SOS26

It’s so worth the friction!

Friction, and why it’s worth keeping. Clare Pickens opened on exactly that, Christina Garnett explained why you cannot optimise your way to human, and Marc Fennell and Jenna Clarke’s Riverside Chat asked what AI is quietly taking from us. Between keynotes: Rub Shoulders tables with no speaker and no slides, twenty seconds of anonymous truth in the Confession Booth, and Hunt And Brew coffee from 7.45am. On International Dog Day came the Barkout Session puppies, a gold coin a pat for Dogs’ Refuge Home. Channel 10 crossed live for the weather. Nearly 900 delegates.

ThemeFriction
SpeakersMeet them
ProgramTwo days
PhotosSee them
FilmWatch it
InsightsRead them
EditionNinth

On film

Previously on State of Social.

The speakers

Who spoke at SOS26.

The program

Session by session.

Tuesday 25 August

9.40 to 10.20am

Keynote

You aren’t going to be replaced by AI

Clare Pickens

10.30 to 11.10am

Keynote · UK

Overtaking in the attention economy

James Horne

11.20am to 12pm

Keynote · USA

You can’t optimise your way to human

Christina Garnett

1.10 to 1.40pm

Breakout Sessions · Your choice of three

RVR1

Creating meaning in an AI-optimised world

Sophie Winter

RVR2

The best answer wins

Will Bal

Presented by Bonfire

RVR3

Same problem, different company

1.50 to 2.20pm

Breakout Sessions · Your choice of three

RVR1

Pull the lever

Justin Beavis

RVR2

Privacy law just changed: what marketers need to know

Ariel Bastian

RVR3

Starting from zero: why we ditched 1 million followers

Geena Lamb

2.30 to 3pm

Breakout Sessions · Your choice of three

RVR1

In praise of bad footage

Ama Silva

RVR2

Get out of your algorithm

Tess Palmyre

RVR3

Same sector, different playbook

4 to 4.40pm

Keynote

Riverside Chat, in conversation with Jenna Clarke

Marc Fennell

4.50 to 5.30pm

Keynote · NZ

Not dead yet

Rob Campbell

Wednesday 26 August

9 to 10am

Deep Dives · Your choice of three

RVR1

Destination unknown

Saira Manns

RVR2

Sport’s social future and the brands ready for it

Katherine Loughnan, Will Schofield, Karen Papalia, Toby Dewar

RVR3

Businesses don’t burn out. People do.

Julian Pace

10.15 to 11.15am

Deep Dives · Your choice of three

RVR1

Can your brand pass the Reddit test?

Larah Kennedy, Kelly McParlane

RVR2

The trust gap

Lizzie Young

RVR3

The creator economy

Pamela Obeid

11.30am to 12.30pm

Deep Dives · Your choice of three

RVR1

Celebrity friction

David Stewart

RVR2

Better conflict for better work

Tim Duggan

RVR3

The Human Search Engine

1.30 to 2.30pm

Deep Dives · Your choice of three

RVR1

Don’t get mad, get even

Matt Lawton

RVR2

The stuff we can’t post on LinkedIn

Renée Shaw, Josh Bailey, Gabby Torres-Soler, Lachlan Bradford

RVR3

From bricks to browser

Jamie Kho, James Jeffs

2.45 to 3.45pm

Deep Dives · Your choice of three

RVR1

The new rules of communications

Lindsay Bennett

RVR2

Cold front: legacy media’s fight to stay relevant

Beau Pearson, Pete Curulli

RVR3

Mastering the other algorithm

Jes Scholz

4.20 to 5pm

Keynote · USA

Word magic for social pros

Jess Zafarris

Photos by SoCo Studios

Find yourself at #StateofSocial26.

Video by Studio Orange.

Film edited by David May at PAV from footage by Studio Orange. Thanks to Channel 10 Perth for supporting Dogs’ Refuge Home at SOS26.

Light rings and the Lube Lounge sign at SOS26

Off the stage

The Lube Lounge.

Dimmer than previous years, and that was the point. The curtains kept the daylight out so SOS26 had somewhere to actually stop between sessions.

Choose your era.

Delegate with a backpack smiles at the rail above the Optus Stadium seats, State of Social ’26

SOS26Friction

Delegates walk the corridor to River View Room 2, State of Social ’25

SOS25Refresh

Delegates listen to a session at their tables, State of Social ’24

SOS24Alchemy

Four delegates with drinks and lanyards smile for the camera, State of Social ’23

SOS23Signals

State of Social ’22

SOS22MVP

Four delegates pose in front of the State of Social backdrop, State of Social ’21

SOS21Chaos

Lanyards and name badges laid out for registration, State of Social ’20

SOS20Think. Imagine. Create.

Three delegates in front of the State of Social backdrop, State of Social ’19

SOS19Where to from here?

Round tables set in the function room with the river outside, State of Social ’18

SOS18Influence. Behaviour. Innovation.

State of Social ’27

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