Reset. Invite-only, closed-door professional discussion following the 2026 change of government. For leaders in media, marketing, tech and law.
The Mediaspace.global Leadership Club Budapest returns with a special-edition meeting following the parliamentary elections on 12 April 2026.
The new government formed on 12 May 2026 creates a new context for the media and advertising market. Beyond confronting the past, there is also a need for a reset. This goes beyond advertising spend, media mixes and market structures. The fundamental question is whether the advertising and media industry can seize the opportunity for change.
Over the past 16 years, the Hungarian economy and the advertising and media industries have been shaped in many ways by a climate characterised by passive resistance, declining competition, a “yes, but” attitude, narrowing innovation, and missed opportunities in data and technological development. Alongside financial resources and professional and technological readiness, so-called “soft” factors have all influenced—and will continue to influence—whether competition and competitiveness can genuinely improve, whether the market can catch up with others, or even regain leadership in certain areas.
How should we begin?
With data. Whitereport (the Hungarian affiliate of Mediaspace) has summarised the past, present, and the key questions for the future of the industry in 40 points for political, regulatory and market stakeholders in Kreatív, in the article Innen indulunk – helyzetkép a média- és reklámpiacról.
With a new framework. Using sociologist and political scientist Balázs Vető’s three-axis social model. This framework maps the 16 years of the Orbán government along the axes of “trust vs fear”, “performance vs loyalty”, and “responsibility vs obedience”. This framework can be highly effectively applied to the advertising and media market—and we will do exactly that.
Through the power of conversation. We have invited Balázs Vető, founder of the Forrás Social Research Institute, to open the discussion with a short provocation to inspire dialogue and collective thinking. We will briefly interpret the past in order to define what should change in the spirit of a reset. The closed-door discussion will take place with media, marketing, legal, tech and other leaders, moderated by Kinga Incze, in the usual format of max. 20 participants, conducted in Hungarian, under the Chatham House Rule. By the end of this interactive session, we aim to compile an initial “to-do list” that participants can further develop within their organisations.
Through the power of collective knowledge. The Whitereport for Directors 2026 will be a special edition. In addition to the usual analyses and trend overviews, we are preparing a series of in-depth interviews conducted anonymously with leaders from media, marketing, agencies and service providers to explore how the industry is thinking about the reset—in numbers, in trends; and who the expected winners and losers of the new era will be. Pre-order here.
How can you participate?
Participation is free for Mediaspace Leadership Club members, but registration is required and confirmation is based on order of application.
If you are not yet a Mediaspace Leadership Club member:
- Purchase a ticket here on Eventbrite. Places are limited and a waiting list may apply, so participation is also subject to order of registration.
- Register on Mediaspace.global
- View annual membership information HERE
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