Markplus Conference 2026. Lean & Agile AI and China in Focus
JAKARTA, December 12, 2025 – Asia’s largest annual marketing event, MarkPlus Conference 2026, returned on Thursday (11/12) with the main theme “Lean & Agile: AI and China in Focus.” This conference highlighted the fundamental shift in the business landscape towards 2026, where the integration of artificial intelligence and learning from China’s work ethic will be key to economic resilience. Hermawan Kartajaya, Founder & Chairman of M Corp, in the Indonesia Marketing Outlook 2026 session, presented strategic predictions regarding changes in consumer demographics. He introduced the term “Gen Beta” – the generation born after December 31, 2025, as “AI Natives.” “If Gen Alpha is the native of social media, then Gen Beta is the native of AI. They will live side by side with supercomputer technology from birth. To win this market, businesses can no longer work the old way. We must be Lean & Agile, combining Human Intelligence with technological excellence,” said Hermawan.
Learning from China: Sovereign and Efficient
One of the conference’s main highlights was China’s economic resilience amidst global pressure. Hermawan emphasized the importance of emulating China’s work ethic and “technological sovereignty” strategy. “China faced technology sanctions but instead became stronger and more independent, as seen in the progress of Alibaba, TCL, and Creality. The key is Operational Excellence where technology is fully integrated into operations. The position of Chief Operating Officer (COO) is now very crucial, equal in importance to the CEO, because technology is at the heart of operations,” he added.
Public Service Transformation and Branding Innovation
Industry sessions presented a variety of fresh perspectives. Danantara, through Dendi Danianto, explained the transformation of public services that focuses on changing the mindset from “master” to “servant”. The success of the WHOOSH High-Speed Train in achieving the Signature Experience stage is proof that Indonesian public services are able to compete at the global level. On the digital marketing side, a joint session with Design Bridge and Prisma Group highlighted the Smart Creativity trend. The use of AI in out-of-home media, such as interactive vending machines, now enables brands to achieve mass personalization, creating a seamless online-to-offline (O2O) experience for consumers.
The 2026 Industry Outlook conference concluded with an Industry Outlook panel that provided critical insights for various sectors:
- Retail: Expected to still face challenges in lower-middle class purchasing power, requiring retailers to be more creative in supply incentives.
- Automotive: Focus shifts to affordable electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrids as government subsidies end.
- Health: Standardization of Standard Inpatient Class (KRIS) and integration of private insurance with BPJS will change the competitive landscape of hospitals.
MarkPlus Conference 2026 emphasized that amidst macroeconomic uncertainty and national leadership transition, business actors must adopt a Revolutionary Change mentality, always learning (learn), unlearn, and relearn to stay relevant. ABOUT MARKPLUS CONFERENCE MarkPlus Conference is the largest annual marketing conference in Southeast Asia organized by MarkPlus, Inc. This event is a platform for thousands of business practitioners, academics, and policymakers to discuss future marketing trends, opportunities, and challenges.