Presented by 
April 15, 2026 | Chicago, IL
A full day of strategy, creativity, and connection for independent agencies ready to lead the industry forward. Limited to 200 attendees.
New Venue
Due to demand, we've moved to Moonlight Studios in Chicago's West Loop 1446 W. Kinzie Street
Indies Rising: Building an Unfair Advantage for Marketers
Presented by
After two years of building a next-generation platform for indies, we're bringing leaders together in Chicago for a full day focused on what matters: strategy, great work, and the people driving this industry forward.
This isn't another marketing conference. This is Indies Rising—independent agencies claiming their seat at the table, sharing what's working, and building an incredibly positive force for indies, clients, and marketers.
Open to everyone. IAN members get 25% off.
Lunch Keynote
Your Unfair Advantage
Why Brands Pick Agencies That Don't Do Everything
Anthony Reeves
Author of Eat the Donkey
Amazon · Airbnb · LVMH · Verizon · Kohler
Amazon · Airbnb · LVMH · Verizon · Kohler
“Best practices produce the same results for everyone.”
When every agency has access to the same AI, the same data, the same playbooks — capability stops being an advantage. Anthony Reeves has spent 25 years at Amazon, Airbnb, LVMH, Verizon, and Kohler watching agencies walk through the door. The ones who win the work are never the ones with the longest capabilities list. They're the ones who know exactly who they are, who they're for, and what they refuse to do.
His book, Eat the Donkey, introduces The Foundation Theory — a framework for building identity that gets stronger as you grow, not weaker. At the Summit, he's applying it directly to indie agencies.
What you'll walk away with:
How to identify what makes your agency distinctive — and why “full-service” is eroding it
What brand-side leaders actually look for when they're choosing between your shop and the holding company
Why the agencies that go deeper win more work than the ones that go wider
A practical framework for building positioning that compounds — so growth reinforces who you are instead of diluting it
How to protect your identity when AI, scale, and market pressure are all pushing toward sameness
This isn't a pep talk. It's a framework you'll bring back to your team on Monday.
The Day at a Glance
9:00 AM
Registration & Breakfast
Start your day with coffee, breakfast, and networking with fellow indie agency leaders and marketers.
9:45 AM
Welcome & Opening Remarks
Featuring a welcome from our title sponsor, Arima
Opening remarks to set the stage for the day ahead, including a welcome from our title sponsor, Arima.
10:00 AM
Panel Block
Session 1: Articulating the Indie Advantage
How to Win When Holding Companies Are Still Winning Too
Plenty of indies are losing pitches to holdcos right now. This block tackles the competitive reality head-on with three fast-paced segments designed to sharpen how you pitch, how you're perceived, and what it really takes to make the jump.
Ghost of Pitches Past
A seasoned proxy dissects a real, anonymous losing pitch deck on stage. From over-engineered strategy to missed cultural cues, get real-time feedback on what costs indies the room.
Poking Procurement
Pitch consultants and procurement veterans share what they actually see when indies go head-to-head with holding companies. Reading between the lines of standard feedback to reveal what gatekeepers really mean.
Holding Co to Indie Intelligence: Tap In, Tap Out
Two holdco “defectors” unpack culture shocks and career pivots—but two chairs stay open. Audience members can tap in at any moment to share counter-tactics or intelligence that helped them outmaneuver the giants.
+ Live Burn Box Readings
Throughout the day, attendees can drop anonymous confessions, rants, hot takes, and unspoken truths into the Burn Box. The best submissions get read aloud on stage between sessions—no names, no filter. This is the first round.
11:00 AM - Break
Sponsored by 
11:30 AM
Panel Block
Session 2: Myth Busters: What CMOs Actually Experience
Testing the Claims Indie Agencies Make Against Real Client Experiences
Indie agencies make bold claims. But are they myths or reality? CMOs and brand leaders who've worked with both holding companies and indies put common indie talking points to the test across three segments—then close the block with something you won't see coming.
Indie Tinder: How Will Brands Swipe on Claims
Four brand leaders get 10 seconds each to swipe right (tell me more) or swipe left (instant pass) on 10 indie agency value propositions. Unfiltered, real-time feedback on what resonates, what triggers an eyeroll, and exactly why.
Creativity + Conflict: The Art of Healthy Tension
The thin line between healthy tension and professional disrespect. Does an indie's proactive partnership eventually feel like an ego-trip? Does the promised A-Team actually stay when a sexier brand calls? The fire vs. heart debate, live.
Quick Fire: Brand Has a Bad Idea
A mock CMO shares a not-so-brilliant idea. One pre-selected indie agency leader gets two minutes to talk them out of it—using gems from the earlier discussion.
+ CMO Confessions & Burn Box
The block wraps with a pre-recorded CMO Confessions segment plus a live reading of Burn Box submissions.
12:30 PM
Lunch Sponsored by 
Lunch + Keynote: Your Unfair Advantage
Why Brands Pick Agencies That Don't Do Everything
Anthony Reeves · Author of Eat the Donkey · Amazon · Airbnb · LVMH · Verizon · Kohler
“Best practices produce the same results for everyone.” Anthony Reeves has spent 25 years inside the companies where agencies compete for the work. The ones who win are never the ones who do the most—they're the ones who go deepest. At the Summit, he's bringing The Foundation Theory from his book Eat the Donkey and applying it to indie agencies: how to identify what makes you distinctive, why going wider is killing your positioning, and what brand-side leaders are looking for when they choose between you and the holding company.
1:30 PM
Panel + Q&A
Session 3: What Marketers Really Want from Agency Partners
Building Relationships That Last (From Both Sides of the Table)
Stop guessing what clients want. Hear directly from CMOs and brand leaders who work with agencies every day.
Exploring the Mechanics of Intimacy + Friction of Growth
The best brand-agency partnerships mirror the complexities of a long-term relationship. This session deconstructs how indie agencies maintain their provocative soul while building the infrastructure for growth—from navigating C-suite disconnects to determining how much of a brand's identity should live within its agency's walls.
2:30 PM - Break
3:00 PM
Presented by 
Dual Panel Block
Session 4: Where Brands & Agencies Are Placing Their Bets
Emerging Trends, New Channels & What's Actually Worth Your Investment
Cut through the hype. Marketers and agency leaders share where they're investing time, money and resources in 2026 and beyond—and what they're pulling back on. Two back-to-back panels cover growth strategy and focused investments.
Growth Strategy: Plotting What's Now to What's Next
Beyond sanitized headlines: the high-stakes reality of mergers and acquisitions. The friction of cultural integration, the signals of a deal gone sideways, and the market shifts forcing leaders to double down or walk away.
Surveying Bluffs, Blunders + Focused Investments
Cutting through performative innovation to identify where the money is actually following. The true cost of vertical specialization, the reality of AI beyond the hype, and how indies are outmaneuvering holdcos through superior data and talent agility.
4:30 PM
Interactive Workshop
Session 5: Protecting Your Work
More Treasure, Less Traps — IP, Legal Frameworks & the Celeb/Influencer Space
Your creativity is a treasure, yet it's often bled dry by invisible invoices and legal landmines. This interactive workshop navigates the high-stakes intersection of contract law, influencer economics, and AI-generated pitches. It's time to stop giving away the “Indie Advantage” for free.
Invisible Invoice
Walk through a sample $50K influencer budget illuminating hidden costs: whitelisting tax, SAG fees, shadow production costs, and usage rights. Closing question: who eats these costs when they aren't in the SOW?
Talent Trap
An anonymized real-world deal gone sideways—exclusivity violations, morals clause triggers, or six-figure usage disputes. Legal experts provide the post-mortem. The audience plays “what would you have done differently?”
IP Treasure Hunt
Walk through a hypothetical agency portfolio and tag what's copyrightable, what's trademark-worthy, and what's already been given away via standard contract language. Closing question: if you used AI to generate your pitch mood board, who owns it now?
5:30 PM
Show Off Happy Hour
Presented by 
Celebrating the Work of Independent Agencies
The day ends with great work, great drinks, and great conversation. 12 indie agencies showcase their best work—5 minutes each, no pitch, just pure creative celebration.
7:00 PM
Closing Remarks
The day wraps with a ton of gratitude and next steps as we all prepare for Own It on April 16th.
Reserve Your Spot
80 of 200 Spots Remaining
Limited capacity - register now to secure your place
Registration
$599
IAN Members get 25% off: $449.25
Email su****@*********cy.news for your member discount code
Not a member? Join now and save 25%
All ticket sales are non-refundable.
Questions? Email su****@*********cy.news
The Venue
Moonlight Studios
1446 W. Kinzie Street
Chicago, IL 60642
Chicago, IL 60642
Over 15,000 square feet of industrial chic event space in the heart of Chicago's West Loop. A repurposed factory with modern neutral finishes, reclaimed accents, and the kind of character you won't find in a hotel ballroom. Open studio, gallery spaces, green room, and a built-in LED wall and production stage—all interconnected and configured for our day.
Getting There:
CTA: Grand stop (Blue Line) or Ashland stop (Green/Pink Lines) — short walk
Parking: Free street parking available in the area
Rideshare: Drop-off at 1446 W. Kinzie Street
Easy access from anywhere in the city. West Loop dining and coffee right outside the door.