IAB Australia, in partnership with Initiative Perth, host inaugural event in Western Australia

The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) Australia held its first-ever event in Western Australia last week, marking a significant milestone for the digital advertising industry in the state. The Perth Market Update, hosted in partnership with Initiative, took place on 13 March 2025 and welcomed 100 local industry professionals.

The event brought together key industry experts to discuss emerging trends, technological advancements, and market insights specific to the Western Australian digital landscape. Attendees gained valuable knowledge on critical topics including Programmatic Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) advertising, Digital Audio opportunities, and the unique characteristics of the WA media market.

Featured speakers included Brad Palmer, National Programmatic Director at JCDecaux who presented on the growing Programmatic DOOH sector, while Kai Battaglene, ARN’s National Programmatic Sales Director delivered insights on Digital Audio followed by a Q&A panel featuring Vici Richardson, Head of Brand & Growth at HBF and Charles Dangibeaud, Head of Strategy & WA Government at Initiative Perth, providing attendees with practical knowledge from both advertiser and agency perspectives.

IAB Australia’s CEO Gai Le Roy presented the latest market spend data and trend analysis, while Jonas Jaanimagi, IAB’s Technical Director, provided a comprehensive update on technology developments and privacy considerations affecting the industry.

“The Western Australian market represents an important growth area for digital advertising in Australia, with unique audience characteristics and opportunities,” said Gai Le Roy, CEO of IAB Australia. “We’re committed to supporting the WA industry with localised insights and education, and the enthusiastic response to this inaugural event confirms the appetite for greater engagement in this region.”

“We believe that sharing knowledge and fostering collaboration are fundamental to the growth and success of our industry in Western Australia,” said Paige English, Head of Initiative Perth. “This inaugural IAB event represents an important step in bringing world-class digital advertising expertise to Perth’s marketing community and demonstrates our commitment to supporting the development of local talent and businesses.”

A session on “Assessing Audience Engagement and Value” brought together Annaliese Mathews, Group Digital Lead (QLD/SA/WA) at News Corp Australia, and Samantha Marx, Performance Director at Match & Wood. Their conversation offered valuable insights on media performance metrics and engagement strategies for the Western Australian market.

The day concluded with a dynamic panel discussion exploring the unique characteristics and opportunities within the Western Australian media landscape. The panel (pictured above) included industry leaders Jess Cameron, Agency Account Director at ARN; Henrik Söderlund, Media Activations Lead at Initiative; Alicia Campbell, Strategy & Insights Director at Seven West Media; and Sebastian Tatur, Digital Sales Manager at Media Tonic / Yahoo. The panellists shared their perspectives on the region’s distinct audience behaviours and growth potential, highlighting Western Australia’s unique position in the national media landscape.

The event was made possible through the generous support of sponsors JCDecaux, ARN, Media Tonic and News Corp Australia.

Following the tremendous success of this inaugural event, IAB Australia has confirmed plans to host additional industry updates in Western Australia in the future, recognising the state’s growing importance in Australia’s digital advertising ecosystem.