Events & Webinars
IAB AI Growth Summit 2026 takeaways: confidence, challenge and the grief of letting go
9th July, 2026
Summary
- In January 2026, The Media People (TMP) hosted the reAImagine AI summit: two days in Leeds for clients on what AI means for search, content and media.
- Day one began at the University of Leeds, part of a new TMP partnership on AI in marketing and search, and launched reAImagine, TMP’s approach to AI.
- Sessions covered what AI is, how AI is changing search measurement, and how to make a website “AI ready”.
- Day two featured Harrison Smith of TidyWorks Studio and panels on AI in content, organic search and paid media.
- The summit also marked the opening of TMP’s new Leeds office, which the team moved into in November 2025.
If you’re trying to separate what AI really changes for your marketing from the noise, this is what we covered at the reAImagine AI summit in Leeds. In January 2026, The Media People (TMP) welcomed clients to Leeds for two days of open conversation about AI and what it means for search, for our clients and for the people shaping media. We designed it to give clients clarity and practical insight. It also marked the opening of our new Leeds office.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Event | reAImagine AI summit (“AI Summit 2026”) |
| Organised by | The Media People (TMP) |
| When | January 2026, over two days |
| Where | Leeds: the University of Leeds (start of day one), with clients invited to visit TMP’s new Leeds office during the summit |
| Who attended | TMP clients |
| TMP’s role | Host; launched reAImagine |
What was on the programme?
The reAImagine AI summit included two sessions on AI and search, plus talks and panels on day two. Each session has its own write-up.
| Session | What it covered | Full write-up |
|---|---|---|
| Day one: what is AI? | What AI and large language models (LLMs) are, and what they can and can’t do | What is AI in marketing? |
| Session two: the new search ecosystem | How AI changes visibility and measurement in search | How to measure AI search visibility |
| Day two: talks and panels | AI in content, organic search and paid media | Covered below |
On 25 February 2026, we took the conversation to London at our second reAImagine workshop.
Why hold the summit in Leeds?
Leeds is one of TMP’s two offices, alongside London, and home to a team of more than 20 specialists. We first expanded to Leeds to tap into the strength of digital talent in the North. What began with a single person has grown into a team spanning Total Search, technical SEO and SEO copywriting.
With that growth came the need for a new home, and we officially moved into our new Leeds office in November 2025. During the summit, we invited clients to visit and meet our teams across technical SEO, PPC and SEO copywriting.
The summit itself began at the University of Leeds, as part of a new partnership focused on exploring and advancing AI within marketing and search.
Why does AI still feel uncertain for marketers?
AI is everywhere, but what it means for marketing isn’t settled. By the end of July 2025, ChatGPT alone had more than 700 million weekly active users, according to OpenAI. Yet there’s still real uncertainty. What does AI mean in a marketing context? How is search evolving? What does an AI-driven search ecosystem look like in practice?
| Figure | What it measures | Source | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| More than 700 million | ChatGPT weekly active users | OpenAI, How People Use ChatGPT, 15 September 2025 | End of July 2025 |
We opened the floor to honest discussion. Some attendees were excited by the opportunity, while others were cautious about the pace of change. Everyone worked towards the same goal: separating genuine innovation from industry hype.
What is reAImagine?
reAImagine is TMP’s approach to AI in marketing and search, which we launched on day one of the summit. The premise is simple: re-imagine your world with AI in it. Not as a replacement for people or a shortcut, but as a tool that can reshape how your brand operates and competes.
Search is no longer confined to traditional results pages. LLMs are changing how people discover information and how brands earn visibility. Staying ahead means understanding new search behaviours while strengthening the fundamentals that let you adapt.
How do you make a website "AI ready"?
Being AI ready means your website is technically strong and your content answers what people are actually looking for. Across the summit, we showed how these elements affect visibility in both traditional search and newer AI experiences, such as AI modes in search engines and LLMs:
- a technically strong site that search engines and AI tools can access and understand
- structured data that labels what your content is about
- content clarity: plain, well-organised pages that answer the question
- search intent mapping, so each page matches what people want to know
What concerns did clients raise about AI?
One of the biggest concerns was over-automation. AI can improve workflow, but its output still needs human quality assurance and accountability.
We also talked openly about AI’s strengths and limits, including problems clients have hit using it, from writing prompts to knowing where AI fits in the creative process. There was curiosity, scepticism and excitement: a balanced reaction to a fast-moving market.
What does AI mean for content?
AI may speed up content production, but it also raises expectations. Customers now expect faster answers, greater accuracy and content that feels genuinely useful. Helpful, reliable, people-first content, the standard Google’s own guidance describes, has never mattered more.
Who spoke on day two?
Day two brought in outside voices alongside TMP’s own team: a talk from Harrison Smith of TidyWorks Studio, then panel discussions.
| Name | Organisation | Part on day two |
|---|---|---|
| Harrison Smith | TidyWorks Studio | Speaker |
| Sara Woods | Philosophy Design | Panellist |
| Rachel Simpson | The Hill Group | Panellist |
| Harvir Matharu | The Media People | Panellist |
| Matt Patterson | The Media People | Panellist |
| Steve Husband | The Media People | Panellist |
The panels explored how AI is influencing content, organic search visibility and paid media strategy, and clients put direct questions about their own challenges.
Frequently asked questions
What was the reAImagine AI summit?
The reAImagine AI summit was a two-day event The Media People (TMP) hosted for clients in Leeds in January 2026, covering what AI is, how it’s changing search and measurement, and what that means for content, SEO and paid media.
What does "AI ready" mean for a website?
In TMP’s approach, an AI-ready website is technically strong and has content that genuinely answers user intent. Structured data, content clarity and search intent mapping all affect visibility in traditional search and in AI answers.
When did TMP open its new Leeds office?
TMP moved into its new Leeds office in November 2025 and invited clients to visit it during the reAImagine summit in January 2026. By then, the Leeds team had grown to more than 20 specialists.
Want to know what AI means for your brand’s visibility? Explore reAImagine.
