Marketing festival that cuts through the noise

Creative challenge vote at last year's marketing festival | Supplied

The Amplify Marketing Festival 2025, hosted by The Marketing Society, returns on 21 August 2025 at the University of Edinburgh Business School, bringing together Scotland’s marketing community for a day of insight, debate and creative inspiration.

Chris Marsh | Supplied

For more than a decade, The Marketing Society has championed events during the Edinburgh Festival, celebrating marketing’s power to shape business growth and cultural change. Amplify has become the flagship event, uniting agencies, clients and creatives in an engaging, informal and stimulating forum designed to spark big ideas and build a vibrant marketing community. Carat are proud to be the headline partner of Amplify for a sixth year.

This year’s Amplify opens with The Ogilvy Lecture, an annual highlight honouring the legacy of David Ogilvy - one of Scotland’s most influential advertising pioneers. The 2025 lecture will be delivered by Orlando Wood, Chief Innovation Officer at System1 and a leading voice in creative effectiveness. Sponsored by Ogilvy, Orlando’s lecture will explore the powerful relationship between emotion in advertising and long-term success in brand building as well as championing showmanship in advertising.

The programme also features The Amplify Debate, where industry leaders will tackle the provocative motion: “This house believes to improve company culture and performance, marketing should lead the way back to the office.” The session promises sharp, evidence-based arguments and lively discussion, reinforcing Amplify’s reputation for fearless, future-focused thinking.

Attendees can also select from six breakout sessions covering topics such as Nation Branding with Brand Scotland, Employer Brand of the Year, The Cannes Lions Review, The Best Beer Ads in the World, Client vs Agencies Creative Challenge and Celebrating Craft: a masterclass in copywriting with Honorary Fellow Gerry Farrell - all offering practical insights and fresh perspectives.

The festival concludes with the legendary After Party, sponsored by sister agency Dentsu Creative, at the Assembly Club Bar, giving attendees the chance to connect, share ideas and celebrate our community.

Amplify is a must-attend event for marketers who mean business. Limited tickets are available - head online and secure your place now and be part of the conversation shaping the future of marketing in Scotland.

Find out more here

Chris Marsh is Managing Director, Carat - Headline Partner of The Amplify Marketing Festival and Fellow of The Marketing Society