Advertising Week New York Launches $100 Million Deal Challenge with Content Creators

Advertising Week is kicking off in New York from October 5 to 8 in the Penn District, in its first edition since Apollo acquired the parent company Emerald and merged it with Questex to form the "Forge" entity—an ownership change that could shape the industry's landscape and priorities over the coming years.

The event expects creator attendance to more than double from around 1,000 participants last year. It has launched a challenge aiming to generate $100 million in deals between brands and content creators over its four days, in an effort to translate high attendance into actual contracts.

The challenge was developed in collaboration with Dhar Mann, the event's chief creator officer, reflecting the shift of content creators from the fringes of the advertising ecosystem to a core pillar in brands' strategies and audience building across social platforms.

In the same context, the IAB predicts that US ad spending linked to the creator economy will rise by about 19% to reach $44 billion by 2026, indicating that this sector has become a real driver in the advertising market.

What do these terms mean?

**Content Creators:** Individuals who produce entertainment or news content on social platforms and build an audience that brands can collaborate with. **Creator Economy:** The economic activity associated with producing, funding, and promoting products through this content, including sponsorships and intermediary platforms. **Brand-Creator Deal:** An agreement between a company and a content creator to feature or discuss its product for an agreed-upon financial consideration, which may be a one-off or part of an extended campaign.