DK2026
Reading time 4 min
The industry is asking for a different perspective and we’re bringing it to DK2026
Different perspectives on communication are starting to reveal something uncomfortable: its value today is harder to define — and even harder to predict.
Communication no longer comes from one place or follows a clean path. It happens in moments you can’t fully control, in spaces where culture, technology and the market overlap — often outside what the industry can plan in advance. Looking at it from a single angle no longer works. What matters now is understanding it from multiple perspectives, each adding a piece to the bigger picture.
From May 7 to 10, 2026 in Rovinj, DK2026 opens exactly that space — bringing together conversations that look at communication from different angles, including those that sit outside the industry itself.
A STORY (FINALLY) TOLD: THE MARKETING PLAYBOOK WITH MATE RIMAC AND DAMIR SABOL
Some of the most successful business stories don’t follow the rules everyone assumes are universal. That’s exactly why they raise a different question: what does marketing actually look like when it’s built on hero products and global ambition?
In A Story (Finally) Told: The Marketing Playbook with Mate Rimac and Damir Sabol, Davor Bruketa (Co-founder and Creative Director, Bruketa&Žinić&Grey, Member of HURA & IAB Croatia and Member of DK Organizing Committee) speaks with Mate Rimac (the founder behind Rimac Automobili and Rimac Technology, the force behind Bugatti Rimac, the €200M and 100,000 m² Rimac Campus and Nevera) and Damir Sabol (founder of Photomath, the app used by millions daily and one of the biggest Croatian tech exits, acquired by Google in 2023) about the decisions, risks and processes behind what they’ve built. Not the polished version — the real one. The numbers, the trade-offs and the calls that shaped long-term brand growth.
VERSATILITY OF CREATIVITY: BETWEEN THE QUIET AND THE NOISE
Creativity doesn’t exist in isolation anymore. It comes with context, explanation and constant pressure to stay visible. What once could exist quietly now demands clarity, speed and continuous presence.
The panel Versatility of Creativity: Between the Quiet and the Noise explores the relationship between the creative process and the environment it operates in. The discussion is moderated by Jelena Fiškuš (Creative Director and Co-founder, Studio Sonda, Member of HURA and IAB Croatia, Member of DK Organizing Committee), with Marina Mesar (OKO, Multidisciplinary Artist), Baby Lasagna (Singer, Songwriter) and Gala Marija Vrbanić (Designer, Founder of Tribute Brand) opening the question of how to stay authentic and relevant in such conditions.
TRADEMARKED: THE KULT PLAVE KAMENICE POWER MOVE — IN CONVERSATION WITH MARIO MANDARIĆ
The Kult Plave Kamenice case quickly outgrew a single story and became something everyone had an opinion on. In the process, it opened questions around ownership, control and how brands are built today — and how protected they really are once they become recognizable.
In Trademarked: The Kult Plave Kamenice Power Move — In Conversation with Mario Mandarić, Dunja Ivana Ballon (Festival and Program Director of DK Festival, Managing Director of HURA and IAB Croatia) speaks with Mario Mandarić about the decision that triggered the debate, what followed and what it reveals about how brands are created, scaled and monetized — often without a clear protection strategy.
THE ANTI-MEDIUM: WHAT STREET ART CAN TEACH THE COMMUNICATION INDUSTRY
Street art doesn’t ask for permission. It appears, interrupts and demands a reaction. Communication aims for the same — but under different constraints.
The panel The Anti-Medium: What Street Art Can Teach the Communication Industry explores what the industry can learn from an approach that doesn’t depend on budgets, formats or expectations. The discussion is moderated by Tine Lugarič (Co-founder & Creative Director, Trampolin, Slovenia), with Phat Phillie (DJ and Hip-Hop Activist, Croatia), Ana Delić (Creative Director, New Moment, Serbia) and Slaven Lunar Kosanović (Multidisciplinary Artist, Croatia) sharing perspectives on how to capture attention without trivializing space, how to be visible without aggression and how to leave a mark that actually matters.
THE WEDDING THAT BEAT TITANIC: 2 MILLION REASONS TO TALK ABOUT SVADBA
While most content fades quickly, Svadba did the opposite — it stayed and kept growing. The film attracted hundreds of thousands of cinema viewers before becoming a regional hit that surpassed Titanic in viewership across multiple markets.
In the panel The Wedding That Beat Titanic: 2 Million Reasons to Talk About Svadba, Igor Šeregi (screenwriter and director, Svadba) and Goran Turković (Designer, Šesnić&Turković, Member of HURA and IAB Croatia) discuss how the project came to life, what almost didn’t make it and which decisions ultimately made the difference. The focus is on the real moments behind success — from the first idea to audience reaction — and why some stories resonate, spread and stay.
Tool, Toy or Trojan Horse? Gen Z’s View on AI powered by McCann & UM / AMA Group
Gen Z uses AI daily — but not without hesitation. It helps, accelerates and simplifies, but it’s not something they rely on blindly. That balance says a lot about how this generation sees technology.
The panel Tool, Toy or Trojan Horse? Gen Z’s View on AI powered by McCann & UM / AMA Group brings the perspective of a generation that both uses and questions AI. The discussion is moderated by Katarina Robeli (Managing Director, UM Zagreb, Member of HURA & IAB Croatia) and Mate Šola (Managing Director, UM Zagreb, Member of HURA & IAB Croatia), with Filip Filković (Director/Producer), Renata Geld (Founding Director of the Center for Cognitive Science, University of Zagreb) and Ana Lakić (Executive Marketing and R&D Director of Beverages Group, Jamnica Plus) exploring the relationship between technology, trust and authenticity — and what it means for brands and communication.
WE ALL WITNESSED A MURDER. OF AUTHENTICITY. BY WOLF
Authenticity has become one of the most used — and least clearly defined — words in communication. As more content presents itself as “real,” the question is what that actually means today and how audiences recognize it.
The panel We All Witnessed a Murder. Of Authenticity. by WOLF explores the boundary between genuine and constructed identity in communication. The discussion is moderated by Ana Rotim (Director, aqventi), with Petra Franić (Senior Manager Brand Communications, PR and Digital, adidas), Natko Beck (Radiologist and Healthcare Influencer) and Tatjana Jurić (Journalist & Host) examining how the perception of authenticity is built — and how audiences respond to it.
Through these conversations, DK2026 puts the focus on what often stays invisible in communication — but defines how it is created and experienced. Different perspectives open a broader view of the industry and show why communication today rarely follows predefined rules.
Photo: Matija Habljak / Pixell
Photo: Vana Katančić
Photo: Borna Jakšić / PIXSELL
ABOUT DAYS OF COMMUNICATIONS:
Days of Communications has been recognized as one of the best events in the world by the Association Excellence Awards for its out-of-the-box approach, unique festival offering, and high-quality production and organization. The twelfth edition of the festival—known for bringing together key representatives of advertisers, agencies, public relations experts, media representatives, and other professionals from the communications industry who are essential in creating and driving change—will once again welcome all those who both love and hate the communications industry next spring at the Lone Hotel in Rovinj. Thanks to this festival, which wholeheartedly gathers the communications community, no one can remain indifferent to it. More information is available on the official festival website: www.danikomunikacija.com
ABOUT THE ORGANIZERS:
The Croatian Association of Communications Agencies (HURA) is the leading professional association in the market communications sector in Croatia. Its members include some of the best and most awarded local agencies. HURA organizes the national market communications festival Days of Communications, along with its associated competitions Effie, IdejaX, MIXX, and Young Lions; the HOWtoWOW marketing academy; the regional advertising agency showcase BalCannes; regular educational programs; and many other projects. It actively works to improve market conditions and advance the entire industry, including lobbying activities, negotiations with legislators, promotion of the profession, numerous industry research and statistics, consulting, and more. Internationally, it operates within the global agency association VoxComm, the European Association of Communications Agencies, and serves as the exclusive representative in Croatia for Cannes Lions and Effie Worldwide. Through the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) Croatia, it is also part of the IAB Global Network.
Follow us on our official Facebook and LinkedIn pages, and learn more about HURA at www.hura.hr.
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) Croatia is the collective representative and ambassador of the interactive marketing industry and the global IAB network in Croatia. Operating within the Croatian Association of Communications Agencies (HURA), it connects key stakeholders involved in the growth of interactive marketing and advocates for the highest standards. Through this initiative, the Croatian market has gained access to a wide range of materials, specialized education, awards, research, analyses, and a network that will be exclusively available through IAB Croatia.
More information is available at www.iab-croatia.com, as well as on Facebook and LinkedIn.
