Entering the world of the communications industry often begins with curiosity, but it rarely comes with the opportunity to immediately experience its very top. This year once again, Zagrebačka banka is providing exactly that opportunity through a prize competition that opens the doors of the renowned festival of market communications and creativity to emerging talents.
DK Festival, the festival of market communications and creativity that gathers several thousand participants each year, will take place once again from 7 to 10 May 2026 in sunny Rovinj. Organised by HURA and IAB Croatia, the festival will feature a programme with some of the most prominent names in the communications industry. This year, thanks to the sponsorship of ZABA, future users of the bank’s Youth Package will have the opportunity to attend free of charge. This great opportunity is available to those who have yet to sign up for the Youth Package, with applications open until May 3rd.
HOW TO APPLY?
Participation in the competition has been designed to be accessible, while at the same time encouraging originality and authenticity. To apply, participants need to sign up for the Youth Package and complete the application form with a creative response to the set challenge. The freshness of ideas and the ability to think about communication in a different way will be the key criteria in selecting the winners. The competition runs until May 3rd 2026, while the winners will be announced on May 4th. Full details on how to participate, as well as the terms, conditions and selection criteria, are available in the competition rules. Through this competition, Zagrebačka banka invites young people to showcase their creativity and think outside the box, while the most creative among them will be rewarded with participation in this year’s DK2026. A total of 15 winners will each receive two festival passes and discover what goes on behind the scenes of the world of communications.
THE MAIN STAGE BRINGS TOGETHER GLOBAL NAMES
The program also brings together a range of speakers whose work defines the direction of the industry, including Jürgen Schmidhuber, the unconventional father of modern artificial intelligence; Julie Supan, an elite brand strategist who helped lay the foundations of YouTube, Airbnb, Dropbox, Reddit, and Discord; Mark Pollard, one of the world’s most influential strategists today; Chris Do, a renowned designer and creative mentor known for redefining how creatives position and price their work; Steve Keller, an expert in sonic branding; Dora Pekeč, one of the key communications experts behind Zohran Mamdani’s mayoral campaign in New York; Daan Klaver, a brand expert who has worked with brands such as Adidas, Polaroid, and Akris; Alex Cattoni, founder of The Copy Posse, a platform that brings together a community of more than half a million marketing professionals; Mike Follette, a pioneer of the attention economy and measurement; Neil Patel, a global digital marketing and growth expert behind billions; Jule Kim, an expert from Amazon and Microsoft in leadership, communication under pressure and decision-making in complex situations; and Stephan Loerke, who brings a global advertiser perspective, new recommendations for agency selection and insights into trends shaping the market at an industry level.
Through this initiative, Zagrebačka banka continues to invest in young people and their professional development, providing them with tangible opportunities to connect with the industry and gain experience that goes beyond theoretical knowledge. For many, attending the festival may be the first step towards a career in communications, as well as an incentive to further develop their own ideas and ambitions. More information about the programme is available on the official website.
Featured photo: Zvonimir Barišin/PIXSELL
