CCIMS Marketing Conference

Texas McCombs Marketing Conference 2026

This year's programming will bring together brand marketing leaders, agency principals, and operators at the forefront of AI-driven marketing. Sessions and panels will offer both big-picture inspiration and tactical depth, exploring how AI is reshaping creative workflows, sharpening audience strategy through smarter data and insight, and enabling hyper-personalization at scale. The program will also speak directly to one of the industry's most pressing questions: what does this transformation mean for marketers' careers, and how do you position yourself as an AI-fluent professional in a rapidly evolving field. Attendees will leave with a clear view of how today's most forward-thinking brands and agencies are embracing AI - not as a future consideration, but as the discipline's new operating reality.

View the 2026 agenda

Marketing Challenge

The McCombs Marketing Challenge allows teams of four MBA and MS Marketing students to prepare presentations based on their analysis of a business case distributed the week prior to the challenge. The case will be released at a Zoom event on 10/21/26. Case presentations are due at 5:00 pm on 10/28/26.

The first round of presentations takes place 10/29, followed by a final round is 10/30, in which four teams participate. Corporate representatives will judge presentations detailing case analysis and recommendations. The winning team will be announced Friday during the conference. Challenge participants are expected to attend the full conference.

Students assemble teams of four prior to registering
Space is limited and spots are first come, first served. All members of a team must be registered individually to be guaranteed a spot.
Over $7,000 in cash and prizes
Judges represent a wide range of companies

Registration Information

This event is for McCombs students, Marketing faculty, corporate sponsors and invited guests.

Accommodations

A block of hotel rooms has been reserved for Oct 28-30, 2026 at the AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center.

Reservations can also be made using the contact information listed below. Please request the “McCombs Marketing Conference” group rate.

AT&T Hotel & Conference Center
(512) 404-3600
1900 University Avenue, Austin, TX 78705

Explore Paths Forward

With new AI opportunities come important questions. "Am I equipped with the necessary talent and skills to keep up with the pace of change? Am I using AI-driven applications to their fullest potential? Am I using data in an unbiased and ethical way?" Hear from lineup of marketing experts with a wide range of expertise who will dive into these questions and more.