The Debate Club, known as a safe place for people to explore controversial topics in advertising, is extending its reach, launching into Melbourne with a new Debate Club for Purpose series. It will also host an IAB Australia endorsed Advertising Debate Club event at AdWeek APAC in Sydney.
Advertising Debate Club at AdWeek APAC will run at 4:30pm on Tuesday 1st August 2023 during the ‘Ideas and Innovation Track’. It will rigorously explore the topic ‘AI will be the reason for human mistrust in Advertising’ with future leaders of our industry battling in a uni-style debate format. Debaters may not represent their own or their company’s opinions, but rather they must present points on both sides of the argument and entertain with lighthearted conversations.
Debate Club for Purpose will be a new chapter within Debate Club where controversial topics around important social and environmental issues will be explored to encourage open discussion and drive thought leadership for a better future. Topics will include environmental issues, social enterprise, building business in a meaningful way but staying financially viable, leadership structures and much more.
The first Debate Club for Purpose debate will be hosted by The Startup Network (formerly Startup Victoria) at The Commons QV located at 3 Albert Coates Lane, Melbourne CBD on 17th of August 2023, with the topic “Capitalism could turn around the environmental crisis”. The same topic will be explored in Sydney on 28th of September 2023 in Sydney at Talent International’s office in Sydney CBD.
Dickie Currer, Head of Partnerships at The Startup Network said: “I’ve always been a firm believer that to inspire great ideas, passionate entrepreneurs and true innovation, you need conflict, debate and a divergence of views. As such we're really excited to be collaborating on the first Melbourne Debate club and can't wait to bring along our Founder community and see how they engage with the topic.”
Jonas Jaanimagi, Technology Lead at IAB Australia said: “IAB Australia have loved supporting the Debate Club events over the past couple of years and we are delighted to see these events now coming into Melbourne.
“Constructive, passionate and insightful conversations are essential in our industry, and we view this form of engagement as a key area of development for the next generation of talent. This concept was born out of our mentorship program, and we are incredibly proud of how Orsi Toth-Pal and the rest of the Debate Club team have nurtured this very valuable initiative. IAB Australia will continue to actively support and engage with these Debate Club events as much as we can and wholeheartedly advise the rest of the industry to do the same,” said Jaanimagi.
The Debate Club team consisting of Emily Do, Lela Richmond-Johnson, Andy Mai, Andrew Mo, and Founder Orsolya Toth-Pal have been busy working on the updates and are excited to have more helping hands joining the team.
Alicia Placer and Sophie Gallagher both put their hand up after participating as a debater in the Opportunity Summit - by Debate Club. Debate Club’s host and partner Talent International has also appointed Socha Joyce to support the Debate Club team with upcoming events in Sydney.
Alicia Placer gathered ten years of extensive AdTech experience in APAC, in Hong Kong and Australia, becoming a finalist for B&T awards Women leading ad tech in Australia in 2023. Leading commercial roles for both demand and supply teams within Blis, Criteo and Prohaska Consulting and also contributed to the Australia ad tech industry as a member of IAB Australia Data Council. She is passionate about connecting with inspiring diverse professionals and self-starters and building a community that want to challenge the status quo on controversial topics.
Sophie Gallagher is a multiple award-nominated rising star of the industry. She is passionate about bringing stories, ideas, and brands to life with smart thinking and tenacity. She brings a unique perspective and a wealth of knowledge from many facets in the industry from breaking stories as a journalist to strategic experience to ignite passion, ideas, and long-lasting impact.
Sorcha Joyce is an experienced recruitment professional with a strong partnership network and a deep understanding of the tech industry. She takes a holistic approach and works with clients beyond recruitment. Sorcha designs and implements bespoke Solutions that create efficiencies in your processes, reduce hiring costs, improve candidate and employee experience through the use of HR/TA Technology, while also helping our clients become an Employer of Choice.
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About Debate Club and Orsi
Debate Club is known in the industry as a safe space for exploring controversial arguments and thought leadership in a fun social setting, followed by a few beverages in true media fashion.
Orsi Toth-Pal, the driving force behind Debate Club, is an award-nominated advertising saleswoman, creative thinker, and entrepreneur. In 2022, Toth-Pal was nominated for the B&T Women in Tech and Women in Media awards for her sales growth achievements and work in the industry, specifically around bringing the industry together and creating Debate Club.