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 Aviva Studios + Versa Studios 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 speakers, 6 stages, 2 days - not a dull panel in sight. Expect a punchy no BS programme of quickfire keynotes, £20k innovation pitches + masterclasses from top CMOs, entrepreneurs + challengers with trademark MAD//Fest panaché. Here’s how our stages lined-up in 2025:
Big stage action as top brands, founders, agency A-listers + innovators offered inspiration + insight on ‘What sets us apart’ (our ‘25 theme - read all about it here)
The place to explore the latest media trends, campaigns that turn the dial, and the emerging innovation that’s changing the game.
With brands rapidly developing their own networks, the Retail Media Stage in partnership with SMG revealed the latest growth opportunities, innovation + emerging trends in this booming space!
The Content + Creativity stage was where cutting-edge creatives, content creators, social superstars, media owners, pioneering platforms + creative technologists revealed the secrets behind the most effective campaigns.
Open to all genders, the Female Leaders’ Club 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.
The ever-popular Newsworks Speakeasy hit the road in 2025 + was a standout feature of MAD//North. From vintage fashion shows and delicious food + drink tasters to incisive panels on politics, sport, wellbeing + relationships, Newsworks' Speakeasy brought to life what makes news brands so important to millions of readers + advertisers alike.
THEMES + HOT TOPICS
Want to see real brand challenges addressed by the hottest start-ups/scale-ups? Don’t miss our LIVE £20k brand challenges taking place on thematically relevant stages throughout the course of the event!
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
Doors Open & Attendee Check-in
Please have your entry QR codes which can be found in the Home Screen of the MAD//UpNorth app ready for scanning.
Welcome to MAD//UpNorth
Ian Houghton
Co-Founder, MAD//Fest
Dan Brain
Co-Founder, MAD//Fest
Chair's Welcome
Simon Lloyd
Chief Marketing and Customer Officer, ex BBC, Virgin Atlantic and Aldermore Bank.
Rory Sutherland in conversation with John Roberts, Founder of AO World
John Roberts
CEO and Founder, AO World
Rory Sutherland
Vice Chairman, Ogilvy
YouTube
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