Part One

We're already a month into the new year. With only 105 days to go to MAU, now is the perfect time to share what’s new this year...and some trends we're uncovering from pre-registration.

Speaking of registration - there's no better time than now to apply to attend MAU! We're out here breaking records with early registrations and want to keep the momentum going!

1. MAU Clubhouse Open Tuesday, May 20, the MAU Clubhouse debuts - passes can be secured during registration.

My hot take: It's similar to an airport lounge (like Admirals Club or Centurion Lounge). It has food and beverages, comfortable seating and, bonus – roundtables. In the past if you caught yourself wandering around on Tuesday before the opening night party, this is the place to be. And thank you to Yodel Mobile - App Marketing Agency of the Year , for sponsoring coffee at the clubhouse.

2. Executive Summit (Trending) Scheduled for May 21, the Executive Summit will admit one hundred CEOs, CMOs, and VPs, and the agenda will include lunch,?case studies, networking breaks, and topical roundtables.

My hot take: This is POPULAR!? 39% of pre-registrants are execs, and of those, 50% have applied to attend this inaugural Executive Summit. It's so popular we're increasing the number of participants from fifty to one hundred. For those of you who registered interest, we’ll begin the vetting process soon.

Here's a sneak peek on people who've applied to attend: EVP Growth (Energy), CMO (Finance), VP Marketing & Growth (Sports and Entertainment), VP Performance Marketing (Gaming), CMO (Health and Wellness).

3. All New Networking I'll get more detailed closer to MAU, but I'm incredibly excited that MAU will feature many new content and event formats to enhance your ability to network.

My hot take: We're introducing meetups (70% of pre-registrants are interested in attending a meetup). We're adding mic drops and roundtables to our education program. We're redesigning our badges to make it easier to spot which area of focus and industry sector someone's from. We're working hard to make sure MAU connects you with exactly who you're looking to meet.

4. Founders House This dedicated space for founders, startups, investors, and accelerators will offer a private lounge setting on the Expo floor. Supported by our new partner, ACT | The App Association , they’ll host a happy hour following the conclusion of Investor Office Hours.

My hot take: I had a hunch we had a lot of founders at MAU, and registration is proving that to be true. Plus, Founders House will play host to Investor Office Hours....an informal way for founders, startups and investors to make connections.

5. Leading the Way Last but certainly not least, I'm proud to announce the formation of the MAU Strategic Council, a dynamic group of industry trailblazers poised to lead and inspire. They'll begin reviewing the education program this month. Thanks to all who submitted sessions - we had 2xs the number of submissions for 2025.

My hot take: It's incredible to have this amazing group to provide insights. Thank you to Alex Sherer Amanda Lulewicz Evelin Herrera → GDC Paul Meinshausen Matej ?? Lancaric Peggy Anne Salz Ran Avrahamy and Saif Rasheed .

Final Thoughts

I spoke to a Freelance Software Engineer, Megan Olsen, last week. She shared how helpful it is to attend MAU as a developer alongside her marketing team.

Mobile growth isn’t just about marketing—it’s about the full user experience, from acquisition to retention. When cross-functional teams attend together, you can align on strategies, get inspired by industry leaders, and collaborate in real-time on new ideas.

Why bring the whole squad? Developers → Learn about the latest SDKs, APIs & tech solutions to optimize app performance. Designers → Get insights on UX/UI trends that drive engagement and conversions. Product Teams → Discover strategies to improve user retention and monetization. Marketers → Stay ahead on trends.

(And yes, Megan Olsen, our conversation did keep me up at night and I eventually tweaked registration categories based on our conversation!)

I also spoke to Hannah Parvaz for the first time last month after admiring her LinkedIn from afar. She's AMAZING and I look forward to working more closely together. If you're looking for someone fabulous to follow, she's it (her 30k other followers would probably agree).

Stay tuned for next month’s newsletter where I'll share more details on what you can expect at MAU this year...what else is new (new party locations, new party times, women's forum programming, new content tracks, more details on meetups and roundtables, our new influencer program, and maybe even drop a preview of speaker names.

Thanks for the read! Hope to see you in Vegas this May 20-22!

Angela Harar