Last week, I got to join Ozone Project’s inaugural CTRL event in New York. The event is a staple in London, but new to the States (full disclosure: Beeler.Tech played an advisory role in the event). Great audience, great discussion, and all-around great stuff. A couple of thoughts coming out of the event:
Richard Kramer from Arete says no one dares call out ad tech for what it is: a “giant fee extraction machine.” Richard, I accept your challenge. I recently coined the term “pubwashing” to describe how some companies claim to help publishers when, in fact, they are building their businesses off publishers' backs. To be clear, not everyone is pubwashing, and it’s impossible to imagine publishers not needing a variety of solutions to run their businesses. It quickly becomes difficult to discern who is on your side. The key is to look for those signs that a partner benefits from the complexity of our space or is trying to reduce it.
The biggest question, however, at the event was “when do publishers start to truly band together and how?” In other words, when do we collectively start to take control of our own destiny? The signs are there that more collaboration is going to happen, not only as a necessity, but also, as Jonathan Roberts would argue, an opportunity. Argue all you want that publishing is on the ropes, and I would counter that this iteration of the publishing business model will evolve, or something new will emerge in its place. Content creation is currently undervalued. We just need to take control of that narrative.
Your reading checklist:
- Fixing the flaw in data collaboration, a conversation with Permutive’s Joe RootIn this candid conversation, Joe shares why predictive audiences are thekey to unlocking value across the entire web, and why publishers must rethink their approach to collaboration to stay competitive.
- Webinar: User expectations and ad experiences (PII required to access it)93.3% of online users would rather see ads than pay for content… but are they actually satisfied with their ad experience? Join Magali Quentel-Reme(CEO, Opti Digital), Alistair Patterson (Head of DataLab, 1XL), and our very own Rob Beeler for an exclusive webinar as they unveil the results of a multi-market research study with over 1,200 participants, exploring their relationship with digital advertising.
- What publishers should ask when choosing an OVP, with EX.CO’s Jacob UzanaRob joins Jacob Uzana, VP of Operations at EX.CO, to find out how publishers can sharpen their evaluation process of online video platforms (OVPs), what questions really stand out in RFPs, and what trends are shaping the future of video.
- Manual to momentum, Alex Campbell on automation with DanAds at theScoreIn this one-on-one conversation, Rob Beeler sits down with Alex Campbell, Sr. Director, Ad Tech & Programmatic at theScore, to explore how publishers can rethink their workflows and accelerate revenue growth in an increasingly automated world.
Savannah is sold out, but we’ve got your first look at our 2026 events calendar!
This time next week, we’ll be at Base.Camp Savannah. For those of you who were hoping to squeeze in, sadly, there’s no more room at the inn, folks. But we do have something exciting to share. Base.Camp is coming back stateside next year to two incredible destinations:
- Base.Camp SAN ANTONIO (MARCH 1-4, 2026): That’s right! We’re bringing the toughest industry conversations to the home of the Alamo. Now, a lesser marketer would go for the obvious industry “battlefield” jokes here, but we’re much too sophisticated for that.
- Base.Camp LA JOLLA (OCTOBER 4-7, 2026): Then next fall, we’re bringing Base.Camp to La Jolla, “The Jewel of San Diego.” Instead of screaming into the void, you’ll be able to look out over the picturesque Pacific coastline as you ponder the future of privacy, programmatic, and our collective sanity.
- Base.Camp MADRID (NOVEMBER 8-11, 2026): You heard it here first, folks. The final stop on our global Base.Camp tour in 2026 will be the legendary capital of Spain. Unlike Napoleon, however, we will not be bringing elephants to this historic city upon our arrival. (We prefer our spectacles to be blazer-shaped.)
Navigator will also be back in 2026 in both New York City and London, and we’re currently building out a new AI Publisher Response event that you won’t want to miss.
Raise your hand if you are interested in getting on the list early for our 2026 events.
Advertising Economic Forum will also be back in 2026!
We’re also at capacity for the Advertising Economic Forum this upcoming October, but now is the time to let us know you’re interested in joining us in 2026. The goal for next year remains the same: create the conditions for honest, high-value conversations and give the right people the room to get deals done.
Ian Rosen, Lucy Baumgartner, and David Jackman are speaking at Digital Day Camp
Three essential voices in our industry will be joining us at Digital Day Camp in Toronto on October 22, 2025:
- Ian Rosen, President of Harry Rosen: When Ian joined retailer Harry Rosen in 2018, online sales were just 3% of the business. Today, digital is the company’s biggest store. You’ll learn directly from Ian how a legacy brand re-framed investment thinking, secured board buy-in, and built a proprietary omni-channel experience, combining tradition into future-facing.
- Lucy Baumgartner of OMG Media and David Jackman of Triangle Retail Media: Retailers own the moment of intent; agencies scale it. All the pieces are in place for retail (or commerce) media to power its fair share of the Canadian market. Or are they? Where can we collaborate to see this segment realize its full potential? These are the questions we’ll unpack in a candid discussion with Lucy and David.
- Lindsay Wilson of WPP Media and Cristie Schultz of Google: What are the most effective strategies for partnering with creators to craft genuine, impactful storytelling that connects with audiences? Lindsay and Cristie will share insights on AI, Gen Z, and scaling authentic strategies that deliver real results.
The last three Digital Day Camp events sold out. So, if you’re interested in being a part of the conversations that will decide the future of Canadian digital media, register today.
Why the conversations at Base.Camp Lisbon this November matter
You don’t need to hear from us. So, we asked a few of our speakers to share why their Lisbon agenda sessions are critical conversations we need to be having right now:
- Frans Holmgren: “The industry is changing quickly, and publishers can’t afford to fly blind. Log-level data holds a lot of answers, but raw data alone isn’t enough. The real value comes when you use it to unlock insights that shape strategy and grow revenue. That’s what this talk is about: turning complex data into clear data-driven decisions. The insights are there; let’s unlock them together.”
- Eugene Healey: “The industry has traditionally relied on positioning that speaks to its own ideals, whether it be journalistic integrity, the pursuit of 'truth' (a notion that has been absolutely decimated in popular culture by 2025; we all believe most content is some form of propaganda these days), and of course, a desire to save or at least preserve the old business models. This session is about accepting where things are really at and spending time thinking about what the future might actually look like - one that we can be excited about, if not for the brands, then at least for ourselves as the workers that have built it to date."
- Teodora Tepavicharova: “Sales teams are out there selling ambitious products that promise to unlock revenue potential, while ad ops teams are left figuring out how to deliver on those promises, very often without the full context or input. The conversation around aligning sales and ad ops in programmatic needs to happen now because the gap between the two is only widening.”
Leaders from Immediate Media, Choueiri Group, Bayut and Dubizzle, CrazyGames, Bauer, Adevinta, LiveNation, Tripadvisor, Wall Street Journal, Kinective Media℠ by United Airlines, The Weather Company, Planet Sport, Netflix, News Corp, Telegraph Media Group, Livenation, City Digital Oy, Condé Nast, and others have already committed to joining us in Lisbon.
Will you be there? If so, now is the time to raise your hand.
A full list of our 2025 events all in one nice little package:
- Base.Camp: Savannah, GA October 5-8 sold out!
- Digital Day Camp, Toronto - October 22
- Base.Camp: Lisbon, Portugal - November 2-5
More things to keep your eyes out for:
- Read our take on the top updates/news items from around the industry.
- Look for your next job on our job board. Also - sign up for our Jobs Newsletter (delivered every Thursday). Subscribe here.
- Fill your open positions by helping us help you: Submit a job and check out a job seeker like Job Seeker 41, just search “Job Seeker 41” to be taken directly to their description.
Looks like our friends in Chicago had a beautiful night for a happy hour last week. I don’t know that we can give Lockr by Viant credit for the beauty, but why not give them the benefit of the doubt! I need to make it to a Chicago happy hour one of these days.Join the Community!
Thousands of professionals, of all ages, worldwide turn to Beeler.Tech as their meeting place for all things publisher revenue operations. Join the Beeler.Tech Community here! Your teams and colleagues are welcome, too.
Advance Women
October 28, 5:30 - 7:30 pm
Silver Lining Lounge @ Moxy LES, 145 Bowery, New York, New York, USA, 10002
“You’re on mute”. We’ve all been there - talking for minutes on a Zoom call before someone politely points out that they haven’t heard a word. It’s time to change that and Unmute yourself. Please join Advance Women for a night of unfiltered, unforgettable conversations with women who’ve been there. Expect an evening of inspiration centered on what happens when women come together without filters, fear, or hesitation.
A huge thank you to the sponsors and community for making this event happen! LG Ad Solutions, Automattic, Screenverse, Personalized Meetings & Travel, OpenX, AD LUCEM, AdLib: DSP Advertising Made Easy, Intent IQ, The Digital Marketeer Podcast with Stefanie Beach, and iDigress! Space is limited! Register today!
Join the Women’s Space
Our Women’s Space is growing. We are working on a Code of Conduct for events. One that Beeler.Tech will use and ask all our attendees to agree and adhere to, while then asking the industry to sign on to the same code of conduct. There are lots of ideas about where to do with this to make real change, not only for women, but for everyone. We want to elevate respect and professionalism.
We have a Slack channel and a WhatsApp group. The WhatsApp group has more conversation, but join either or both and add to the conversation!
Please reach out to Melissa if you would like to join one or both.
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