Q: October 2025

Since launching in 2004, the New York edition of this global event series has become a fall conference staple. Consider the size and scale: The organizers expect more than 16,000 attendees, 1,300 speakers and 4,000 companies represented over four days. Penn District — the recently renovated, mixed-used complex surrounding Penn Station in Manhattan — will again serve as the base of operations.

Don’t sleep on the Chicago Marathon — one of the three World Major Marathons held in the U.S. — which draws an estimated 1.7 million spectators (not to mention some 50,000 participants) and is broadcast live on local NBC and Telemundo affiliates. This year’s marquee sponsor is Bank of America; supporting sponsors include Nike, Gatorade and Biofreeze.

This event series bills itself as “the definitive exhibition and conference for senior marketing leaders and marketing technology,” with stops in Singapore, London and Amsterdam. The agenda for the North American edition covers everything from AI automation and content marketing to search and corporate leadership, featuring speakers from Saucony, Microsoft, Mondelēz and S&P Global.

Positioned at the intersection of e-commerce, retail and tech, the White Label Expo’s slate of keynotes — covering everything from direct mail for digital sellers to packaging automation —should appeal to a range of marketers of white label (aka private label) products, particularly those at startups and mid-size companies. Attendees can expect to see over 200 exhibitors and more than 75 speakers during the two-day conference.

This annual gathering, which bills itself as “the premier event for the independent grocery industry,” caters to owners, operators and execs, as well as their suppliers and service providers. Quad is among the sponsors; make sure to check out the “Retail Media, Real Results” session (Oct. 21) for an in-depth look at how specialty and mid-size grocers can leverage data, digital displays and vendor partnerships to gain a competitive advantage.

The Association of National Advertisers (ANA) Masters of Marketing Conference returns to Orlando, where the organizers aim to “harness the collective intelligence and passion of the world’s leading marketers.” Scheduled speakers include execs from Adobe, General Motors, Kraft Heinz and the NFL. And don’t miss Sheila Holman, VP of marketing for the United States Postal Service, who will be presenting research about the role of direct mail in successful omnichannel strategies.

According to Major League Baseball, last year’s World Series averaged 15.8 million U.S. viewers on Fox across its platforms, its strongest audience numbers since 2017. Thanks to an influx of superstars from overseas, the sport’s global popularity is also surging; factor in Mexico, Canada and Asia, and last year’s combined World Series viewership nearly doubles to 30 million.

The Millennium Alliance Transformational CMO Assembly brings together senior marketing leaders to tackle digital disruption, data-driven transformation and evolving consumer expectations. Key themes include AI and automation, personalization and brand purpose. Quad will lead a roundtable discussion on the importance of omnichannel strategies, joining other experts to exchange insights on key industry challenges; Quad execs will also be available for one-on-one meetings on-site.

The National Retail Federation expects Halloween spending in the U.S. to reach $13.1 billion this year, an increase of nearly 13% from 2024 and a new single-year record (eclipsing the $12.2 billion spent in 2023).