Today, Ascendant Network announced that leaders from holdcos like Publicis Commerce, Dentsu, WPP, Omnicom, and IPG, along with independent agencies such as PMG and Tinuiti, will attend SHOWCASE: the world’s first retail + commerce media upfront, taking place on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, at The Times Center in New York City. At the inaugural event, the buy-side leaders will get an early look at the leading retail + commerce media network roadmaps and engage in strategic conversations that will pave the way for the 2027 planning cycle.
“The caliber of top-tier agency participation in SHOWCASE reflects the growing buy-side demand for direct-to-publisher alignment, transparent programmatic supply chains, and data-driven cross-channel activation,” said Susan MacDermid, CEO and Co-Founder of Ascendant Network. “SHOWCASE creates a centralized platform for both sides to come together, discuss the future of advertising, have commercial discussions, and focus on bridging the gap between discovery and the final transaction.”
The 200+ curated buyers attending SHOWCASE represent over $12B in annual media spend and together drive $1T in annual retail sales. They span Fortune 100 brands, global holding companies, top-tier independent shops, and specialized digital buyers.
SHOWCASE provides an unmatched environment to discover new, integrated commerce solutions that deliver high-velocity results, giving investment teams a distinct advantage when building forward-looking media plans for their clients.
Buy-side attendees can expect:
- 15+ presentations from retail + commerce media networks spanning national and regional grocery, discount, drugstore, department store, home improvement, specialty retail, delivery, financial services, payments, and more.
- Early access to product roadmaps, data capabilities, and campaign efficiency tools.
- Networking opportunities and closed-door meetings designed to drive high-impact heading into the 2027 planning cycle.
SHOWCASE is an invite-only event. For more information, please visit https://ascendantnetwork.com/showcase/. To request tickets, please visit https://ascendantnetwork.swoogo.com/showcase26/waitlist.
About Ascendant Network
Ascendant Network builds influential communities of marketing, media, retail, and commerce media executives: RMN Americas Ascendant Boot Camp + RMN Europe Ascendant Boot Camp + Digital Ascendant. Its mission is to empower the professional development of the exceptional individual leaders at the forefront of media transformation. Ascendant is launching SHOWCASE on Sept 2nd in NYC, a one-day retail + commerce media upfront reimagined for today’s fragmented ecosystem—bringing together leading retail and commerce media networks, and brands and agencies for high-impact presentations and commercial dialogue.
Learn more at https://ascendantnetwork.com/showcase/.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260820688570/en/
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