ISTANBUL

Famed Turkish singer Ajda Pekkan received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Global Marketing Summit 2025.

At the Global Marketing Summit 2025 in Istanbul, Pekkan held a talk in which she shared her artistic journey, personal brand values, and the intersection of art and marketing in a changing world. Following the talk, Pekkan was presented with the award.

The event brought together leaders of the marketing sector, designers, authors, and artists to share their knowledge and experiences, according the organizers.

The summit, whose theme this year was Transformation with AI and Human-Centered Marketing, featured 155 speakers participating in 100 sessions.

During the four-day event, participants had the opportunity to listen to visionary speeches from world-renowned international and local speakers, while masterclasses and workshops were also held. The sessions were followed by marketing professionals from 90 countries across six continents.

Seda Mizrakli Ferik, chair of the summit, said they did special preparation for the fifth anniversary of the event.

Ferik said they organized an event where critical topics needed by the industry were addressed by influential figures. She emphasized that Philip Kotler, who has served as the summit’s honorary speaker for the past five years, once again placed his long-emphasized concept of the “4 P’s of Marketing” at the core of this year’s brand DNA.

“This year, too, we implemented the same vision through excellent content, venue, hospitality, and a strong value proposition,” she said.

Highlighting that they are a brand that for over 20 years has set, rather than followed, trends in the global meetings industry, Ferik underlined the months of meticulous work devoted to ensuring that the event’s content and concepts reflect an authentic identity.

Focusing on this year’s theme, Ferik said they aimed to “discover the new formula for success,” and, with the support of new technologies, directed their efforts toward understanding and fulfilling the core desires and needs of customers.

Ferik also said the gender balance among speakers has been equal between women and men at all summits in previous years. By giving space to voices from different countries, they have consistently achieved their diversity and inclusion goals, making the event a model for other conferences worldwide.