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Stagwell is hosting the inaugural Future of News NewsFronts on Oct. 16 in New York. The upfronts style event will bring together thought leaders to spotlight innovation and opportunity in news media, and secure advertising commitments from brands for the year to come. It will feature panel discussions and keynotes exploring the challenges and opportunities shaping the next chapter of news media, as well as presentations from leading news organizations about their priorities for the year ahead. Programming will include: a productization track featuring a fireside chat on Creating Enduring News Products with the New York Times' Michael Barbaro; a monetization track with a keynote on Building Monetizable Communities with Axios' Mike Allen; and an innovation track featuring a keynote on New Media with Mo News' Mosheh Oinounou, as well as a panel on Storytelling in the Age of AI. "Our NewsFronts will bring together our coalition of partners, renowned journalists, and news junkies to drive conversation around the future of news media," said Stagwell's chief corporate affairs officer Alexis Williams.
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Marketbridge acquires UK-based B2B technology marketing firm Revere. The move, which is backed by private equity firm RTC Partners, doubles Marketbridge’s headcount in Europe, following its acquisition of April Six earlier this year. Along with 52 staffers, Revere brings clients including Westcoast, Lenovo, Samsung and Fujitsu into the Marketbridge group. Its understanding of the channel ecosystem is intended to enhance Marketbridge’s capabilities in serving clients with complex routes to market. April Six and Revere will form the foundation of Marketbridge Europe, enabling the organization to better serve global B2B clients. “Revere brings a depth of insight, a strong advisory ethos, and a proven ability to deliver meaningful outcomes for ambitious technology brands,” said Marketbridge John Shomaker.
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| Rob Duda |
Peppercomm SVP Rob Duda joins the 2025 Board of Directors of The St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund, a nationwide nonprofit that provides short-term relief to Class A OTR drivers suffering from an illness or injury that took them out of work within the last year. The organization also provides free preventative health and wellness programs for OTR drivers. Duda, who leads communications strategy for major mobility and infrastructure clients at Peppercomm, a Ruder Finn Group company, is also secretary of the Board of Directors for the International Motor Press Association. “His experience working in the trucking and mobility industries, coupled with his passion for supporting professional drivers, will be invaluable as we continue to expand our reach and impact,” said SCF executive director Courtney Niemann. To make a donation or become a sponsor of SCF, contact director of philanthropy Diane Hutsell via email at [email protected].
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FIFTH ELEMENT, a healthcare communications agency employing an AI-based anticipatory intelligence platform to predict the hopes fears, and beliefs of healthcare professionals and patients, is launched by 21Grams founder and CEO Robert Blink and IPG Health group president Renée Mellas. The new agency’s approach is focused on delivering solutions and content that it says are scientifically rigorous and emotionally resonant, letting it move faster, see shifts sooner and make artificial intelligence a natural part of the strategic and creative process. "Joining forces with Renée Mellas at FIFTH ELEMENT gives us the opportunity to combine our history of visionary leadership and innovation in healthcare communications to deliver on what clients need, not just today but in the future,” said Blink.
53Six, a Dublin- and London-based sports marketing agency, is acquired by Irish experience and entertainment group FUEL... Blue Highway Advisory releases a report that looks at how the shift from CEO to AI has changed the way in which consumers access information, and offers advice on how to handle the new landscape... Get Engaged, whose services include campaign ideation, social media management, influencer marketing, celebrity partnerships, content production and paid media, joins SAMY, a social-first agency headquartered in Madrid. 
The Hoffman Agency, a Silicon Valley-based firm with offices in Europe, Asia and the U.S., teams up with United Partners Network, a global community of independent communications agencies... ChangeMakers acquires R&G Strategic, a Halifax, Nova Scotia-based firm with a practice that spans ESG and sustainability strategy and reporting; stakeholder engagement; climate and GHG consulting; sustainability campaigns; branding; communications; and marketing... AltaVista Strategic Partners, a Baltimore-based firm, opens an second office in Tampa, effective Oct. 15.
Curley & Pynn Public Relations Management rebrands as Biplane focused specifically on helping nonprofits build visibility, reputation and trust to advance their philanthropy... SKDK launches a payer negotiation practice that is designed to support health systems as they navigate increasingly complex negotiations with insurers... ChangeMakers, a strategy and communications firm with over 400 professionals across North America, launches RepScore.
Prosek Partners opens in San Francisco under the leadership of partner Nadia Damouni... Caliber Corporate Advisers, which works with clients in the fintech and financial services sectors, introduces the Caliber Authority Index (Caliber AI), a proprietary measurement platform... Herbie Thiele Consulting, a public affairs firm blending lobbying and communications, is launched by the longtime Sachs Media partner.
Bospar expands its Audit*E tool for small- and medium-sized businesses, which provides comprehensive visibility scoring, competitive analysis and platform-specific improvement recommendations, giving users actionable intelligence to help with brand positioning.... 5W is increasing its presence in Tampa and the Florida market....PR Consultants Group, a nationwide network of senior-level public relations, strategic communications and marketing specialists in more than 50 U.S. markets, has brought on 13 independently owned public relations firms across 13 markets and 12 states so far in 2026.
