NEW YORK – March 17, 2026 – On April 14 in New York City, IAB will convene senior decision makers at a pivotal moment in the growth of commerce media. As commerce media shifts from growth to maturity, the 2026 IAB Connected Commerce Summit will focus on standards, frameworks, and operating models required to scale the next growth era.
“Commerce media has become central to enterprise growth, and expectations have never been higher”, said David Cohen, CEO, IAB. “The industry must align on shared definitions and standards across creative, measurement, and attribution. Incrementality and accountability are the new common denominators and the Connected Commerce Summit is where that alignment will come into clear view.”
Across a full day of programming, the summit will explore the issues shaping commerce media’s next phase while also convening senior leaders for meaningful peer-to-peer learning, strategic relationship building, and cross-industry collaboration that extends beyond the stage. Presenters will highlight scalable performance measurement, the integration of in-store media, cross-channel commerce activation, new operating models inside retail and brand organizations, and the growing role of AI-driven commerce.
During the event, IAB will unveil its latest guide, Building a More Competitive Commerce Media Ecosystem, which identifies the strategic paths networks must take to differentiate, mature operationally, and compete for performance-driven advertiser investment.
Attendees will gain insights from senior leaders across retail, brand, commerce, and media including 7-Eleven, Ace Hardware, Colgate-Palmolive, Criteo, DoubleVerify, Gildan, GroceryTV, Instacart, Koddi, Moloco Commerce Media, Mondelēz International, SodaStream, Uber Advertising, and more.
“Commerce media is entering a new phase where execution matters more than experimentation,” said Collin Colburn, Vice President, Commerce, IAB. “The winners will be those that prove real business impact through credible measurement, operational discipline, and the ability to connect media investments to commerce outcomes.”
| 2026 IAB Connected Commerce Summit Agenda* |
| Tuesday, April 14, 2026 |
| 8:00 – 9:00 AM Registration & Networking Breakfast |
| 9:00 – 9:15 AM The Year Of Integration: Solving Commerce Media’s Biggest Imperatives |
| 9:15 – 9:45 AM The New Growth Equation: Where Media, Retail, and Tech Converge |
| 9:45 – 10:15 AM Building the Transparent Commerce Media Tech Stack |
| 10:15 – 10:30 AM Solutions Showcase Presented by Koddi |
| 10:30 – 11:10 AM Networking Break |
| 11:10 – 11:40 AM From Pilot to Proof: Scaling In-Store Media for Measurable Growth Presented by GroceryTV |
| 11:40 – 11:55 AM Solutions Showcase Presented by Best Buy Ads |
| 12:00 – 12:35 PM Concurrent Breakout Sessions: Commerce Media x Gen Z: How the Next Generation Discovers, Decides, and Buys Presented by GSTV From Browsing to Buying: AI’s Takeover of the Commerce Journey Presented by Mirakl Ads Commerce Media in a Cross-Channel Era: Driving Performance Across the Funnel Presented by Criteo |
| 12:35 – 1:35 PM Networking Lunch |
| 1:35 – 2:05 PM From Silo to System: Integrating Retail Media into the Retail Engine |
| 2:05 – 2:35 PM Engineering the Next Phase of Shoppable Media |
| 2:35 – 2:50 PM Solutions Showcase |
| 2:50 – 3:30 PM Networking Break |
| 3:30 – 4:05 PM Concurrent Breakout Sessions Building to Scale: Designing Orgs for Commerce Media Collaboration Measurement Deep Dive: What Really Moves the Needle Presented by Instacart The Language of Commerce & Media: Translating KPIs Into Common Ground |
| 4:05 – 4:20 PM Solutions Showcase |
| 4:20 – 4:50 PM The Great Debate: Who Holds The Customer in an Autonomous World? Presented by Moloco |
| 4:50 – 5:00 PM Closing Remarks |
| 5:00 – 6:00 PM Networking Reception |
*All times are in EST; Speakers and timing are subject to change. For an up-to-the-minute agenda, refer to the IAB website: https://www.iab.com/events/connected-commerce-summit-2026/
About IAB
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) empowers the media and marketing industries to thrive in the digital economy. Its membership comprises more than 700 leading media companies, brands, agencies, and the technology firms responsible for selling, delivering, and optimizing digital ad marketing campaigns. The trade group fields critical research on interactive advertising, while also educating brands, agencies, and the wider business community on the importance of digital marketing. In affiliation with the IAB Tech Lab, IAB develops technical standards and solutions. IAB is committed to professional development and elevating the knowledge, skills, expertise, and collaboration of the workforce across the industry. Through the work of its public policy office in Washington, D.C., the trade association advocates for its members and promotes the value of the interactive advertising industry to legislators and policymakers. Founded in 1996, IAB is headquartered in New York City.
IAB Media Contacts
Brittany Tibaldi // Andrew Young
516-974-2216 // 917-370-4824
[email protected] // [email protected]
