Let’s be honest: DK has never just been your regular industry event. It’s the place where ideas collide, industries evolve and where the people who are actually ready to take a step toward the future show up shake things up and drop some hard truths. This year’s edition? No different — just louder, sharper and more unapologetic.
The festival officially opened its doors on 15 May, welcoming creatives, marketers, techies, designers and communication experts of every kind. Over the next three days, DK will turn Rovinj’s Hotel Lone into a buzzing hive of energy, ideas and some serious star power.
And yes, even the President showed up. Zoran Milanović, the President of the Republic of Croatia and official patron of the festival, took the main stage to reflect on global challenges, political landscapes and the role of communication in all of it.
The latest edition of DK was presented by Dunja Ivana Ballon, Executive Director of DK and its program and Jelena Fiškuš, DK Organizing Committee Member.
Photo: Marko Lopac
Creatives and communicators shape messages every day that reach a wide audience, so it’s important to be reminded of the responsibility for their quality and authenticity. I hope that DK Festival encourages us to think about that responsibility, as well as about education that goes beyond technical skills and includes ethical and philosophical questions — how to stay authentic, informed and open to change at a time when more and more can be delegated to machines. I’d like brand managers and decision-makers to leave the festival with a message of courage: to work with us professionals in creating creative solutions that drive positive social change, deliver business results and make our local industry something to be proud of in a global context – said Jelena Fiškuš.
Photo: Marko Lopac
Instabilities that shape the entire world – from geopolitical events to the development of technology and artificial intelligence – are coming (too) fast and show no signs of stopping. Our profession has never waited for change – we’ve always taken part in creating it, recognized it early, adopted it first and knew how to turn it into an advantage, said Ballon, explaining the purpose and mission of the festival. She added: We still have that responsibility today – to be first, intelligently and with intention – for further development, new ways of thinking and a stronger, modern market that we help empower to be contemporary not just because of technology, but also in the way it thinks, operates, influences, creates and relates to people and the environment.
Photo: Vana Katančić
After a first day that saw Sophia, the world’s most famous humanoid AI and Johan Ronnestam, global branding expert, serial entrepreneur, and creative mind behind campaigns for brands like Volvo, adidas and IKEA, take the stage — things are only heating up. On Friday, 16 May, the spotlight shifts to an even bolder lineup. Get ready to hear from Karen Nelson-Field, the world’s leading expert on the attention economy and the most published author on WARC; Blair Enns, the go-to global authority on selling and pricing creative services; Amber Case powered by ENNA — a cyborg anthropologist and one of Fast Company’s most influential women in tech; Marisha Lakhiani, an AI and automation strategist who helps brands grow and squeeze the absolute most out of their advertising ROI; Michael Corcoran, the Internet’s Savviest Troll and former head of social at Ryanair; and Dietmar Dahmen, international heavyweight in business transformation, innovation, and future-focused strategy. And that’s just scratching the surface — plenty more local and regional experts are ready to take the stage and stir things up.
Featured photo: Vana Katančić
