It’s been over 150 days of socially distanced life across the country and we are proud of the programming, outputs and events we have been able to produce during that time in the name of keeping our community uninterrupted. As the industry settles into the back-to-school season, we have been looking forward to the coming months and envisioning what they will look like for the crew at IAB Canada as well as our community. Following are some updates on our end.
Events
All events for the remainder of 2020 and into Q1 of 2021 have transitioned to online only. In the process of shifting these events, we have been extremely selective about the content and prioritization in terms of timing and format. This year we have focused on regular 1pm webinars that delve into specific subject matter. These webinars will continue to serve as our always-on programming similar to the Business of Digital live events we launched to keep the industry well informed on emerging topics.
IAB Canada’s flagship event MIXX will be postponed to 2021 while we focus our attention to industry matters that will have significant impact on the digital advertising ecosystem such as the diminishment of cookies, the support of domestic media and several policy files that require both technical and policy-driven solutions.
After a successful Advanced TV Week, we now look forward to presenting eCommerce Week in our new hybrid format that combines deep subject matter exploration with networking and educational qualities. Look for additional programming along these lines as we tackle the subjects that matter most this year and beyond. If you have any event topics you feel we should be covering, please reach out to events@iabcanada.com.
Education
Our educational offering continues to deliver industry-leading curriculum on all major disciplines of the digital media buying and selling ecosystem. Our online courses have remained uninterrupted and in-demand and we will continue to deliver on our promise to provide the best digital training available.
Custom courses and seminars have grown in popularity as we have developed robust programs that incorporate collaborative exercises, intimate corporate experiences and content that provides entire teams with a competitive edge in the industry. Contact education@iabcanada.com for information on this offering to explore a bespoke program for your teams.
Outputs
2020 saw the release of a critical industry paper entitled Moving Towards Cookie Independence, an exploration of the many implications of the diminishment and eventual end of 3rd party data in the context of digital advertising. This paper was recognized globally as a comprehensive guide to what to expect in the coming years as we prepare all stakeholders for a reimagined ecosystem that harmonizes privacy, great user experience and the incredible opportunities available to advertisers to connect with customers.
This month the Mobile Committee released the Anatomy of Mobile, a guide that unpacks the opportunities around mobile advertising, a device which now accounts for over 70% of time spent in digital. The document looks at the differences between mobile web and apps and discusses best practices to leverage the channel.
We are also in the process of developing our guide to Advanced TV buying and look forward to providing even more value to our members and the industry at large on different platforms, formats and industry issues. Finally, look for the 2019/20 Revenue Survey, some insightful Barometer Reports and the 360 Study also being released in the coming weeks!
Councils & Committees
This year’s reality has allowed the team to reflect deeply on the structure of our councils and committees. We are in the process of developing a framework that will revitalize our community and enable highly active working groups that focus on specific priorities for the Canadian digital advertising community.
We will be creating agile working groups to help tackle major issues like privacy reform, the cookieless ecosystem, diversity & inclusion, cross-media measurement and many other areas of great importance to all Canadian digital media stakeholders.
Stay tuned for more information on the vision for 2020/21 and be sure to get involved in our exciting projects that are carefully curated to bring real change to the marketplace.
We hope that you are as excited as we are to embrace our socially distanced reality and drive real value and progress for the industry. We remain committed to delivering value and most importantly for the coming months, keeping our Community Uninterrupted.