APA Unveils Production Unplugged: A Platform for Direct Brand-Production Collaboration
The Advertising Producers Association (APA) is set to launch Production Unplugged, a pioneering initiative aimed at bridging the gap between brands and creative production companies. Scheduled for May 1, 2025, in London, the event will bring together over 500 industry leaders, marketers, and production experts for a full day of networking, knowledge-sharing, and creative collaboration.
Driven by insights from the APA’s 2024 industry report, ‘What Clients Want from Advertising Production Today’, the initiative responds to a clear market need: brands want more direct connections with production companies and deeper insights into their capabilities, without always going through agencies.
Unlike traditional networking events, Production Unplugged will provide an immersive experience with six curated zones, each tailored to key industry interests: Future Focus, Smart Production, Customer Experience, ESG, New Product Development, and Agile Partnerships. The event promises hands-on demonstrations, thought-provoking panels, and access to a digital directory and networking platform that will keep the conversation going long after the event wraps.
At the helm of this initiative is Steve Davies, CEO of the APA, who sees Production Unplugged as a catalyst for redefining brand-producer relationships. "Our goal is to create an ecosystem where brands and our members can collaborate more effectively," Steve explains.
To learn more about the inspiration behind Production Unplugged, its ambitious goals, and how it could reshape the future of creative production, LBB’s Zoe Antonov caught up with Steve Davies.
For more information about Production Unplugged, including partnership and sponsorship opportunities, please click here.
If you are not yet an APA member, and you’re interested in getting involved, explore membership options here.
LBB> What inspired the APA to launch Production Unplugged?
Steve> We launched Production Unplugged in response to its 2024 industry report, which highlighted a growing need for stronger connections between brands and production companies. The report revealed that marketers want to hear more from production companies, gain deeper insights into their capabilities, and foster more direct collaborations rather than relying solely on agencies. Production Unplugged is designed to remove barriers, encourage knowledge-sharing, and create an ecosystem where brands and production experts can collaborate more effectively.
LBB> How does this initiative differ from other APA networking events?
Steve> Unlike traditional networking events, Production Unplugged is more than a one-day gathering – it’s an ongoing initiative designed to foster year-round engagement. The event will feature six curated zones (focused on key industry challenges), a digital directory, and a networking platform, ensuring that connections made at the event translate into long-term partnerships. It also prioritises hands-on interactions between brands and production specialists, rather than just panel discussions or presentations.
LBB> What kind of impact do you hope it will have on brand-producer relationships?
Steve> We hope it will do several things:
- Demystify production processes for brands, helping them understand the value that production companies bring beyond execution;
- Encourage more direct partnerships, reducing reliance on agencies as middlemen, who are increasingly bringing production work in-house instead of commissioning independent production companies;
- And spark new creative collaborations, leading to innovative advertising content that aligns with brands’ strategic goals.
LBB> The APA’s 2024 report highlighted that brands want to hear more from production companies: what are the biggest knowledge gaps that Production Unplugged aims to fill?
Steve> Our research flagged several knowledge gaps, first and foremost who is producing what. Many brands struggle to identify the best production partners for specific creative needs because there is no direct hub to gather this information. Clients also need greater help understanding the production process, from pre-production to post-production, including costs, timelines, and tech innovations. And finally, production companies play a key role in strategic problem-solving, rather than just execution, and we want brands to be aware of this. Production Unplugged will bridge these gaps by providing case studies, hands-on demonstrations, and direct conversations between brands and production experts.
LBB> How do you see the role of production companies evolving as more brands in-house their strategic planning?
Steve> With more brands building internal marketing teams, production companies must evolve beyond execution into strategic creative partners. Many brands still lack production expertise, creating an opportunity for production companies to provide consultancy, workflow solutions, and content strategy support in addition to execution. Production Unplugged will help showcase how production experts can add value at all stages of the marketing process, not just post-brief.
LBB> Can you talk us through the six Production Unplugged Zones? What makes them particularly relevant today?
Steve> Future Focus – Examines trends in advertising production, including AI, automation, and immersive content.
Smart Production – Showcases efficiency-driven production techniques, from real-time VFX to virtual production.
Customer Experience – Explores how production companies can craft engaging, personalised brand experiences.
ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) – Highlights sustainable and inclusive production practices.
New Product Development – Examines how brands can collaborate with production companies early in the creative process.
Agile Partnerships – Focuses on flexible, scalable collaboration models between brands and production companies.
These zones reflect key priorities for brands today based on conversations we’ve had with brands, ensuring the event delivers practical, future-focused insights.
LBB> How will exhibitors be selected, and what will they need to demonstrate to stand out?
Steve> Exhibitors will be selected based on case studies they submit that demonstrate their ability to demonstrate cutting-edge production solutions, innovation, and strategic value to brands. To stand out, they’ll need to showcase one or more of the key aspects outlined in our zones such as:
- Innovative technology (e.g., AI, real-time rendering, virtual production);
- Sustainability-driven approaches to production;
- Successful brand partnerships, demonstrating their ability to solve real-world marketing challenges.
LBB> What role do you see emerging technologies playing in the showcased work?
Steve> One of our zones (Future Focus) will hone in specifically on emerging technologies, focussing particularly on areas like use of AI-powered creative tools (including AI-assisted production), virtual and augmented reality, offering new ways to engage audiences, and sustainable production solutions, such as virtual sets that reduce carbon footprints. We’re interested in having future-focussed companies demonstrate how these technologies can be used to streamline production and open new creative possibilities for brands - but technology is only one of the six key points our event focuses on.
LBB> What are the biggest benefits for APA members participating – whether as exhibitors or attendees?
Steve> For exhibitors (APA Members), the key benefit is direct access to brand decision-makers, and the opportunity to showcase their expertise, leading to potential new clients and partnerships. Participating will also help them hone their direct to client marketing skills and find the right approach to them, which is different to that to creative agencies.
Brand-side attendees can benefit from a first-hand look at cutting-edge production solutions, networking with top-tier production talent for future projects, and insights into industry trends, ensuring they stay ahead of the curve.
LBB> How will the Production Unplugged Directory help connect brands and production specialists beyond the event itself?
Steve> The Production Unplugged Directory will serve as a year-round networking and resource hub, allowing brands to search for production partners based on expertise, sector, and capabilities, review case studies and insights from participating production companies and continue conversations and collaborations beyond the event.
LBB> What advice would you give to APA members looking to make the most of this opportunity?
Steve> Be proactive – reach out to brands ahead of the event.
Showcase thought leadership – demonstrate how your company solves industry challenges.
Leverage the digital directory – continue engagement beyond the event itself.
Emphasise innovation – brands are looking for forward-thinking production partners.
LBB> What do you think are the biggest challenges facing production companies today?
Steve> The biggest threat without a doubt is the rise of in-housing production at agencies, which threatens all of our members and industry pipelines at large.
This paired with lack of direct brand access, with agencies still controlling many key relationships means production companies are all too often shut out of the creative loop and we are seeing many companies suffer because of it.
Industry-wide there’s also a growing demand for cost-efficient, high-volume content, and a want to keep up with emerging tech, such as AI and real-time production.
LBB> How do you see the future of advertising production evolving in the next five - ten years?
Steve> I hope we’ll see more synergy between production, brand and agency partners, with agencies continuing to commission independent production companies, and brands having a greater ability to work with production partners directly.
I also hope we see a responsible integration of inevitable technologies such as AI, that don’t negate jobs but facilitate them, and that we collectively can work towards a stronger sustainability focus as an industry.
LBB> Could Production Unplugged become a recurring event?
Steve> Yes! Production Unplugged is designed to be an ongoing initiative, not just a one-off event. Given the strong demand for direct brand-production relationships, the we envision expanding the platform with future editions and year-round engagement opportunities
