Dubai, UAE: The Middle East Communications Network (MCN) has joined forces with The Marketing Society as the headline partner for its flagship Changemakers Conference, taking place on 6 November 2025 at the Museum of the Future, Dubai.

This year’s theme, Challenge, calls on marketers and business leaders to rise to the defining issues shaping the world today, from climate responsibility and AI ethics to economic resilience and inclusive growth.

As part of this commitment, MCN and The Marketing Society have launched a year-long series of workshops and upskilling sessions in collaboration with Middle East Public Relations Association (MEPRA), Advertising Business Group (ABG), and AmCham Dubai, designed to raise awareness, build capability, and turn sustainability ambition into measurable action.

This initiative builds on MCN’s broader sustainability journey under MCN Impact — the group’s long-term platform that redefines how its agencies approach environmental and social responsibility across the MENAT region. MCN Impact represents a major step towards achieving the group’s Net Zero commitment by 2040, focusing on three key pillars: empowering talent through sustainability education, guiding clients with responsible marketing frameworks, and driving local environmental initiatives.

Throughout 2025, this commitment has come to life through partnerships and events — from “Sustainability as Strategy” with industry leaders including Emirates and Unilever earlier this year, to MCN’s curated sessions at Athar Festival 2025, where we brought together regional business leaders, policymakers, and brand decision-makers to translate ambition into action.

As part of the Changemakers Conference, MCN will host the panel “Build to Endure: Sustainability is the New Business Imperative,” challenging the industry to move beyond rhetoric to results, making sustainability a driver of innovation, growth, and business transformation.

Moderated by Amina Taher, CMO of Wio Bank and Chair of The Marketing Society UAE, the panel will feature Andrej Arsenijevic (Executive Creative Director & Sustainability Lead, MCN MENAT), Sabrin Rahman (Senior Advisor, Former MD of Sustainability EMEA at HSBC and Director of COP28 Partnerships), and Tanzeed Alam (Sustainability Director EMEA, Parsons). Their open discussion will explore the UAE’s sustainability momentum, the intersection of AI and sustainable innovation, and the importance of authentic communication in avoiding greenwashing.

“Every year, the Changemakers Conference celebrates those who lead through action. This session is not about theory, it’s about transformation,” said Amina Taher. “We want every person in the room to leave inspired, informed, and ready to take the sustainability pledge. Marketing has the power to influence culture and drive systemic change, but only if we use that power with purpose.”

The “Build to Endure” panel will explore the UAE’s forward-looking sustainability agenda, from its COP28 legacy and Net Zero 2050 strategy to how public–private collaboration can accelerate progress. Speakers will address themes including the role of AI in sustainable innovation, creative storytelling as a catalyst for behavioural change, and the urgent need for cross-sector partnerships that turn commitments into results.

Andrej Arsenijevic commented, “At MCN, sustainability isn’t a ‘nice-to-have’ , it’s an integral part of our business strategy across the network. From our internal initiatives to the industry platforms we support, our mission is to move the conversation from awareness to acceleration. Through our partnerships with The Marketing Society, MEPRA, ABG, and AmCham Dubai, we’re opening this dialogue to everyone, agencies, brands, clients, and communities, because sustainability is a shared responsibility.”

The panel will house an open call to action for all attendees and the wider industry to “do one better today”: to take one meaningful step that benefits their communities and the environment.

From redefining purpose-driven marketing and championing sustainability to leading with authenticity and digital innovation, The Marketing Society’s Changemakers Conference 2025 will challenge marketers not just to adapt to change, but to create it.

For more details on the Changemakers Conference, please visit: https://www.marketingsociety.com/event/inspiration-changemakers-conference-2025-uae

About The Marketing Society

The Marketing Society is the influential global community that expands perspectives on what marketers can achieve, founded in 1959, in a pub as a not-for-profit organisation.  Since then, we have grown to become a highly influential community of marketing leaders around the world, with hubs in England (HQ), Scotland, Hong Kong, Singapore, United Arab Emirates and New York.    Connecting the brightest voices in marketing to unlock the best of each other through accelerated growth, actionable inspiration, and influential connections.

At a time when marketers have never been more crucial as the people-centric growth engine of business, we recognise their essential role amid complexity and change. By bringing together marketing's brightest voices, we help them do well, do good and feel good whilst collectively elevating marketing's influence and impact. We are for marketers who mean business.

That’s why The Marketing Society exists, to unite global change leaders to accelerate responsible business growth. Together, we achieve more.

Through the connections of our 3,000+ Membership community, a world-class programme of events, ground-breaking professional development programmes, prestigious Awards scheme, publications, and insightful content, we help empower our members to lead success in their organisations and add value to customers and society, leading the conversation in businesses and the industry.

About MCN

MCN (Middle East Communications Network), part of IPG, is a leading advertising and marketing communications group in the MENAT region, partnering with clients to build enduring brands. MCN’s multi-discipline agencies span creative, media, digital, PR, data, brand experience, and specialist marketing, and include globally renowned agency brands: FP7McCann, MullenLowe, UM, Magna, Initiative, ACXIOM, MRM, McCann Health, Momentum, Craft, Weber Shandwick, Commonwealth//McCann, Jack Morton, Octagon, and Current Global.

With approximately 2,000 employees across 11 markets, MCN is committed to cultivating an inclusive environment where talent can thrive, earning recognition as a Great Place to Work for three consecutive years (2023–2025), being named one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies in 2024, and winning Agency Network of the Year 2024 by Campaign Middle East.
For more information, visit: https://www.mcnholding.com/