Retail Media Pitches Driving the Future of Media Buying

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/