Honors Night 2026
AEF’s annual Honors Night fundraising gala recognizes the organizations and individuals for their accomplishments in the industry and for their support of the AEF’s mission of educating and inspiring young talent.
Dinner proceeds help fulfill AEF’s educational initiatives for professors and students and contribute to building the next generation of talent.
The gala event will take place Tuesday October 6th at The Plaza in NYC
6:15pm – Cocktails
7:30pm – Dinner and Presentations
2026 Honorees
Marketer Award
Walmart
Accepted by: William White
Chief Marketing Officer
Lifetime Achievement Award
Michael Kassan
Founder & CEO
3C Ventures
Inspire Award
Gail Horwood
Chief Marketing & Customer Experience Officer, Innovative Medicines US
Novartis
Agency Award
Omnicom
Accepted by: Jacki Kelley
EVP Chief Client & Business Officer
Media Award
NBCUniversal
Accepted by: Mark Marshall
Chairman, Global Advertising and Partnerships
Presenters
Marketer Award
Carla Hassan
Chief Marketing Officer
JPMorganChase
Lifetime Achievement Award
Bill Koenigsberg
Founder & CEO
Horizon Media
