LIA announces Creative LIAisons 2026
Young Creatives from around the globe attend LIA Creative LIAisons in Las Vegas for an intensive training program that includes sitting in on LIA judging.
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Creative LIAisons takes place at Encore @ Wynn, Las Vegas from 27th September through 1st October, 2026 for 125 young creatives from around the world.
This five-day Global Coaching Academy runs concurrently with LIA judging and features talks, panel discussions, a specially curated workshop and the opportunity to sit in on statue discussions.
Sitting in on statue discussions in real-time is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that accelerates learning and careers. To be more than just a fly on the wall, as the juries discuss what makes good work great work, is an invaluable teaching tool for the next generation of creatives.
Since 2012, LIA has channeled money from its entry fees, back into the industry through its Creative LIAisons Global Coaching Academy, to support the educational and professional career development of emerging talent. Each year the cohort of young creatives is a mix from agencies, production houses, design companies, media houses, tech companies and PR companies, who have either been chosen by their company or have won a competition hosted by trade press or an ad club/association.
“One of the many benefits of this program is that there are no costs to the companies or the attendees. Also, the speakers hold a live audience Q&A at the end of each session. These questions are not screened beforehand, allowing real-time conversation with some of the industry’s elites. This openness extends into the jury rooms. This year the attendees will have a choice of five different categories to sit in on statue discussions. Once the decisions in each of these rooms are locked in, the juries host a Q&A session with the young creatives,” explained Laurissa Levy, Creative LIAisons Director, LIA.
“We got incredible insight about how the work is being judged, but also how these judges feel about the work that’s being chosen and it’s inspiring. You see how important it is,” added Camila Sandoval, Copywriter McCann, Lima, 2025 LIAisons attendee.
LIA also hosts a networking event, where the LIAisons attendees have unfettered access to the people they look up to, our jurors and speakers.
“I was one of the delegates in the Creative LIAisons programme in 2016 and it was one of the best experiences of my life. And now I’m here as a LIA juror. It was here that I got to watch a jury in action for the first time,” elaborated Umma Saini, Director - Creative & Content, PhonePe, LIA 2025 TV & Cinema and Online Film Juror.
Click here for the Program Line-Up
The on-site initiative is just one side of the coin. On the flip side, 250 young mentees participate in the LIAisons virtual coaching programme. These are bespoke, one-to-one coaching sessions, with three top global creative professionals. The mentees are at liberty to send in their wish list from the entire roster of coaches. There is no set formula, as each session is customised between coach and mentee. What is discussed in these sessions will be determined entirely by the mentees and coaches, making no two sessions alike.
“The LIA virtual coaching programme is a great chance for creatives to get one-on-one coaching with the biggest names in the business. I was part of the Creative LIAisons programme years ago, and the inspiration, the coaching, mentorship and the connections I’ve built truly shaped my career to what it is today,” revealed Emir Shafri, CCO Publicis Groupe, Malaysia.
