Line//Up
Northern Soul: MAD//North's 2026 theme
Music pioneer. Global creative powerhouse. Innovation leader - the north has always danced to the beat of its own drum + its booming marketing industry is no different. From Wigan + Warrington to Wakefield + Whitley Bay, brands + agencies of different shapes + sizes continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible, producing unconformist, distinctive + head-turning work for an international audience.
We’ll be taking over Manchester’s St John’s creative district for TWO epic all-dayers, as the movers + shakers of the marketing movement outside of London come to town to talk creativity, content, creators, culture, innovation, AI, media, entertainment, sport + much more.
Stages
200+ CMOs, entrepreneurs + challengers on-stage tackling the industry’s most pressing issues, not a dull panel in sight. Expect a BS-free programme of punchy keynotes, £20k innovation pitches + masterclasses around our theme, 'Northern Soul.'
Distinctively northern, unmistakably MAD. Here’s our 2026 stage line-up:
A jaw-dropping 1100 capacity + the place to hear headliners from top CMOs, CEOs + founders on our 2026 theme, ‘Northern Soul’.
The place to hear brands who are leveraging influencers, AI, trust, data, CX, measurement + brand building.
A forum dedicated to this booming space + the latest trends + innovations in commerce media, monetising data, measurement, attribution, creative, CX, scalable networks + personalisation
Where the world’s top advertisers, agencies + platforms talk investment, digital advertising, data, effectiveness, AI, performance, CTV + more.
Inspiring insights from the brands who are successfully creating culturally relevant content + benefiting from emotional engagement.
SPEAKERS
Vicki Maguire
// Chief Creative Officer, Havas
Vicki Maguire is a rare breed – a world-class creative, a woman leading the charge and a force for modernising our industry.
From her disastrous career in fashion, sacked by the likes of French Connection and Vivienne Westwood, she discovered a love for copy when Paul Smith told her to stop trying to draw and write her ideas down instead. She’s worked on campaigns for some of the best agencies in the world – including Grey, Widen + Kennedy, Mojo and Amsterdam International.
She was appointed Havas London’s first female Chief Creative Officer in January 2020 – just eight weeks before the global pandemic hit. Despite that, she helped steer the agency to its best-ever year creatively – winning its first Cannes Gold Lion in nearly a decade for the Black Plaque Project – led one of the most successful new business drives in its history, culminating in Havas being awarded the hotly-contested Asda account in May 2021, produced work that built fame and commercial resilience for clients, and drove culture which engaged and helped consumers and communities.
Kirsten Pugsley
// Marketing Director UK&I, Puma
Eleanor Barker
// CMO UK&I, PG Tips
Samantha Leach
// Chief Customer + Marketing Officer, boohoo
Adam Field
// VP Brand Marketing, Berghaus
Robert Faulkner
// Chief Business + Communications Officer, Wrexham AFC
Sara Holt
// Chief Marketing Officer, Center Parcs
Sara Holt joined Center Parcs as Chief Marketing Officer in 2025, leading brand, marketing, digital and communications across the UK & Ireland. She previously headed Sales & Marketing for Merlin Entertainments across the UK and Europe, overseeing world-famous attractions including Alton Towers, The London Eye and Madame Tussauds.
With a career spanning LEGO, the BBC and Global Media, Sara brings a blend of commercial rigour and creative ambition. Passionate about inclusion and mentoring, she’s driving a bold new chapter for Center Parcs with remit to modernise Center Parcs’ marketing strategy to drive short and long term growth.
Matthew Bulcroft
// Marketing Director, Global Brands Ltd (Hooch)
Matt Bulcroft is Marketing Director at Global Brands, where he leads a 50-strong team across brand strategy, creative, digital, and activation. Since joining the business in 2008, he’s worked his way up from sales to senior leadership, giving him a rare 360° view of how brands connect with consumers.
Today, Matt is the driving force behind some of the UK’s most loved (and talked-about) drinks brands, including Hooch, VK, and Franklin & Sons. From bold, tongue-in-cheek campaigns to heritage storytelling and premium serves, he’s passionate about building brands that punch above their weight and cut through in crowded markets.
Alongside brand building, Matt spearheads workforce modernisation at Global Brands, championing new ways of working and harnessing technology to keep teams agile, creative, and future-fit.
When he’s not shaping the future of drinks marketing, you’ll find him on the golf course, at Elland Road supporting Leeds United, or out in the Peak District with his dog.
Tim Donald
// Chief Creative Officer, Sneak Energy
Steve Seddon
// Chief Marketing Officer, Ice Travel Group
Rory Sutherland
// Vice Chairman, Ogilvy
Cara Chambers
// Chief Marketing Officer, C&C Group
Adam Smith
// Director, Retail Media, Iceland
Mark Brown
// Chief Marketing Officer, Hovis
Claire Sutton
// Cluster Marketing Director UK + I, Aunt Bessie's
Zoe Harris
// Chief Marketing Officer, On The Beach
Trevor Robinson OBE
// Founder and Executive Creative Director, Quiet Storm
Dan Rubel
// Brand and Marketing Director, Currys
Jo Arden
// Chief Strategy Officer, AMV BBDO
Joanna Carmen
// Director of Plusnet, Plusnet (BT)
Jeremy Way
// VP Strategy and Creative Partnerships, City Football Group
Naomi Walkland
// Chief Marketing Officer, Motorway
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