PRESS RELEASE
15 SEPTEMBER 2025

GOLDEN DRUM PROGRAM ANNOUNCED

As the Golden Drum Festival marks its 31st anniversary, this year’s programme promises to be truly remarkable. Delegates can anticipate an inspiring fusion of thought-provoking lectures, stimulating debates, and vibrant exchanges of ideas that showcase the very best of the international creative industry. Gracing the stage will be a world-renowned expert, offering unique insights and fresh perspectives designed to ignite inspiration among all in attendance.

LIVE BETWEEN 13 AND 14 OCTOBER IN PORTOROŽ, SLOVENIA

The Complete Pass offers access to all festival events. It includes a Kick-Off Party powered by Radio Capris, Merit HP and Tikveš on 13 October at News Café Bernardin, setting the tone for this milestone event. 
On 14 October, attendees will gain the access to Festival Sessions. The sessions will feature a distinguished line-up of speakers and jury presidents, each sharing their expertise across the spectrum of creativity. The highlight of the festival will be the highly anticipated Awards Show, presented by Mastercard, followed by a grand finale at The Seaside Send-Off Party, powered by Schweppes at Caffe Teater, Piran, with DJ Alex Dee Groove, offering the perfect opportunity to celebrate creativity and conclude the festival in a lively atmosphere. 

TOP GLOBAL SPEAKERS COMING TO PORTOROŽ

Jo-ann Robertson, CEO of Global Markets at Ketchum, oversees international markets and AI integration, and will serve as President of the Creative Media Excellence Jury at Golden Drum 2025. During her talk “Compassion, Conviction, and How Brands Stay Authentic in a Polarised World”, she will explore how brands can stay authentic, when silence is golden, and the value of showing compassion and conviction in challenging times.

John Mescall, Global Chief Creative Partner at Dentsu Creative, is an award-winning creative leader with over 100 Cannes Lions, including eight Grand Prix. As former President of McCann Worldgroup’s Global Creative Community and CCO of McCann Australia, he has guided agencies to top global creative rankings. In his talk “Certainty vs Creativity”, John will explore the ongoing battle between the illusion of certainty and the power of creativity. He will explain why defending creativity is more important than ever and what it takes for all of us to prevail in shaping impactful, meaningful work.

Anthony Chelvanathan, Global Creative Partner and CCO at Edelman Canada, has won over 500 international awards, including Cannes Gold and Silver Lions, and will serve as President of the Creative Business Excellence Jury at Golden Drum 2025. In his talk “Grit Happens: How Surviving Chaos Taught Me to Thrive in Creativity”, he will share lessons from his career, showing how perseverance, drive, and resilience – shaped by his early life fleeing war – have guided his most successful creative work.

Catalin Dobre, Co-CEO and Chief Creative Officer of McCann Worldgroup Romania and Regional Creative Director for McCann CEE will share the stage with Islam ElDessouky, Global Vice President Creative at Coca-Cola, the driving force behind some of Coca-Cola's most successful, awarded, and impactful campaigns, both globally and regionally.

Vojtech Kubricht, Marketing Manager at Nestlé CEE, and Jake Barrow, CCO at VML Czechia, will join forces to blend brand growth with award-winning creativity, including Jake’s 34 Cannes Lions and Vojtech’s rapid elevation of KitKat to #2 in Czechia. In their talk “F*ck Being Brave. Let’s Start Being Confident”, they will challenge the idea of “bravery” in the creative industry, showing how confidence – exemplified in the Cannes Lions Grand Prix-winning Phone Break campaign – drives truly impactful and award-winning work.

Julia Neumann, Chief Creative Officer and Partner at Le Truc in New York, has created award-winning campaigns for global brands and will serve as President of the Craft Jury at Golden Drum 2025. During the talk “The Last Honest Differentiator: Why Craft Still Kicks AI’s Ass”, she will show why genuine craft – grounded in human judgement, risk and emotion – remains the key to producing work that is truly memorable and impactful in an AI-driven age.

Calvin Innes, General Manager and Creative Director of JvM NERD London, has worked with global brands including Sony, Cadbury’s and Universal Studios, and will serve as President of the One-Channel Jury at Golden Drum 2025. His talk “Fanpower: How Fandoms Became the Most Valuable Media Channel” will show how fandoms – from K-pop and anime to gaming, sport and street culture – are shaping trends, driving culture and creating real economic impact, and why brands must learn to engage with them authentically.

During the talk “Creativity with Impact: Three Effectiveness Trends Behind This Year’s Most-Awarded Campaigns”, Paul Stringer, Managing Editor of Research & Insights at WARC, will explore the key trends currently shaping the marketing landscape. Through a data-driven perspective, he will highlight how leading brands are harnessing opportunities in media, strategy and effectiveness to deliver campaigns that are both highly creative and demonstrably impactful. The session will showcase some of this year’s most-awarded campaigns and uncover the three core effectiveness trends driving their success.

Marcin Sosiński, Chief Creative Officer of Dentsu Creative Poland & CEE and one of the region’s most awarded creatives, will be honoured in the talk “Creative Legends and Fresh Blood” as the newest inductee into the Golden Drum Hall of Fame in 2025. On stage, he will reflect on his remarkable creative journey, sharing insights and experiences from a lifetime spent shaping campaigns that move the world. His story is a testament to the impact of dedication, vision, and creativity in the industry.

The program content “Creative Legends and Fresh Blood” will then turn to the future of creativity with Alexis Champa, Executive Creative Director, Jessica Claar, Senior Vice President of Marketing Communications at Mastercard Central Europe, and the winner of this year’s Young Drummers Competition, proudly powered by Mastercard. This celebration of emerging talent showcases creative courage, innovation, and the boundless possibilities that lie ahead. It’s a moment to recognise fresh voices, inspire the audience, and offer a glimpse into the next generation shaping the world of marketing and design.

Julian Boulding, Founder and CEO of thenetworkone will host a lively panel on the client–agency relationship titled “How well do you know me?”. Joining him are Jenni Ihatsu, Vice President, Brand & Marketing, Posti Group, Finland and Ilkka Ruotsalainen Founder and Chief Creative Officer, IVALO Creative Agency, Finland, together with Giorgi Kontuadze of Kraken and Givi Gvetadze CEO of Subway, Wendy’s and Dunkin’ (Georgia). 

Concluding the daily program will be Freddie Öst, Founder & Brand Director of Stockholm’s Snask, bring bold, boundary-pushing creativity to the stage. Renowned for his audacious approach to branding, design and film, he combines humour, fearless self-expression and world-class storytelling, working with clients from financial institutions to music videos for acts like Viagra Boys and The Hives. In his talk “Make Enemies & Gain Fans – The Importance of Branding in a Digital Era”, Freddie will share insights on creating striking design, breaking conventions, pushing clients, and mastering branding in the digital age.

YOUNG DRUMMERS COMPETITION OPEN UNTIL 22 SEPTEMBER

All young creatives under 30 worldwide are invited to put their skills to the test by participating in the Young Drummers Competition 2025, an annual event held in collaboration with Mastercard Slovenia. 

This year’s brief titled "Jump into a World Where Everybody Belongs” is looking for the most creative idea and poster/poster series.

The winner of the competition will receive a 1,000 EUR monetary prize and a free delegate pass to attend the 31st Golden Drum Festival. All shortlisted authors will receive a complimentary pass for the festival.

The deadline to submit entries into the Young Drummers Competition is 22 September 2025. 

Read more about the Young Drummers Competition here. 

KEY COMPETITION INFORMATION

Festival Date and Location: 13 – 14 October 2025, Grand Hotel Bernardin, Portorož, Slovenia
Golden Drum Shortlists Announced: 30 September 2025 at 8.00 CET
Bronze & Silver Drum Awards Announced: 14 October 2025 at 12.40 CET
Golden Drum Awards Show: 14 October 2025 at 20.00 CET
Entry System: https://engine.goldendrum.com/  
Entry Fees: https://goldendrum.com/competition/competition-fees-payment/one-channel-drum-prices 
Delegate Fees: https://goldendrum.com/attend/delegate-fees 

MEDIA MATERIALS

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