Monday, May 4 - Pre-Summit
10:00 am -
4:00 pm
Board Meeting
WPI Board of Directors only. Lunch provided.
10:00 am -
4:00 pm
Next Gen Council Meeting
WPI Next Gen Council members only. Lunch provided.
6:30 -
9:30 pm
Basis Oasis Opening Reception
​Bangers Sausage House & Beer Garden
79 Rainey St, Austin, TX 78701 (map it)
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At Banger’s BBQ, it’s all about Texas-sized flavor and hospitality—smoked meats, craft beer, and a lively atmosphere on Rainey Street set the perfect stage for connection and celebration.​
Tuesday, May 5 - Day 1
Our general sessions will take place at the W Austin - 200 Lavaca St, Austin, TX 78701. (map it)
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6:00 -
7:00 am
Wake Up Yoga on the Wet Deck
Start the summit day with intention. Join your partners on the Wet Deck of the W Austin for a grounding, energizing flow designed to clear the mind, open the body, and spark creative clarity. No experience necessary—just step onto the mat, stretch into possibility, and begin the day centered, refreshed, and ready for the transformative conversations ahead.
7:00 -
9:00 am
Breakfast on the Terrace
Breakfast will be served on the Terrace from 7-9 am. Please be sure to grab a meal before heading to the General Sessions.
9:15 -
9:30 am
Welcome to TRANSFORM 26
Ann-Louise Rosen, WPI Board Chair + Co-CEO | Advance
9:30 -
10:15 am
WPI Next
John Harris, President + CEO | Worldwide Partners
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John Harris, President & CEO of Worldwide Partners, will provide an update on the network and outline the goals and strategies for the next year.
10:15 -
11:15 am
Hackonomy: Driving Innovation by Transforming Mindsets & Culture
Bonin Bough, Marking Guru, Investor & Author
11:15 -
11:45 am
Networking Break
11:45 am -
12:45 pm
Sell Everything But Your Soul. The 2026 Agency Survival Guide
​Matt Weiss, SoulPurpose Advisory
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Sell Everything But Your Soul. The 2026 Agency Survival Guide is a fast, no‑nonsense session for agency leaders who want to protect margins, stay irreplaceable in an AI-obsessed market, and grow without selling out what makes their shop human, creative, and different. It focuses on how to clarify your agency’s true superpower, design offers that buyers actually pay for, and build a growth engine rooted in culture, purpose, and relationships, not panic discounts and race-to-the-bottom pitches.
Led by Matt Weiss, a former global agency president and founder of SoulPurpose Advisory, this talk brings hard-won lessons from decades in the New York agency game into a practical survival playbook for 2026. SoulPurpose Advisory is a partnership-oriented growth advisory that helps ambitious CEOs and founders sharpen their positioning, win more pitches, and sell their expertise at the highest margin.
12:45 -
2:00 pm
Lunch and shareholder meeting
2:00 -
3:00 pm
Netwalking​
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Back by popular demand, attendees will pair up for a networking stroll to share your biggest challenges and explore specific collaboration opportunities.
3:00 -
3:15 pm
Networking Break
3:15 -
4:15 pm
The Transformation Sessions
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In this series of short, high-impact talks, your partners will showcase the innovative ways they are transforming their businesses, their capabilities, and the industry at large.
7:00 -
10:00 pm
Group Dinner
Quince Lakehouse
3825 Lake Austin Blvd #201, Austin, TX 78703 (map it)
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Quince Lakehouse pairs sweeping views of Lake Austin with globally inspired cuisine, offering an elevated setting that’s equal parts vibrant and relaxed.
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Please make your way to Quince. Uber vouchers will be provided.
Wednesday, May 6 - Day 2
Our general sessions will take place at the W Austin - 200 Lavaca St, Austin, TX 78701. (map it)
​​​​
6:00 -
7:00 am
Wake Up Yoga on the Wet Deck
Start the summit day with intention. Join your partners on the Wet Deck of the W Austin for a grounding, energizing flow designed to clear the mind, open the body, and spark creative clarity. No experience necessary—just step onto the mat, stretch into possibility, and begin the day centered, refreshed, and ready for the transformative conversations ahead.
7:00 -
9:00 am
Breakfast on the Terrace
Breakfast will be served on the Terrace from 7-9 am. Please be sure to grab a meal before heading to the General Sessions.
9:00 -
9:30 am
Day 1 Recap
Ann-Louise Rosen, WPI Board Chair + Co-CEO | Advance
9:30 -
10:30 am
Speaker + session details coming soon... ​​
10:30 -
11:30 am
Speaker + session details coming soon... ​​
11:30 am -
12:00 pm
Networking Break
12:00 -
1:00 pm
Transforming Talent Growth in a Shifting Work Landscape
Matt Moog, Founder + CEO, Careerbird.ai
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The modern workforce has made one truth clear: in an era of rapid transformation, vague roles and undefined paths no longer meet the expectations of today's talent. Younger generations in particular want clarity, mobility, and a sense of where their work can lead. If they can’t see a future, they’ll go find one elsewhere. But when the job market itself keeps evolving, what does a meaningful, modern career path even look like?
In this session, Matt Moog takes the stage to explore how AI, skills-based planning, and data-driven insights are reshaping the way independent agencies understand and support their people. He’ll examine the forces transforming today’s work environment, the changing needs and aspirations of emerging talent, and how skill-first approaches can create more adaptive, future-ready organizations.
Through real-world examples and forward-looking perspectives, Matt will show how agencies can rethink traditional career structures, build cultures of continuous learning, and empower teams to grow despite an unpredictable landscape. Attendees will walk away with a deeper understanding of how to transform talent development to meet the demands—and opportunities—of the next era of work.
1:00 -
2:00 pm
Lunch
2:00 -
3:00 pm
The Transformation Sessions
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In this series of short, high-impact talks, your partners will showcase the innovative ways they are transforming their businesses, their capabilities, and the industry at large.
3:00 -
4:00 pm
Hits and Misses
Jim Beavers, Country Music Songwriter
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Go behind the scenes of country music's creative engine with Grammy-nominated songwriter Jim Beavers, the mind behind chart-topping hits for some of country music’s biggest names. In this candid and engaging session, Jim pulls back the curtain on the art--and the heart——of songwriting, sharing how true collaboration happens in the writing room and on the road.
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Through stories from his career, Jim explores the full creative process: the spark of an idea, the push-and-pull of co-writing, and the delicate craft of shaping a song that resonates. He’ll also shine a light on the lesser-told side of the industry—the songs that never make the charts, or never make it out of the room at all—and why those “misses” often matter just as much as the hits.
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Blending conversation with live performance, Jim brings his process to life, offering an intimate look at how melodies, lyrics, and human connection come together to create music that moves millions.
4:00 -
4:15 pm
Closing Remarks
7:00 -
10:00 pm
WPI Awards Ceremony
Skybox on 6th 501 W 6th St 4th Floor, Austin, TX 78701 (map it)
Skybox on 6th delivers rooftop energy and sweeping downtown views—the perfect backdrop for our Grand Indies and Perfect Partner Awards Ceremony, where we’ll celebrate standout work and ideas under Austin’s skyline.