Before we look at the discussions raised at the Summit, allow me to provide some context about how the event came about, and why.

At DanAds, we realised a while ago that although self-serve is an increasingly prevalent part of our lives, both as consumers and professionals, it has happened so smoothly that many people barely noticed. When we perform “self-serve” tasks, we tend to forget that until recently, those same tasks were performed manually by someone else; whether that’s pumping gas, checking out our groceries, or booking a flight online.

Our particular area of self-serve, advertising, has also experienced this change so smoothly and rapidly that most of our industry hasn’t stopped to take stock. We wanted the opportunity to really dig into what the self-serve revolution means for everyone: publishers, advertisers, technology providers, and of course users.

Thanks to our rich experience and network of clients and partners, we were able to bring together some of the most innovative brands and thought leaders to discuss self-serve: live, on-stage, with the people who mattered. And that’s how we found ourselves at the first of (hopefully) many Self-Serve Summits.