PREDA Launches PREDAXIS Conference
Pakistan Public Relations, Event Management, Digital and Activations Association (PREDA) successfully hosted its inaugural PREDAXIS: Minus the Gatekeep conference in Karachi on August 7, 2026.
Held at the Mövenpick Hotel Karachi, the event brought together leading business executives, marketers, agency professionals, digital specialists, event managers, creators, academics and media practitioners to discuss the future of Pakistan’s public relations, digital, event management and activations industries.
The conference focused on open dialogue, knowledge-sharing and stronger collaboration across sectors, while examining how artificial intelligence, the creator economy and changing consumer behaviour are reshaping communications and business.
Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy Opens Landmark Industry Conference
The conference opened with a keynote address by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, who spoke about connection, influence and purpose-driven collaboration based on trust.
Her address highlighted the importance of individuals challenging established ideas and imagining alternative possibilities, while emphasizing the role of ordinary people in shaping social and cultural change.
PREDA’s executive committee, comprising Selina Rashid, Frieha Altaf, Shanaz Ramzi, Fareshteh Aslam, Sarfraz Niazi and Hasan Rizvi, said PREDAXIS was created to bring together the industries influencing culture, commerce, public trust and communications.
The association said the conference represented the beginning of a broader effort to strengthen professional standards, collaboration and innovation across Pakistan’s communications ecosystem.
AI and Creativity Take Center Stage
The afternoon keynote was delivered by Imtisal Abbasi, Managing Partner at IAL Saatchi & Saatchi, who discussed the changing role of leadership and creativity in the communications industry.
He highlighted three key ideas surrounding the impact of technology and artificial intelligence:
- Technology does not destroy value; it relocates it.
- AI changes the question.
- Discernment is becoming a new competitive advantage.
The observations reflected a central theme of the conference: while AI is transforming how businesses create, communicate and operate, human judgment and the ability to distinguish meaningful ideas from automated output will become increasingly important.
Seven Panels Explore the Future of Communications
Delegates participated in seven panel discussions covering major developments affecting Pakistan’s communications and marketing industries.
The sessions included:
- The Agency Client Nexus
- The Reputation Economy: How AI Is Rewriting Visibility, Trust and Influence
- Influencers, Creators & The New Attention Economy
- Events: The Experience Economy
- The Business of Being Human
- The Pitch Room
- The Next Ecosystem
The discussions examined agency-client relationships, artificial intelligence, reputation management, influencer marketing, immersive experiences, human-centred leadership and cross-industry collaboration.
Agency-Client Trust Emerges as a Major Issue
During The Agency Client Nexus, speakers discussed the need for stronger relationships between brands and agencies based on trust, transparency and shared business objectives.
Aly Mutsansir, Brand Consultant and Trainer at AlyM Brand Consulting, highlighted the importance of developing more effective partnerships while addressing challenges faced by agencies.
Frieha Altaf, CEO of Catwalk, pointed to difficulties agencies can encounter during pitch processes, including changing briefs and concerns about ideas being replicated after presentations.
Sarah Sadiq, Director Marketing at FrieslandCampina, stressed that trust throughout the communications ecosystem needs to be built through greater transparency.
AI Reshapes Reputation and Influence
The Reputation Economy panel explored how artificial intelligence is changing visibility, credibility and stakeholder trust.
Hasan Rizvi, CEO of BBPR, raised questions about how reputation should be evaluated in an increasingly AI-driven environment.
Fareshteh Aslam, CEO of Talking Point, emphasized the importance of incorporating individual values into the way AI tools are used.
The discussion reflected the growing challenge for brands and organizations: as AI-generated content becomes easier to produce, credibility, authenticity and trust could become increasingly valuable.
Creator Economy Gains Industry Attention
The Influencers, Creators & The New Attention Economy session examined the changing relationship between brands, creators and audiences.
Panelists discussed how authentic storytelling and changing audience behaviour are influencing creator-brand partnerships.
Rizwan Ahmed, Founder and Chief Storyteller at Viral Edge, also called for greater government recognition and transparency for Pakistan’s expanding creator economy.
The discussion highlighted the growing commercial importance of digital creators and the need for stronger structures around an industry that continues to evolve rapidly.
Events Industry Moves Toward Experience Economy
The Events: The Experience Economy panel focused on the growing importance of immersive experiences in creating audience engagement and stronger brand connections.
Participants also discussed the increasing role of AI in event planning and creative development.
Amina Rashid Khan, Partner at RAKA Events, noted that AI can help generate new ideas aimed at keeping audiences engaged.
The discussion demonstrated how event management is moving beyond conventional gatherings toward experience-driven strategies that combine technology, creativity and audience participation.
Human Skills Remain Critical in the AI Era
The Business of Being Human panel focused on empathy, authenticity and human-centred leadership at a time when technology is rapidly transforming professional environments.
Selina Rashid, CEO of Lotus PR & The Lotus Advisory, moderated the discussion and highlighted the continuing importance of human qualities in PR, digital communications, event planning and leadership.
Qamar Abbas, Executive Director of the Pakistan Advertisers Society, emphasized that human emotions remain a major source of strength that technology cannot replicate.
The panel also considered the risk that increasing automation could weaken human interaction if organizations fail to maintain empathy and authentic engagement.
Pitching Requires Stronger Understanding Between Brands and Agencies
The Pitch Room session examined the changing expectations surrounding agency pitches.
Saira Awan, President of the TCS Group of Companies, stressed that agencies need to understand their clients’ broader business priorities rather than viewing a pitch in isolation.
Madiha Saeed, GM Foods Pakistan & Bangladesh at Unilever, emphasized the importance of a clear brief before the pitch process begins, while noting that effective briefs are often best communicated through direct interaction.
Syed Usman Qaiser, CMO of J., highlighted that brands should view agencies as partners and remain mindful of the costs agencies incur while developing proposals.
The discussion reinforced the need for clearer communication, shared accountability and stronger partnerships between clients and agencies.
Pakistan’s Future Depends on Collaboration and Ecosystems
Looking toward the future, speakers emphasized the importance of collaboration between businesses, startups, government institutions and other stakeholders.
Dr. Adil Haider, Founder and CEO of Boston Health AI and Chief AI Officer at CIMED, argued that competition could increasingly shift from individual companies toward entire ecosystems.
He also warned that the rapid expansion of AI could lead to significant job displacement.
Jehan Ara, Founder and CEO of Katalyst Labs, highlighted funding and international expansion challenges facing Pakistani startups. She also stressed the quality of Pakistan’s technology talent and the need to create better opportunities for innovative businesses.
The discussions suggested that Pakistan’s communications and technology industries could benefit significantly from stronger cooperation between the private sector, startups and government institutions.
Industry Leaders Gather for PREDAXIS
The conference featured speakers and moderators from leading organizations in Pakistan and abroad, representing advertising, public relations, technology, marketing, media, academia, events and other sectors.
PREDAXIS was hosted by PREDA, with Pinnacle X serving as Organising Partner and the Pakistan Advertisers Society (PAS) as Exclusive Strategic Partner.
The event was supported by the Institute of Business Management (IoBM) and MiTE Institute as Academic Partners, Istehari as Founding Partner, PWL (Padel Walay Loug) as Community Partner, TownEvents as Registration Partner, Pak Vision as Technical Support Partner, Pepsi as Beverages Partner and Tapal as Tea Partner.
The inaugural conference provided a platform for professionals from diverse industries to exchange ideas and explore ways to build a more collaborative and future-ready communications ecosystem.
As artificial intelligence, digital platforms and the creator economy continue to reshape Pakistan’s business landscape, PREDAXIS has highlighted the growing need for industry-wide dialogue, ethical practices, professional development and collaboration.
About PREDA
The Pakistan Public Relations, Event Management, Digital and Activations Association (PREDA) is the representative body for Pakistan’s public relations, event management, digital and activations industries.
PREDA aims to promote professional excellence, ethical standards, industry collaboration and capability building while supporting the sustainable development of the sectors it represents.
PREDA Pakistan
pr@preda.com.pk
Website: https://www.predaxis.pk
Partners:
Host: @predaxisofficial @official_preda
PR Partners: @talkingpointpk @starlinkspr @catwalk_events @bbprpakistan @tehminakhaled @lotusprglobal
Academic Partner: @iobm_official @miteuniversity
Founding Partner: @ishteharis
Community Partner: @padelwalayloug
Registration Partner: Town Events
Technical Support Partner: Pak Vision
Beverages Partner: @pepsipakistan @tapalofficial
Organizer: Pinnacle X
Exclusive Strategic Partner: @pasorg.pk
Panelists:
Adil Ahmed, Director & Co-Founder of Symmetry Group
Dr. Adil Haider, Founder & CEO, Boston Health AI, Chief AI Officer – CIMED
Afsheen Rizavi, Director, PAS & Country Manager Effie Pakistan @afsheenrizavi
Ali Habib, Head of Corporate Affairs, HBL
Ali Rashid Khan, Senior Director Marketing at National Foods Limited
Aly Mustansir, Brand Consultant and Trainer AlyM Brand Consulting
Aman Hussain, Head of Marketing EFU Life
Amina Rashid Khan, Partner RAKA Events @aminarashidkhan_raka_events
Aqsa Manzoor, Creator @aqsamanzoor._
Azam Jalal Khan, CEO & Co-founder, the Digitz Group @azamjk
Fareshteh Aslam, CEO Talking Point @fareshtehaslam
Sarfraz Niazi, Founder JBnJaws, Creative Director Think Epic, CEO Spotic Partner, Cartel PR @fazi_niazi
Frieha Altaf, CEO Catwalk @friehaaltaf
Hasan Rizvi, CEO BBPR @hasanrizvi.official
Jehan Ara, Founder & CEO at Katalyst Labs @jehanara
Madiha Syed, GM Foods Unilever Pakistan & Bangladesh @madihassheikh
Mehrunisa Azhar, COO Nutshell @mehrunisaazhar
Osamah Nasir, Creator @osamahnasir
Qamar Abbas, Executive Director PAS
Rizwan Ahmed, Founder & Chief Storyteller, Viral Edge
Sadaf Malik, Corporate Affairs Manager, Middle East & Africa at Haleon
Saira Awan Malik, President, The TCS Group @sairaawanmalik
Sarah Ahmed, Marketing Director, FMCG Brand Leadership, Reckitt, Pakistan-Africa-UK
Sarah Sadiq, Director Marketing at FrieslandCampina @sarahasadiq
Selina Rashid, CEO Lotus PR & The Lotus Advisory @selinarashid
Sidra Iqbal, International Award Winning Journalist & Television Presenter @iqbalsidra
Shanaz Ramzi, Secretary PREDA, Founder CEO Starlinks @shanaz.ramzi
Sherdil Khan, Founder / CEO World Context USA
Shomaila Loan, Partner Kilam Law @shomailaloan
Suleman Ansar Khan, Co-Founder Growth Junction, Dubai UAE
Syed Usman Qaiser, CMO J. @usmanqaiser
Tehmina Khalid, Chief Executive Officer at Take II @tehminakhaled
Umer Ghumman, Executive Coach NLP, Practitioner, Author, Former Senior Director & Country Head – Samsung MX (Pak & Afg) @umerghumman74
Umair Kazi, Co-Founder Ishtehari @tropikazis
Usman Arshad Khan, Marketing Leader, Al-Native, Dubai
Zeeshan Sikander, Senior Coke Studio and EPICS Manager, The Coca Cola Company
Zofeen T Ebrahim, Journalist @zofeenebrahim
Zubair Malik, Managing Director, Lotus @zubairmallick