NAMIC Next is bringing together media, entertainment, technology and sports executives in New York City on October 5 for its 2026 Leadership & Impact Experience, with AI leadership, workforce development and the future of sports among the central themes.
NAMIC Next is putting artificial intelligence, leadership development and workforce pipelines at the center of its 2026 Leadership & Impact Experience, bringing executives and emerging leaders from media, entertainment, technology and sports together in New York City on October 5.
The annual event enters its 40th year as industries across the media and entertainment landscape face rapid changes in technology, consumer behavior and business models. This year’s theme, “The Leadership Effect,” focuses on how effective leaders can create lasting organizational impact by developing other leaders, expanding opportunities and guiding teams through disruption.
The program will open with a keynote from Freddie Ravel, founder of Life in Tune, followed by fireside conversations with Albert Cheng, Head of AI Studios at Amazon MGM Studios, and Rita Ferro, President of Global Advertising at The Walt Disney Company.
The focus on AI is particularly relevant to media companies. Generative AI is moving into content creation, advertising, audience analytics, production workflows and personalization, forcing media leaders to consider both the productivity opportunities and organizational consequences of the technology.
For executives, that means AI leadership increasingly involves more than technology selection. Companies must determine how employees will work alongside AI systems, which skills will become more valuable and how organizations can maintain creativity, accountability and human judgment while automating parts of the production and commercial process.
NAMIC Next’s programming will address those questions alongside broader discussions about developing emerging leaders and changes affecting the sports business.
The organization describes the event as a forum for professionals at different stages of their careers, from early-career employees to senior executives. That structure reflects a broader workforce challenge: organizations need to develop leadership capabilities continuously rather than treating succession planning as an occasional executive exercise.
The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025 estimates that 39% of workers’ existing skill sets will be transformed or become outdated between 2025 and 2030. The report also identifies AI and big data among the fastest-growing skill areas, while creative thinking, resilience and leadership remain important human capabilities.
That combination of technical and human skills is increasingly important in media and entertainment, where AI can automate elements of production while increasing demand for people capable of managing creative direction, audience strategy, technology and business decisions.
The event’s speaker roster reflects that intersection. Participants include executives from Amazon MGM Studios, Disney, Versant, ESPN, Major League Soccer, LVMH, TV One, CLEO TV, AMC Global Media and other organizations spanning entertainment, advertising, sports and technology.
NAMIC Next will also recognize several executives and organizations during its annual Leadership & Impact Awards Luncheon. Cheng will receive the Alumni Impact Award, while Charter Communications will receive the Corporate Champion Award and Telemundo will receive the Excellence in Innovation Award.
Ferro will receive the Chairman’s Award, while Jasmin Chanana, EVP of Streaming Products at AMC Global Media, will receive the Innovation Leadership Award. Michelle Strong, Co-President of Distribution at A+E Global Media, will receive the Luminary Award, and Hena Siddiqi, Vice President of User Experience & Design at AMC Global Media, will receive the Next Generation Leader Award.
The awards highlight another dimension of the event: technology and innovation are increasingly tied to leadership outcomes rather than being treated as separate functions.
Media organizations are navigating simultaneous changes in streaming economics, advertising technology, audience fragmentation, AI-generated content and evolving distribution models. Leadership teams therefore need technology fluency alongside traditional capabilities in strategy, people management and commercial execution.
The advertising side is particularly exposed to these changes. Disney, Amazon, Comcast NBCUniversal and other major media groups are investing heavily in advertising technology, connected TV and data-driven audience targeting. AI is likely to accelerate those developments by enabling more automated campaign optimization, content production and audience analysis.
At the same time, the expansion of AI creates new questions around workforce development. Employees need opportunities to acquire AI-related skills without losing the industry-specific knowledge that makes their work valuable.
NAMIC Next’s Executive Leadership Development Program provides another channel for addressing that challenge. The organization’s ELDP alumni include executives from CNN, ESPN, A+E Global Media and Amazon MGM Studios. The 2026 event will conclude with an ELDP Leadership & Alumni Reception intended to reconnect alumni and introduce the next chapter of the program.
The leadership focus is also significant because AI adoption can change organizational structures as well as individual jobs. Managers increasingly need to determine which work should remain human-led, which processes can be augmented by AI and how employees can develop the skills required for new workflows.
For media and entertainment companies, that transition is happening while the underlying business remains highly competitive. Streaming platforms are competing for attention, advertisers are demanding measurable outcomes and sports organizations are expanding digital and direct-to-consumer businesses.
NAMIC Next’s event therefore sits at the intersection of several workforce and technology trends rather than being solely a conventional leadership conference.
Its central message is that leadership development must evolve alongside technology. As AI changes how media companies create, distribute, market and monetize content, the organizations that benefit most may be those that develop leaders capable of managing both technological change and the people affected by it.
Market Landscape
AI is becoming a workforce and leadership issue across media and entertainment rather than simply an IT concern. The World Economic Forum expects significant skills disruption through 2030, with AI and big data among the fastest-growing skill areas while leadership, resilience and creative thinking remain important.
For media companies, the challenge is compounded by rapid changes in streaming, advertising, content production and sports distribution. Organizations increasingly need leaders who can connect technology investment with workforce development, business strategy and audience outcomes.
NAMIC Next’s focus on AI leadership and emerging-leader pipelines reflects that convergence. Its approach combines executive networking and leadership development with discussions about technology and changing industry models.
Top Insights
- NAMIC Next’s 2026 event will examine AI leadership, emerging-leader development and changes reshaping the sports and media industries.
- The event brings together executives across media, entertainment, technology and sports as AI increasingly changes creative and commercial workflows.
- Leadership development is becoming more important as organizations manage rapid changes in skills, job responsibilities and technology adoption.
- Amazon MGM Studios and Disney executives will headline discussions focused on AI and global advertising.
- NAMIC Next will also use the event to reconnect alumni from its 25-year-old Executive Leadership Development Program.
Join thousands of HR leaders who rely on HRTechEdge for the latest in workforce technology, AI-driven HR solutions, and strategic insights
