PREDAXIS 2026 brings Pakistan’s communications leaders together

Pakistan’s public relations, event management, digital and activations sectors came together in Karachi as the Pakistan Public Relations, Event Management, Digital and Activations Association (PREDA) hosted its inaugural PREDAXIS conference.

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The one-day event brought together business leaders, marketers, agency professionals, digital specialists, event experts, creators, academics and media practitioners. They discussed the forces reshaping communication, business and public influence in Pakistan.

Held at the Mövenpick Hotel Karachi, the conference focused on open dialogue, knowledge-sharing and stronger collaboration across industries.

Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy opens the conference

Academy Award-winning filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy delivered the opening keynote. She spoke about connection, influence and purpose-driven collaboration.

Obaid-Chinoy said meaningful change often starts with people who refuse to accept the status quo.

She also stressed the importance of courage, imagination and collective action in shaping the future.

“History is not only shaped by the decisions leaders make. It is shaped by the memories ordinary people choose to carry,” she said.

PREDA’s executive committee said PREDAXIS aims to connect the industries that influence culture, commerce, public trust and communication.

The committee includes Selina Rashid, Frieha Altaf, Shanaz Ramzi, Fareshteh Aslam, Sarfraz Niazi and Hasan Rizvi.

AI reshapes trust and influence

The conference featured seven panel discussions covering major changes across Pakistan’s communications landscape.

Speakers examined agency-client relationships, artificial intelligence, reputation, creators, events, leadership, pitching and cross-industry collaboration.

One of the key sessions, “The Reputation Economy: How AI is Rewriting Visibility, Trust and Influence”, explored the growing impact of artificial intelligence on credibility and public perception.

Hasan Rizvi, CEO of BBPR, called for a fresh approach to reputation in an increasingly AI-driven environment.

Fareshteh Aslam, CEO of Talking Point, said professionals should bring their own values and judgment when using AI tools.

Imtisal Abbasi, Managing Partner at IAL Saatchi & Saatchi, delivered the afternoon keynote. He highlighted three ideas that he believes will shape the communications industry:

• Technology does not destroy value. It relocates it.
• AI changes the question.
• Discernment is becoming a new competitive advantage.

Brands and agencies call for greater trust

The “Agency Client Nexus” panel examined the changing relationship between brands and agencies.

Speakers highlighted trust, transparency and shared business objectives as essential to stronger partnerships.

Frieha Altaf, CEO of Catwalk, raised concerns about the cost of competitive pitches. She said agencies often invest substantial resources in planning before clients make a final decision.

She also pointed to cases where clients change briefs or later use ideas presented during pitches.

Sarah Sadiq, Director Marketing at FrieslandCampina, said trust across the industry needs greater transparency.

The “Pitch Room” session returned to similar concerns. Speakers discussed clearer briefs, better collaboration and shared accountability between clients and agencies.

Madiha Saeed, GM Foods Pakistan and Bangladesh at Unilever, said brands must understand what they want before inviting agencies to pitch.

Syed Usman Qaiser, CMO of J., said companies should view agencies as partners and consider the costs they carry during the process.

Creators transform the attention economy

The “Influencers, Creators & The New Attention Economy” panel examined changing audience habits and the growing role of creators.

Rizwan Ahmed, Founder and Chief Storyteller at Viral Edge, called for greater government recognition and transparency around Pakistan’s expanding creator industry.

The discussion also explored how authentic storytelling can strengthen relationships between brands and audiences.

Another session, “Events: The Experience Economy”, examined the growing demand for immersive experiences.

Amina Rashid Khan of RAKA Events said AI can help professionals develop ideas that keep audiences engaged.

Human skills remain important

Technology also shaped discussions about leadership and the future of work.

During “The Business of Being Human”, speakers explored empathy, authenticity and human-centred leadership.

Selina Rashid, CEO of Lotus PR and The Lotus Advisory, highlighted the continuing importance of human connection as technology changes the way businesses plan campaigns, manage events and communicate with audiences.

Qamar Abbas, Executive Director of the Pakistan Advertisers Society, said human emotion remains a major source of strength.

He also warned that people must become more empathetic rather than relying increasingly on technology.

AI brings opportunity and concern

The final discussions focused on the next stage of Pakistan’s business ecosystem.

Dr Adil Haider, Founder and CEO of Boston Health AI and Chief AI Officer at CIMED, said future competition could shift from individual companies to entire ecosystems.

He also warned that the rapid expansion of AI could lead to significant job losses.

Jehan Ara, Founder and CEO of Katalyst Labs, highlighted the difficulties Pakistani startups face when seeking investment and expanding into international markets.

She also pointed to the country’s growing pool of technology talent.

“Pakistan has incredible talent!” she said.

The discussions reinforced the need for stronger links between startups, businesses and government institutions to support innovation and develop new AI solutions.

A new platform for industry collaboration

The conference gave leaders from different sectors an opportunity to exchange ideas and discuss the future of Pakistan’s communications industry.

PREDA hosted the event, while Pinnacle X served as Organising Partner and the Pakistan Advertisers Society as Exclusive Strategic Partner.

The Institute of Business Management and MiTE Institute supported the conference as Academic Partners. Istehari served as Founding Partner, while PWL (Padel Walay Loug) worked as Community Partner.

TownEvents served as Registration Partner, Pak Vision as Technical Support Partner, Pepsi as Beverages Partner and Tapal as Tea Partner.

For PREDA, the inaugural PREDAXIS conference represents a step towards building stronger professional standards and greater collaboration across Pakistan’s public relations, events, digital and activations sectors.

The association says its broader goal is to promote professional excellence, ethical standards, industry cooperation and capability building while supporting sustainable growth across the industries it represents.