AGS Magazine launches first edition in Rome

Launching anything for the first time is no small feat, but it’s one made considerably easier when you’re surrounded by a team determined to succeed. I’d like to say the late nights were fuelled by sheer grit and passion, but there was quite a lot of coffee involved.

For the very first edition we sought to strip back the spin and to ask the sort of questions that might not have an answer. Everyone featured here is the kind of original thinker that editors dream about – and honestly, we didn’t have to look far to find them. You’ll recognise many of the faces featured here from our conference lineup this year, a selection that left us feeling spoilt for choice.

Whether practical or personal, the stories told are unapologetically candid. Their advice is hard won, shaped by years of experience and, often, more  trial than triumph.

Yancy Naughton’s own road stretches back to the nineties, and has been a bumpy but insightful journey towards his success today. The piece starts as a trip down memory lane, but it ends with its sights set on the horizon, one where AI beckons. 

As he says, “The biggest threat of AI is not replacing real intelligence in the advertising space, but rather the threat comes from allowing bad actors to create fraudulent traffic, leads and the like.  The Emperor has a lot of storm troopers using AI as a path to the Dark Side.” Read the full story from page 108.

Meanwhile, Maor Benaim shares his own entrepreneurial journey, from fixing gaming consoles at age 12 to becoming a successful affiliate marketer and CEO of The Wolf Marketing. Read about how he reinvented himself, the importance of taking action, building trustworthy partnerships, and creating a competitive advantage through strong industry relationships from page 74.

As we inched closer to the print deadline, we realised that the new baby had morphed into a rather chunky toddler. A slender, sleek first edition was but a pipe dream. I suppose it was inevitable. If it had been left up to us, the magazine would never have left the editing room as we caved to the temptation to tell just one more story. 

Nonetheless, all good things must come to a close, and this editorial is no exception. It’s time then to say thanks. Some seriously talented fingerprints mark this issue. Beautifully-designed and thoughtfully written, it deserves a spot on any shelf. We hope it finds one on yours.

Enjoy the issue – you can pick  up a copy at the Fiera Roma this week or at the pre-registration event, which is being held at Lanterna di Fuksas in Rome. Alternatively, browse the digital library online. The AGS Rome event takes place from 02-05 of November.