Marketing leaders from Disney Cruise Line, Petronas and Finmo will headline the opening keynotes across Festival of Marketing Asia’s main stage, B2C and B2B tracks at its inaugural Kuala Lumpur event. Early bird savings of USD500 are available until 10 July.
HONG KONG and KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia and SINGAPORE, June 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Haymarket Media Asia, publisher of Campaign, today unveiled the opening keynote speakers for the inaugural Festival of Marketing Asia (FoM Asia), taking place on 3 September 2026 at PARKROYAL COLLECTION Kuala Lumpur.
Building on the June launch announcement, this marks a key milestone for the first Asian edition of the UK’s leading marketing festival, which has convened more than 1,000 marketers annually. The Asia debut will bring together over 300 B2B and B2C marketers for a full day of high-impact content across a morning main stage and two afternoon focus stages dedicated to B2C and B2B excellence.
Festival of Marketing Asia differentiates itself from traditional events through case study-led sessions across every stage, ensuring all content is grounded in real-world examples and practical application.
Early bird rates end on 10 July, offering savings of USD 500 on festival passes.
The Opening Main Stage Keynote: Disney Cruise Line
The main stage will open with a keynote titled “Logic in marketing makes you right, but magic makes you remembered,” delivered by Disney Cruise Line that recently welcomed the Disney Adventure, the first ship in the fleet to homeport in Asia.
The session will explore how Disney Cruise Line brings its storytelling to life through thoughtfully designed activations and inventive marketing approaches. From high-impact initiatives that have driven meaningful results to regionally relevant collaborations across Asia that have elevated brand visibility and strengthened awareness of a new brand and offering, where each effort is anchored by Disney Cruise Line’s signature cruise vacation experience.
The B2C Opening Keynote: Petronas Lubricants International
Bruno Bechtlufft, Head of Marketing, Customer Service and Commercial Excellence – Asia at Petronas Lubricants International, will open the B2C stage with “Designing for human states: beyond the customer journey.”
The session challenges the traditional notion of linear customer funnels, arguing that customers no longer move through predictable paths. Instead, Bechtlufft will explore how brands can design experiences around shifting emotions, intent, and real-life contexts to create deeper customer connection and long-term value.
A seasoned marketing leader with extensive experience across Asia-Pacific, Bechtlufft has been with Petronas Lubricants International since 2013, driving brand growth and market share.
His presentation will explore designing for emotional and contextual states, identifying behavioural triggers beyond traditional journey mapping, and building adaptive customer experiences that reflect real-world complexity.
The B2B Opening Keynote: Finmo
Mansi Chopra, Chief Marketing Officer at Finmo, will open the B2B track with “From marketing to growth architecture: the new mandate for B2B leaders.”
The session addresses the changing role of B2B marketers, who are increasingly expected to influence revenue, pipeline, and customer growth beyond traditional communications. Chopra will explore how marketing leaders can transition into growth architects by aligning brand, sales, and customer experience.
Chopra is a fintech marketing leader with 15 years of experience across media, payments, and SaaS, and was named one of the Top 30 Fintech Marketers by Fintech Marketing Hub in 2025.
She will examine how B2B marketing roles are shifting, why growth leadership requires cross-functional alignment, and how modern CMOs can better connect brand-building with measurable business impact.
CMO Boardroom
FoM Asia will also feature an exclusive CMO Boardroom – a closed-door, invitation-only session where senior marketing leaders can engage in candid, off-the-record conversations on strategy, innovation, and market impact. The session is held in partnership with mediasense as CMO Knowledge Partner.
Confirmed Speakers Announced
FoM Asia has unveiled its first wave of confirmed speakers, bringing together some of the region’s most influential marketing leaders, brand builders and customer experience experts. The growing lineup reflects the event’s commitment to showcasing innovative thinking, practical insights and transformative strategies across both B2B and B2C marketing.
Taking to the Main Stage are:
- Matteo Frigerio, Chief Marketing Officer, Agoda
- Luca Destefanis, Vice President Marketing, Campaigns and Digital, Kyndryl
- Sudesh Thevasenabathy, Head of Inclusion, Manulife
- Nafees Khundker, Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Muslim Pro
- Esther Tan, Global Director of Marketing & E-Commerce, Plaza Premium Group
- Rica Facundo, Managing Editor, WARC APAC
B2C Track
- Cynthia Seow, Director, Customer Experience & Digital, Astro
- Lolitta Suffian, Senior Vice President – Customer Experience, Bank Simpanan Nasional
- Sangeet Singh, Head of Marketing, SEA, GoPro Inc.
- Stella Tan, VP and Head, Events, Brand and Segment Marketing, Income Insurance
- Saurabh Mathur, Head, Customer Experience and Digital Marketing, Income Insurance
- Sarvesh Sahni, Marketing Director – Skincare & Women’s Health, AMENA (Asia, Europe, Middle East and Africa), iNova Pharmaceuticals
- Bruno Bechtlufft, Head of Marketing, Customer Service and Commercial Excellence – Asia, Petronas Lubricants International
- Dinali Rajapakse, Head of Brand, Uber Eats Sri Lanka
- Janine Diaz, Global Media Performance Lead, APeC, Volvo Cars Corporation
B2B Track
- Pooja Chhabria, Vice President Marketing APAC, Adyen
- Nicolas Bargas, Omnichannel & Marketing Communication Director, BD
- Mansi Chopra, Chief Marketing Officer, Finmo
- Nishita Lalvani, Chief Marketing Officer (F), IFS Capital Limited
- Nicholas Braman, Marketing Director APJ, Kyriba
- Robin Kong, Regional Marketing Director, APJ, Yubico
- Yong Yau Goh, Global Brand & Marketing Leader | Former Fintech and Wellness CMO
(More speakers will be announced in the coming weeks.)
“Following strong interest since our June announcement, it is clear that Asia’s marketers are hungry for something different. This speaker lineup – spanning B2B, B2C, and everything in between – is our response. We’re bringing together the people who are actually shaping the future of marketing, not just talking about it,” said Atifa Silk, Managing Director, Haymarket Media Asia.
“One of the things we’re most excited about is how the B2B and B2C tracks speak to each other. A B2C marketer sitting in Chopra’s B2B session will walk away thinking differently about growth. A B2B marketer in Bechtlufft’s session will rethink how they design for human behaviour. That crossover is where the real magic happens,” added Jaime Ng, Events Director, Festival of Marketing Asia.
Event Details
Event: Festival of Marketing Asia 2026
Date: 3 September 2026
Venue: PARKROYAL COLLECTION Kuala Lumpur
Early bird deadline: 10 July 2026
Registration: https://bit.ly/4vCcno5
Festival of Marketing Asia is pleased to announce PR Newswire as the official media partner for the 2026 event.
For media enquiries, interview requests, or media passes, please contact:
Danika Wong
danika.wong@haymarket.asia
Senior Marketing Manager
Haymarket Media Limited
About Festival of Marketing
Festival of Marketing is one of the world’s leading events for brand marketers, blending inspiration and practical application through keynotes, multi‑track content, workshops, and curated networking. Launched in 2013 in the UK, the Festival brings together thousands of marketers from across industries every year to explore the ideas, technologies, and strategies that drive real business impact.
www.festivalofmarketingasia.com/
About Campaign Asia-Pacific
Campaign Asia-Pacific provides unparalleled insights into the ideas, work, and personalities shaping the marketing-communications industry. By fostering open, honest dialogue and showcasing game-changing innovations, the platform has become an indispensable resource for marketing professionals across the globe.
www.campaignasia.com
About Haymarket Media Limited
With more than 70 market-leading brands and a presence in key markets such as the UK, US, Hong Kong SAR, Singapore, and India, Haymarket Media Group, the parent company of Campaign Asia-Pacific, is dedicated to delivering specialist content and experiences that connect people and communities worldwide.
www.haymarket.com