About
WTF is MAD//Fest?
Like many good ideas, MAD//Fest came to fruition in a pub.
A motley crew of marketers, start-ups, disruptors, tech types + media folk started talking about events over a few beers. Wouldn’t it be fantastic if there was an event that actually brought together the great + the good? Something that packs a punch with no-nonsense, relevant content? A space where people can have a bit of fun rather than fall asleep in the back row?
And so, three pints in, MAD//Fest was conceived, and a decision was made (with a little Dutch courage) to quit our jobs + launch a marketing/advertising festival that no corporate would dare.
To cut a long story short, from relatively humble beginnings in 2018 (2,000 attendees), we’ve grown fast to become the UK’s biggest, boldest + most distinctive marketing/advertising festival. We’ve got stacks of innovation awards, happy clients + magical stories of people coming together + forging new partnerships (plus a few extra grey hairs).
We survived COVID and were the industry’s first In Real Life event to return in July 2021. How? By staging MAD//Fest in a Shoreditch car park, which became the playbook of the multi-location summer festival it is today. Another good thing came out of COVID - we teamed up with a good friend + industry legend to launch MAD//Masters by Rory Sutherland - a hybrid learning experience designed to help marketers, commercial leaders + entrepreneurs use behavioural science + creativity to solve business challenges + drive growth. And whilst we still haven’t had any in the Antarctic complete the course, MAD//Masters has a large + enlightened alumni in all four corners of the globe.
2024 was a big year for us. Not only did we host our most ambitious festival to date with 12,000 attendees across a 1/4sqm of real estate at the Truman Brewery, we also became part of The Ingenuity Group. This exciting chapter of the MAD//Fest story has enabled us to scale our ambition and take MAD//Fest UpNorth to Manchester in 2025 as we go about our mission to connect the marketing world.
MAD//Fest Charter
Just like your old Nokia phone, we’re in the business of connecting people. We’re also here to serve up an inspiring programme of content from the world’s top brands + disruptors, encourage positive action on key industry issues, facilitate innovation, enable buyers + suppliers to do business. Here’s our charter:
We promise no bullsh*t
We’re serious about ideas, inspiration + innovation and using tech to make more of your meetings count.
We promise to create something people want
We believe the event industry hasn’t moved with the times + continues to pump out boring trade shows/conferences. We will start with you + pack MAD//Fest with bucket loads of practical content, new ideas + kindred spirits to meet.
We promise more brands
It's all about a good balance of buyers + suppliers - not flogging as many tickets as possible to anyone who will buy them or packing a room with people who have little interest other than picking up free stationery.
We promise to value your time
This means serving up a programme of amazing speakers, curated content + targeted networking in an inspiring + entertaining space to justify the time spent out of the office.
We promise to promote diversity, equity + inclusion
MAD//Fest is committed to promoting the value of diversity, equity + inclusion through our speaker line-up, content + initiatives.
We promise to be human
Until AI can do it better, we will strive to add a personal touch. Want to invite a specific brand? Just let us know who they are + we’ll make sure they get a free ticket!
We promise to have fun
Dull conferences have had their day. We’ll assault your senses by challenging accepted wisdom, turning on the beer taps in our pop-up pub + helping you to make new friends in an engaging, entertaining and experiential environment.
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Female Leaders' Club
The Female Leaders’ Club returns to MAD//Fest London in 2025 for a packed programme of networking, inspirational female-centric content + topical conversation. The Female Leaders’ Club@MAD//Fest is focused on enabling women to achieve their full potential + address long-standing inequalities in the industry.
Open to all genders, the Female Leaders’ Club@MAD//Fest is a must if you want to meet female leaders, learn from the experiences of women in our industry, and find out how the most progressive businesses are simultaneously supporting the development of female employees + driving positive change.
Want to hear news + views from the marketing/advertising industry’s leading ladies + be the first to know about events, meet-ups + more? Subscribe to our Female Leaders’ Club newsletter HERE + join a year-round community of people dedicated to making change happen.
Mad//Masters By Rory Sutherland
Ever wondered what happens when you combine creativity, behavioural science + critical thinking - “Alchemy!”, as Rory Sutherland might say. MAD//Masters By Rory Sutherland is a new breed of online/hybrid course for marketers, salespeople, c-suite executives, founders + agency execs who are looking to unlock more effective customer strategies + gain a strategic edge.
Created, hosted + assessed by legendary adman Rory Sutherland, MAD//Masters is a CPD-accredited, on-demand personal development programme.
Featuring intakes throughout the year, not only does MAD//Masters feature on-demand lectures, monthly live sessions, bonus interviews + an optional assessment, there’s also a special in-person ‘Lunch + Learn’ session at MAD//Fest London 2025 where you can meet Rory + your fellow students IRL.
So why not let Rory Sutherland help solve your business challenges? CLICK HERE for more information + to book for the next course dates.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
MAD//Fest is committed to promoting positive change on Diversity, Equity + Inclusion (DEI). We work with the fantastic folk at DigiLearning to enable young talent from underrepresented ethnic, gender + social class backgrounds to connect with the industry + present their innovative ideas to top brands. This has led to the creation of several jobs.
Launched in 2023, the Female Leaders’ Club is a must if you want to be inspired by the industry’s leading women, learn what can be done to support female talent + enable tomorrow’s future female leaders to reach their full potential. Click HERE for more information.
Whilst we know that we can’t change long-standing inequalities overnight, we do believe that MAD//Fest should act as a platform for progress and we’re always open to hearing your ideas. Drop info@madfestlondon.com an email to discuss ways in which MAD//Fest can be a force for good.
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Accessibility Statement
We endeavour to make MAD//Fest London as accessible as possible for guests. Provisions we are able to make include wheelchairs onsite, reserved seating for people with mobility issues on key stages, and a hearing loop on all public stages. We have also introduced accessible registration points in our centralised registration/check in area located off Ely’s Yard.
Accessible toilets are available at:
F Block T1 (next to the DigiAds stage (marked Upper Level on the show map)
F Block G1 (next to Registration/Check In)
93 Feet East (MAD//Marquee entrance)
Café 1001 (with ramp aid)
Due to the nature of the venue, there are some areas of the festival that people with mobility issues may find challenging, such as the cobbles by the MAD//Marquee entrance (93 Feet East).
If you do have mobility issues please write to us at info@madfestlondon.com so that we can arrange the best possible access.
Please let us know if you have any other access requirements in advance so that we can advise and make the best possible provision within the constraints of the venue.
Please also note that we cannot provide dedicated one-to-one support but we will make complimentary tickets available for carers and support persons.
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