This week, Fired Up made its debut and it did exactly what it said on the tin. High energy. No fluff. Just the biggest questions in AdTech tackled by some of the sharpest minds in the industry.

Hosted by Revving, Fired Up: What’s hot and what’s hotter in AdTech? Drew over 100 attendees from across the ecosystem, publishers, platforms, agencies, founders. The goal? Debate, decide, and cut through the hype.

the format was simple: five speakers. Five trending AdTech topics. One live audience votes to crown the “hottest trend for H2.” No lengthy lectures. Just sharp arguments and bold predictions. The crowd showed up. The speakers brought the heat. And the outcome gave us a lot to think about.

The Debate: What’s Hotter?

The session revolved around five battle trends:

• Contextual Targeting
• Retail Media
• Connected TV (CTV)
• Programmatic Digital Out-of-Home (PDOOH)
• Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Moderated by Bill Fisher (eMarketer), the panel featured voices from some of the most forward-thinking companies in the space: GumGum, JCDecaux, ShowHeroes, Skai, and Scope3.

Let’s break down the firepower behind each trend and the punchy 1-liners that had the audience deciding upon. 

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 Contextual: The Return of Relevance

Kicking off for Contextual was Jessica Aylett, Strategy Director at GumGum, who reframed contextual targeting as not just retro, but revolutionary.

“Contextual is definitely not new, but the way we use it is.”

She made a compelling case for a privacy-first world where cookie-based signals are increasingly ineffective:

“We are finally able to understand and unlock the value of contextual in the open web’s mindset era.”
“In this cookieless era, brands can finally match with people in the moment.”

And the kicker?

“Contextual is what’s making advertising more relevant, more engaging, and more welcome.”

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 Retail Media: Full Funnel, Full Power

Representing Skai, Michelle Urwin made a bold case for Retail Media’s rise from outside to inside the boardroom:

“Retail media will account for 25% of all digital ad spend by 2029.”

She pointed out how it’s more than just product placement:

“It’s the only channel that connects media to the mechanics of ecommerce itself.”

Retail Media, she argued, is omnichannel, measurable, and trusted by consumers actively seeking products:

“When consumers are on retail sites, they want to be targeted- it’s part of the shopping experience.”
“Retail media isn’t just a fad—it’s getting bigger and better every day.”

Clearly, the audience agreed-Retail Media took home the crown as Fired Up’s hottest trend.

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 CTV: The Next Generation of TV

Steven Filler from ShowHeroes took the stage to talk about the rapid transformation of Connected TV.

“CTV can do everything TV can do and so much more.”
“This is the year that CTV overtakes TV.”

From hyper-targeted creative to measurable outcomes, Steven framed CTV as the future-proof format that combines performance with premium.

“CTV delivers tailored creative that takes the traditional TV spot to the next level.”

He also highlighted the undeniable shift in viewing habits:

“Across Europe, about half of all TV views are already on CTV.”
“Advertisers are increasing CTV spend even in tough markets.”

 DOOH: The Real-World Reach

Jon Mundy of JCDecaux brought passion to the stage with a powerful case for Digital Out-of-Home.

“There’s only one true brand fame-building platform and that’s Out of Home.”

He emphasised DOOH’s dominance in physical spaces where digital fatigue doesn’t apply:

“You’re not doom-scrolling you’re out and about. You see these ads. They have impact.”
“97% of the UK population sees some form of DOOH every week.”

And in a mic-drop moment:

“We’re the greenest programmatic channel-no bots, no nonsense.”
“DOOH sells things. That’s what we’re all here to do.”

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 AI: The Inevitability Factor

Closing out the debate, Tim Collier from Scope3 made a case for AI that was both bullish and sobering:

“AI is having its Macintosh moment.”
“Whether you like it or not, AI is going to take over everything.”

Tim focused on efficiency, cost, and depth:

“The cost of inference has fallen 99% in two years, AI is cheap now.”
“You can break down content frame-by-frame, word-by-word, and understand nuance better than any human.”

He reframed AI not as optional, but as inevitable, with a big choice:

“We can do this badly, or we can do it as well as humanly possible.”

Beyond the Buzzwords

Fired Up wasn’t just about trends it was also about networking and connection and talking about the wider mechanics of the industry. 

As Chris Pettit, CEO & Co-founder of Revving, put it:

“The industry has built a rocket for ad delivery, but we’re still settling invoices via carrier pigeon.”

That contrast between innovation in tech and friction in operations, is exactly what Fired Up was designed to surface. It’s also why Revving exists: to fix the broken, slow-moving payment systems that hold back progress across the board.

What’s Next?

Given the feedback, we’ll absolutely be back for Fired Up: Q4 Edition, bigger, bolder, and even more interactive. Expect another chance to debate the future, hear from industry voices that matter, and connect with the kind of people who are shaping what’s next.

Until then, you can, see the event photos here

Interested in how Revving is solving payment delays in AdTech? Book a demo to find out more

Thanks again to all our speakers, our partners at The Digital Voice™, Sentient Talent and every single guest who showed up ready to get Fired Up.

We’ll see you soon.