UCS 2026: The Main Event for Creative & Marketing Leaders
May 27, 2026
On May 28–29, Kyiv will host a major event in Ukraine’s advertising and communications market — Ukrainian Creative Stories (UCS) 2026. This year’s edition is held under the powerful and energetic slogan “METAL FOREVER”. Just as legendary hits are etched into history, the best ideas transcend briefs and deadlines, transforming into enduring festival metal.
Participants can look forward to two days of a packed daytime program featuring hot case studies from top industry practitioners, as well as evening award ceremonies honoring those whose communications are shaping the future of the industry.
DAYTIME PROGRAM
Participants can look forward to seminars, panel discussions, real-world case studies, and practical insights from industry experts. Over 50 speakers will discuss current challenges, trends, and market shifts. Among the participants are representatives from leading agencies and advertisers who will share their own experiences with transformations and effective solutions.
Day 1 / May 28: Smells like Cannes spirit: how to create ideas that win awards
Let’s talk about how to create work that wins awards, gets audience likes, and will still sound cool 50 years from now. And whether that’s even possible.
For the second year in a row, the topic of military advertising is featured on the UCS program. This is a deep analysis of military communications as a new and unique phenomenon in Ukrainian creative work. The “Military Advertising” block will feature presentations and a panel discussion titled “Military Advertising: In-House or Outsourced?” The discussion will be moderated by Dmytro Fedorenko — Chair of the Military Advertising Committee of the All-Ukrainian Advertising Coalition (UAC) and founder and head of SEVENTEAM.
Day 2 / May 29: Marketing Rhapsody: How Marketing Communications Are Changing
The second day of the seminar program will be dedicated to the changes taking place in Ukrainian marketing communications. We’ll also discuss the future.
EVENING PROGRAM
Each day of UCS 2026 will conclude with award ceremonies for the winners of the Ukrainian Creative Awards 2026, where the best projects will receive their well-deserved festival awards.
May 28: Award ceremony for the national competitions ADC*UA Awards, Ukrainian Design: The Very Best Of, and MIXX Awards Ukraine. Also this evening, awards will be presented for the bold new CRAVE Awards project and the first Brave Awards military advertising competition, whose winners were selected by military communications specialists.
May 29: Awards ceremony for the 27th Kyiv International Advertising Festival (KIAF). The evening will conclude with the announcement of the National Ranking of Creativity and Excellence among Ukraine’s communication and media agencies.
Ukrainian Creative Stories 2026 is a place of power where creative teams come together, creativity becomes history, and ideas gain the status of “forever.”
For the detailed program, performance schedule, and event registration, follow the link.
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