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

Maisie Adam

// Comedian + TV Personality

Jonathan Warburton

// Chairman, Warburtons

Zoe Harris

// Chief Marketing Officer, On The Beach

Eleanor Barker

// CMO UK&I, PG Tips

Robert Faulkner

// Chief Business & Communications Officer, Wrexham AFC

Steve Seddon

// Chief Marketing Officer, ICE Travel Group

Cara Chambers

// Chief Marketing Officer, C&C Group

Dan Rubel

// Brand and Marketing Director, Currys

Joanna Carman

// Director of Plusnet, Plusnet (BT)

Emma Thackray

// Co-Founder, Hip Pop

Jamie Scahill

// Co-Founder, Manchester Union Brewery

Ewan Baggott

// Football Freestyler + Content Creator

Ben Kerr

// Founder, Cold Glass Productions

Emily Heath

// Global Brand Director, Rexona/Sure

Pardeep Duggal

// Global Marketing Director, BUPA

Richard Robinson

// Executive Director, Ingenuity+

Neil Jones

// Head of Media, Boots

Ian Maskell

// Founder/CEO, P E C O R I N O Group

Florence Howell

// Ice Cream Marketing Director UKI, The Magnum Ice Cream Company

Hayden Clottey

// Head of Sport, InterTalent

Bridey-Rae Lipscombe

// Chief Marketing Officer, P.Louise

Sam Williams

// Head of Strategy, AMV BBDO

Alex Brown

// Co-founder and CCO, Campfire

Jade Beaty

// Content Creator, @livethedash

Shelley Macintyre

// Interim CEO, Brands & Licensing, BBC Studios

Susan Finnegan

// Head of International & Placemaking, Liverpool City Council

Elliot Muscant

// CEO and Founder, Open Partners

Sedge Beswick

// Consultant

Rachel Roberts

// Managing Director, Zeal

Nancy Sadler

// Senior Brand Manager, Essity

Will Evans

// Sales Director, Manchester Union Brewery

Lucia Mastromauro

// Global VP of Advertising, Deliveroo

Emma Padwick-Graham

// Head of Performance, Autotrader

Paul Stafford

// Head of Very Media Group, The Very Group

Daniel Lythgo

// Brand Manager, Magnum UK

Dominic McGregor

Kate Nightingale

// Psychologist, Chief Behavioural Officer and Founder, Humanising Brands

Jacqui Grimsey-Jones

// Brand Director, loveholidays

Nicky Unsworth

// Non Executive Director, Open Partners

Alex Reeves

// Managing Editor, EMEA, Little Black Book

Sarah Rostron

// Brand & Product Director, Pure Pet Food

Tom Ridges

// CEO, Herdify

Mark Watts

// Sales Leader, Channel 4

Mark Pougatch

// Broadcaster, ITV Sport

Chris Mawdsley

// Head of Media Strategy, BBC

Rufina Lawani

// Director of Regional Sales, Sky

Karen Carney

// Broadcaster and Former Footballer

Stuart Smith

// Programme Editor, ITV

Lucy West

// Head of News, ITV Granada Reports

Cree-Summer Haughton

// Digital Reporter, ITV News

Julia Nicholls

// Agency Group Head, Tesco Media

Gill Huber

// Managing Director, Ingenuity+

Simon Hofmeister

// Head of Fashion & Sports, Commerce, TikTok

Angelique Miller

// VP, E Studio, Expedia Group

Eni Shabani

// Founder, Rising Ballers Group

Claire Hoyle

// Head of Marketing - Local Brands UK&I, Birds Eye UK & IE

Kymberley Thompson

// Senior Global Social Media & Community Manager, Primark

Eve Young

// Associate Creative Director, SocialChain

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