SHAH ALAM – Kotler Impact Inc and Sinar Karangkraf held strategic talks on a potential media partnership ahead of the World Marketing Summit 2026 during a meeting at the Karangkraf headquarters here on Thursday.
The discussion focused on positioning Sinar Karangkraf as a media partner for the global summit, with both parties exploring editorial collaboration, content direction and audience engagement across platforms.
They also exchanged views on raising awareness of the summit’s key focus areas, including panel sessions and forums, while identifying effective ways to reach wider audiences.
The session further explored knowledge-sharing initiatives such as thought leadership articles, expert interviews and special features aligned with the summit’s themes.
Discussions also touched on potential long-term collaboration beyond the event, aimed at strengthening engagement between industry players, policymakers and the public through strategic media involvement.
The visit included a plaque presentation ceremony, where Kotler Impact Inc presented a token of appreciation to Sinar Karangkraf following the meeting with its leadership team led by Sinar Karangkraf chief executive officer (CEO) Farah Hussamuddin and Kotler Impact Inc chief marketing officer Dr Fahim Kibria.
The delegation later toured the Karangkraf headquarters and was given an overview of Sinar Karangkraf’s operations and newsroom environment.
The World Marketing Summit was founded by Philip Kotler as a global platform bringing together leaders from business, government, academia and communities to address socioeconomic challenges through marketing-driven solutions.
Established in 2012 in Dhaka, the summit aimed to position marketing as a driver of societal impact under its mission of creating a better world through marketing.
Malaysia previously hosted the summit in 2013 and was set to host it again in 2026, reinforcing its role as a regional hub for thought leadership and innovation.
The summit will be organised by Kotler Impact Asia with the Malaysian Industry-Government Group for High Technology (Might) as co-organiser, in collaboration with the Madani Research Centre.
The 2026 edition will take place at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre from Nov 4 to Nov 5, with the Kotler Award and Appreciation Gala Dinner scheduled on Nov 3.
Held under the theme “New Age Technology”, the summit will explore how emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data, blockchain and automation are reshaping marketing strategies, business models and societal development.
The programme is expected to feature forums, research presentations, masterclasses and networking sessions, bringing together policymakers, industry leaders, academics and entrepreneurs.
Among the speakers expected are global artificial intelligence expert Denis Rothman, ByteDance regional director Clarence Dong, Alibaba Group vice president of strategic development Elaine Wu, Grab co-founder and chief executive officer Anthony Tan, Malaysian Industry-Government Group for High Technology president and CEO Ts Rushdi Abdul Rahim and global marketing thought leader as well as distinguished professor of marketing Dominique M. Hanssens, along with other notable industry figures.
Dr Fahim said the summit served as an important platform for continuous learning and industry growth.
“You won't believe that people who are in the conference keep sitting continuously for all 12 hours to keep learning.
“You keep learning and the best part is you never stop learning or looking at these summits because at the end of the day, what matters is what you take home, as many conferences happen just for networking or food,” he said during a sideline interview on Thursday.
He advised participants to focus on practical takeaways, noting that attendees could gain ideas from speakers and apply them within their own contexts.
“So if you come to WMS, this is very important for you because the speakers coming from different parts of the world will give you some good ideas, or many ideas, which you can always use in the local scenario,” he added.