BIMA House Day 1 Breakfast | How AI is reshaping agency value

This Session is invite only – If you would like to attend please email events@bima.co.uk

Join Moore Kingston Smith at BIMA House as part of SXSW London for a roundtable discussion on how AI is reshaping creativity, operating models, and agency value across the marketing services industry.

AI is no longer a novelty for agencies. The conversation has moved on from using AI to embedding it: into operating models, workflows, pricing decisions and, increasingly, long‑term growth strategies.

As agencies navigate this shift, the impact of AI is being felt not just in delivery and productivity, but in margins, pricing, and investor expectations. Over the next 12–24 months, AI maturity will play an increasingly important role in how agencies are valued, how scalable they are perceived to be, and who is seen as genuinely deal‑ready.

This roundtable will bring together agency leaders and founders to explore how AI is moving from experimentation to commercial reality – and what that means for the future of the sector.

What we’ll explore

How agencies are embedding AI into their operating models – from ad hoc tools to strategy‑defining capability
Where AI is genuinely improving efficiency, scale and margins – and where it is creating pricing pressure
How AI adoption is influencing agency propositions and commercial models
What investors are looking for when assessing AI maturity and deal‑readiness
Looking ahead: how transformational AI is expected to be over the next 12–24 months – and where uncertainty remains
The session will also discuss insights from Moore Kingston Smith’s latest Marketing Services Outlook Survey.

Who is it for?

This roundtable is designed for founders and leaders across the marketing services industry who want an open, informed discussion about how AI is shaping real business outcomes.

Whether AI is already embedded at the heart of your business, or still under active consideration, we look forward to welcoming you to the conversation.

Hosts:

Esther Carder, Partner, Head of Media, Moore Kingston Smith

Esther Carder heads the marketing services department and is a senior partner within the media sector team, based in the West End office.

With over 30 years’ experience, Esther’s clients span small owner-managed businesses to larger private equity-owned and international organisations in the media space. She has been a partner specialising in the media sector for over 20 years, an area she is passionate about. She describes the sector as not only interesting but motivating because of the energetic and entrepreneurial people it attracts. In her own words: “If there can be a sexy area of accountancy, then media is it!”

Esther’s media experience ranges from providing audit opinions to specialist areas such as employee incentive schemes, valuations, EOTs and strategic growth services. She also works closely on M&A transactions, giving guidance on the journey towards exit events as well as support throughout the transaction. Her extensive knowledge of the sector means she can add commerciality to the advice she gives through an in-depth understanding of the complete life cycle of a media business and how to realise value. Her clients appreciate her professional, collaborative and approachable manner and her ability to deliver business advice in an unambiguous and easy-to-understand way.

Esther speaks regularly at industry events, is widely quoted in trade press and is Treasurer of BIMA. She is also the editor of our Annual Survey on the financial performance of marketing services companies in the UK.