Media agencies, market overviews, the future of agency models and open discussions on the state of the industry are the focus of a program that brings experts from across the region to Rovinj.
The communications industry is functioning less within the boundaries of individual markets and increasingly through shared challenges and changes parallelly unfolding across the region. Differences between markets still exist, but questions around business models, technology, talent and client relationships are becoming more alike, making the exchange of experiences more important than ever. DK Festival, taking place from May 7 to 10, 2026 in Rovinj, will dedicate part of its program specifically to a regional perspective, bringing together experts from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, North Macedonia, Serbia and Slovenia, with the aim of comparing markets, sharing insights and opening up topics that are shaping the communications industry across the entire region.
MEET YOUR NEIGHBOURS: THE BALKAN… OOPS, WE MEAN CEE MARKETS SNAPSHOT
What do communications markets across the region look like when presented by those who work in them every day will be revealed by Meet Your Neighbours: The Balkan… Oops, We Mean CEE Markets Snapshot. Through short, focused presentations, representatives of five markets will provide an overview of key data, trends, and specific characteristics of their countries, as well as less visible insights that explain how these markets actually function in practice. Participants include Anamarija Horaček (Board Member & Managing Director, mmb media agentur, Croatia, Member of HURA and IAB Croatia), Predrag Nikolovski (Co-founder and Creative Director, AdValue, North Macedonia), Irena Miličević Vukoja (Owner, Prefix & Director, WOMAN.COMM CLUB & No Limit, Bosnia and Herzegovina), Maja Radak (Executive Director, Fullhouse Ogilvy, Serbia) and Žare Kerin (Creative Director, Futura, Slovenia), each offering a perspective on what drives, as well as what limits, their respective markets.
THE FUTURE-READY AGENCY (OR WHATEVER WE’RE CALLING IT NOW)
How agencies operate today and how they are trying to adapt to constant change is the focus of the panel The Future-Ready Agency (or Whatever We’re Calling It Now). Sanja Petek Mujačić (Managing Director and Partner, Spring+shift, Croatia, Member of HURA and IAB Croatia), Anđelko Trpković (CEO, Publicis Groupe Adriatic, Serbia), Janez Rakušček (Regional Creative Director, Adriatic Region, Luna\TBWA, Slovenia), and Manuela Šola (General Manager, Founder, Komunikacijski laboratorij, Croatia, Member of HURA and IAB Croatia) will discuss the pressures coming from multiple directions – from clients, the technology market, internal organization and talent management. The focus is on concrete changes in business models, as well as on questions that still do not have clear answers.
NEXT 5 YEARS OF MEDIA AGENCIES: NEW BUSINESS MODELS ON THE HORIZON
The role of media agencies today is changing significantly, and the question of their future is increasingly being raised in a regional context. The panel Next 5 Years of Media Agencies: New Business Models on the Horizon brings together Irena Petek (Managing Director, Studio Nexus, Croatia, Member of HURA and IAB Croatia), Ahmed Hadžić (Chief Vision&Partnership Officer, Reach, Bosnia and Herzegovina), Valerija Prevolšek (Managing Director, Pristop Media, Slovenia) and Marija Matić (Strategy and Clients Director, Direct Media, Serbia), who will bring concrete examples of changes from their markets of how agency operations are evolving. The focus is on how the role of agencies is shifting beyond media buying toward the development of systems that connect data, technology and clients’ business objectives, as well as on how consistent these shifts are across the region.
HOT TAKE COMMENTARY SESSION BY MARKETING MAGAZIN
How much the industry truly agrees with itself, and how much remains unsaid, will be explored in the Hot Take Commentary Session by Marketing Magazin. Maro Pitarević (Creative Director, Real grupa, Croatia, Member of HURA and IAB Croatia), Matjaž Germ (Chief Creative Officer, Agencija 101, Slovenia) and Igor Černiševski (CEO, IAB Serbia), joined by moderator Marjan Novak (Partner, Marketing Magazin), will present viewpoints that are more often heard in informal conversations than on stage. The format is simple but demanding, each participant delivers their “hot take”, followed by a discussion that opens up different perspectives on the state of the industry and its directions for development.
BREAKING BARRIERS, SHAPING NARRATIVES BY WOMAN.COMM
The topic of leadership and visibility in the industry gains a regional dimension through the panel Breaking Barriers, Shaping Narratives by Woman.Comm. Brankica Janković (Group Founder and Director, Aquarius Group), Nataša Pavlović Bujas (Managing Director, Blumen Group) and Katja Fašink (CEO, key7 communications & cyber), moderated by Irena Knežević (Corporate Communications Manager, Hemofarm), discuss the experiences and challenges women face in leadership positions. The focus is on situations that often remain unseen but have a concrete impact on decision-making, the perception of authority and the way professional paths are built.
REGIONAL CREATIVITY TOGETHER ON ONE STAGE
BalCannes once again confirms its position as a key regional platform for comparing and celebrating creativity, with a record number of entries further reflecting the growing ambition and competitiveness of the regional market. The competition brings together projects from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Slovenia, offering insight into how ideas perform beyond local frameworks and how creative standards are evolving across the region. Winners will be announced on thursday at the festival, when the entire regional industry will gather on one stage, with the awards ceremony hosted by Lela Laković and Aljoša Bagola.
More information about the DK2026 program is available on the official website.
