Asia Pacific Social Marketing Conference 2026

The Asia Pacific Social Marketing Conference (APSMC) brings together academics, practitioners, policymakers, and doctoral researchers to advance social marketing scholarship and practice across the region.

APSMC 2026 is hosted by The University of Western Australia and convened under the auspices of the Australian Association of Social Marketing (AASM). It represents the revitalised evolution of the long-standing International Social Marketing Conference – strengthened in its Asia-Pacific identity, and broadened in its commitment to regional relevance, cultural diversity, and systems-level social impact.

This year's conference welcomes contributions spanning public health, sustainability, social equity, community resilience, behaviour change, digital technologies, and policy innovation.

THE 2026 THEME

Compassion, Complexity, and Change: Navigating a Polycrisis World

Social marketing is increasingly called upon to address interconnected crises – in public health, environmental sustainability, social inequality, and trust in institutions. The 2026 theme responds to this moment of heightened responsibility and opportunity, foregrounding three interrelated imperatives:

Compassion – Centring care, dignity, equity, and ethical responsibility in social change efforts.

Complexity – Recognising non-linear dynamics, power asymmetries, and unintended consequences within social systems.

Change – Advancing transformative, regenerative, and systems-level interventions, including the implications of digitalisation and AI for social marketing practice and governance.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND

APSMC 2026 is designed for:

• Academics and researchers working in social marketing, public health, sustainability, behaviour change, and related disciplines

• Practitioners and program designers seeking evidence-based approaches to social change

• Policymakers and government representatives engaged in upstream intervention and systems design

• Doctoral researchers looking to present early-stage work and connect with the field's leading scholars

• Industry and NGO leaders working at the intersection of social impact and behaviour change

All conference registrations include:

• Full 3-day conference: all sessions and workshops

• 3 days fully catered morning tea, lunch, and afternoon tea

• Welcome drinks and canapes at Bayside Kitchen, Matilda Bay

• 3 course gala dinner at Doubletree by Hilton Perth Waterfront (including drinks)

• Conference program (printed copy)

• Conference proceedings (digital)

• Conference lanyard and tote bag

• 2-year complimentary membership of the Australian Association of Social Marketing

• Incredible opportunity to network and share ideas

CONFERENCE TRACKS

Submissions are welcomed across six thematic tracks:

• Social Marketing and Contemporary Social Challenges

• Ethics, Responsibility, and Inclusion

• Systems, Policy, and Institutional Contexts

• Digital and Emerging Technologies

• Advancing Social Marketing Theory and Methods

• Practice, Policy, and Knowledge Translation

View call for papers and make a submission

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

An inspiring line-up.

APSMC 2026 will feature an inspiring line-up of in keynote speakers whose work addresses compassion, complexity, and change in social marketing and related fields. Keynote details and speaker profiles will be announced on the conference website as they are confirmed.

Doug McKenzie-Mohr, Ph.D.

For over four decades, Dr. Doug McKenzie-Mohr has worked to incorporate scientific knowledge on behavior change into the design and delivery of environmental programs. He founded community-based social marketing, a framework for developing environmental behavior change programs, which is now used globally. Doug is the author/co-author of six books on community-based social marketing, one of which, "Fostering Sustainable Behavior," has been recommended by Time Magazine and has become requisite reading for those who deliver environmental programs. His work has been featured in the New York Times, and he is the recipient of the American Psychological Association's inaugural award for innovation in environmental psychology, the World Social Marketing Conference's inaugural award for contributions to the field of social marketing, and he is a B.F. Skinner distinguished lecturer. More than 75,000 program managers have attended his workshops. Doug is a former Environmental Psychology professor. He lives in Victoria, Canada.

THE HOST

The University of Western Australia, Perth

APSMC 2026 is proudly hosted by the UWA Business School at The University of Western Australia – a leading research university with a strong commitment to translational scholarship, Asia-Pacific engagement, and research that serves society.

Perth, Western Australia offers a world-class conference destination: a vibrant, culturally diverse city with excellent international connections across the Asia-Pacific region.

CONFERENCE CO-CHAIRS

Dr. Gauri Laud & Dr. Uwana Evers (Academic Co-Chairs)

Australian Association of Social Marketing | The University of Western Australia

Luke van der Beeke (Practice Co-Chair)

Australian Association of Social Marketing | The Behaviour Change Collaborative

Organising committee

Dr Emma Joenpolvi, UWA Business School
Dr Uwana Evers, UWA Business School
Dr Gauri Laud, UWA Business School
Luke van der Beeke, The Behaviour Change Collaborative

QUERIES OR COMMENTS?

Write to us at apsmc2026@uwa.edu.au

The event has impact in more ways than one, with ticket booking fees supporting children's charities, thanks to a partnership with Humanitix.

Humanitix is the not-for-profit ticketing platform that gives events impact, putting booking fees toward closing the education gap. Humanitix’s programs include meals for disadvantaged school kids, education programs for girls and scholarships for indigenous students.