The organisers of adfest have announced that Marco Venturelli, president and chief creative officer, Leo, will be the grand jury president for the 2027 edition, which will see the awards turn 30. He also serves as chief creative officer, Publicis Groupe France, and CEO and CCO, Publicis Conseil.

The theme for the the 2027 edition is 30&BEYOND.

As grand jury president, Venturelli will lead the panel of jury presidents to judge adfest’s Lotus Roots award, which celebrates works rooted in local culture and rich in cultural relevance. He will also serve as jury president of the Creative Strategy Lotus, Effective Lotus, Innova Lotus, and Sustainable Lotus, in addition to delivering a keynote speech at adfest 2027.

Venturelli began his career as a copywriter in Milan in 2001, working at BGS/D’Arcy, Publicis, BBDO and Havas. In 2010, he moved to Paris to join Agence H as creative director. In 2014, he became executive creative director of the newly launched Les Gaulois, which quickly became Havas’s most awarded agency at Cannes Lions. He later returned to Publicis as global executive creative director for Heineken.

Vinit Suraphongchai, chairperson, adfest, said, "As we celebrate 30 years of adfest, we are delighted to welcome Marco Venturelli as our Grand Jury President. Marco is one of the most respected creative leaders in the industry, with an extraordinary track record of producing work that pushes boundaries and sets new standards for creative excellence. His global perspective, creative vision and deep understanding of the power of ideas make him an exceptional choice to lead our jury. As we look towards the next chapter of adfest under the theme 30&BEYOND, we believe creativity must continue to evolve, challenge conventions and embrace new possibilities. We look forward to having Marco bring his experience and perspective to adfest 2027, as we celebrate not only how far our industry has come, but also the exciting possibilities that lie ahead.”

adfest 2027 will take place from 18–20 March 2027 in Pattaya, Thailand.