ATS London 2026: Turning First-Party Data Into Real-World Impact

ATS London, organised by leading industry publication ExchangeWire, brought together some of the brightest minds in adtech to tackle the challenges and opportunities shaping digital advertising. For AUDIENCES, it was an opportunity to reconnect with industry friends, meet new faces and continue an important conversation: how do we make first-party data genuinely useful for marketers?

As an event partner, we were delighted to have a strong presence throughout the day, from our stand and the content rooms to the networking drinks. And with our founder and CEO, Rob McLaughlin, joining the panel discussion on turning data into actionable signals, there was plenty to talk about.

From data to signal: simplifying the value of first-party data

One of the highlights of the day was our Founder & CEO Rob McLaughlin taking to the stage alongside David Fisher from Snowflake, Rachel Cottis, Head of Data-Led Advertising at The Telegraph, and David Bradford from Bloomberg Media, for Data to Signal – Simplifying the Value of First-Party Data. The discussion was brilliantly moderated by Rachel Smith, CEO and Co-Founder of ExchangeWire

Bringing together perspectives from across the cloud, publishing and audience activation ecosystems, the panel tackled one of the industry's biggest challenges: brands and publishers have invested heavily in first-party data, but too much of it remains disconnected from the media channels where it could make a meaningful difference.

The conversation explored the barriers holding the industry back, from siloed systems and legacy technology to governance and interoperability, and why turning first-party data into usable, addressable signals needs to become much simpler.

And judging by the conversations that continued long after the panel finished, this is a topic the industry is far from done discussing!

For AUDIENCES, the conversation reinforced several themes central to our mission. Activation shouldn't require brands to surrender control. First-party data is an incredibly valuable asset, but activating it shouldn't mean moving or duplicating it across multiple platforms. Cloud-native technology gives brands the ability to build and distribute audiences directly from their existing cloud environments while maintaining control and governance.

Interoperability is essential. The industry doesn't need another closed ecosystem. Brands need the freedom to work with their preferred cloud providers, identity partners and media destinations without being locked into a single technology stack.

It's time to challenge the legacy model. Complex integrations, unnecessary data movement and consumption-based pricing have made audience activation more difficult and expensive than it needs to be. Independent technology can simplify that process, making first-party data more accessible and commercially valuable.

The discussion sparked plenty of follow-up conversations throughout the afternoon, demonstrating just how relevant these challenges remain across the industry.

A busy stand, brilliant conversations and a few AUDIENCES goodies

Beyond the stage, it was fantastic to see so many people visiting the AUDIENCES stand throughout the day.

From brands and agencies to publishers, data providers and technology partners, we had some excellent conversations about the future of audience activation and how businesses can get more from the data they already own.

Our team was out in force, sharing the latest developments at AUDIENCES, including our Snowflake Native App and our recently announced partnership with Experian. Both reflect our commitment to making audience activation simpler, more interoperable and accessible to businesses across the advertising ecosystem.

And, of course, our AUDIENCES merchandise proved popular! It was great to see so many familiar faces stopping by, as well as making plenty of new connections.

‍

Great ideas from across the industry

ATS London delivered an excellent programme of discussions, with practical perspectives on the technologies and partnerships shaping the future of advertising. A particular highlight was Experian's live whiteboard session with Sarah Robertson, Chief Product Officer, Experian Marketing Services, which brought fresh energy to the conversation around data and identity.

It was also encouraging to see first-party data, interoperability and signal activation featuring so prominently across the agenda. The conversations are moving beyond simply recognising the value of first-party data towards addressing the practical challenges of putting it to work. And that is exactly where we believe the industry needs to focus.

Until next time!

From Rob's panel and the conversations at our stand to the content sessions and networking drinks, ATS London was a fantastic opportunity to connect with the wider adtech community.

A huge thank you to Rachel Smith for her brilliant moderation, our fellow panellists for sharing their perspectives and everyone who visited the AUDIENCES stand.

And, of course, thank you to the entire ExchangeWire team for bringing the industry together for another excellent event.

We've come away with plenty of ideas, new connections and conversations to continue.

Missed us at ATS? Discover how AUDIENCES is helping brands, publishers and data providers turn first-party data into actionable signals, without moving their data or compromising control.

Book a demo with AUDIENCES