsor for 2025!

A Modern Hosting Framework for Wordpress

The modern way for agencies to host, secure, and scale WordPress websites -  without the chaos.

SPONSOR
A huge welcome to Service Provider Pro as a sponsor for 2025!

A client portal for your digital agency.

Service Provider Pro brings your billing, clients, projects, and messaging into one platform that's built for scale.

2025 AGENDA

9.00am

9.30am

9.45am

10.15am

10.25am

10.35am

10.45am

11.00am

11.30am

12.00pm

12.30pm

1.00pm

2.00pm

2.30pm

3.00pm

3.15pm

3.45pm

4.00pm

4.30pm

5.00pm

5.30pm

6.30pm

ARRIVAL: Registration and Networking

WELCOME: Robert Craven and Janusz Stabik, GYDA

Introduction and Icebreaker

PRESENTATION: Mark Colgan, GYDA

- Virality Won't Pay the Bills. DMs Will: A Tactical Playbook for Using LinkedIn.

SPONSOR INTRODUCTIONS

PRESENTATION: Paul Barnes, MAP

- Financial Confidence for Digital Agencies.

PRESENTATION: Felix Dandrea, DUDA

- How to Scale Your Agency Effectively

BREAK: Quick coffee!

PRESENTATION: Eleni Meraki, Meraki

- Creating a Business That Clients Want to Pay for, and You Love to Run.

BREAK: Coffee and Networking

PRESENTATION: Paul Kearney, Push

- Lessons from the Frontline: Challenges of Adopting AI.

THE SOAPBOX SESSIONS

- Agency Adventures - Six Speakers Share Their Hazards and Heroics.

BREAK: Lunch and Networking

PRESENTATION: Bibi Raven, BibiBuzz

- F*ck Normal, Weird Works: Use Your Weirdness to Generate and Qualify Leads.

ACTIVITY: Robert Craven, GYDA

- Quickfire Questions

BREAK: Mini comfort break!

PRESENTATION: Magda Kay

- The Efficiency Paradox: How companies lose their customers with AI.

BREAK: Coffee and Networking

PRESENTATION: Simon Jacobson, Microsoft Advertising

- The Agency Gen AI Conundrum – Gift Vs Curse.

PRESENTATION: Mette Davis, With Mette

- From Clicks to Connections: Building Meaningful Relationships to Fuel Growth.

CLOSE: Janusz Stabik, GYDA

You Have Reached the Summit! Drinks and Networking.

AFTER-PARTY!

UBA Restaurant, Hart Shoreditch Hotel

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

  • We are thrilled to announce that our 2025 summit is hosted by Microsoft!

    The Shoreditch Exchange, Senna Building, Gorsuch Pl, London E2 8JF

  • The Summit starts at 9.30am. Delegates are welcome to join us from 9am for a light breakfast and networking.

    We close the summit at 5-5.30pm with drinks and then move onto the after-party at 6.30pm until late!

  • The Summit is tailored for leaders of agencies. We define leaders as someone who is an owner, founder or director of the agency.

  • The full agenda will be available in Spring 2025.

    The Summit is an interactive conference with short presentations, workshop style activities and networking.

    Be prepared to be out of your seat and engaging with your peers and industry experts!

  • Speakers will be announced in Spring 2025.

    Our speakers are a mix of agency leaders and industry experts.

  • Absolutely! Check out our sponsor page here.

  • Unfortunately we do not offer travel and accommodation packages at this time.