Prolific North’s annual Northern Marketing Festival rolls into Manchester today for its final stop, wrapping up three days of celebration of the North’s leading marketing talent, excellence and innovation.
After two jam-packed days of insight and standout sessions from the likes of Uber, Unilever, Carrs Pasties, Channel 4 and many more in Liverpool and Leeds, the final day comes from the iconic Victoria Warehouse in Manchester, supported by the festival’s strategic partner Embryo and headline sponsor Williams Lea.
Kicking off the final day, host David Prior said it had been a fantastic week of events and told the audience: “What a week it has been so far. On Tuesday, we were in Liverpool, yesterday in Leeds, and today is the third and final day in Manchester.
“While Liverpool and Leeds were packed with brilliant speakers, real stories and people that care for the future of marketing, we can assure you, Manchester, we saved some of the best for last. This is the biggest day – and we are finishing with a bang.”
He urged attendees to do two things: “Try to leave with a new connection today, this industry is built on relationships, and don’t leave empty-handed. Take an idea or insight back to your teams.”
David Hamilton, director of business development at Williams Lea, echoed this and said it has been a “great week” and praised the agenda and line-up for the day.
Following an inspiring opening day in Liverpool and a deep dive into brand transformation and strategy in Leeds, the final day of the festival is all about the future.
The rest of the day is shaping up to be a fitting end to the three day festival, thanks to fascinating opening sessions from the key to understanding your audience with Jess Atkinson from Embryo, plus a glimpse into how brands are building more balanced, effective media strategies in 2026 through a panel session featuring leaders from Buymedia, Print.com, Sky, Citipost Mail and Bauer Media.
Other highlights across the rest of the day include a fun session from Formore Agency and special guests Goldbox Productions on the worst briefs they’ve seen, a talk from Byteminds, and the CMO of Lipton Teas on how PG Tips brought back its CreativiTEA.
The afternoon promises more of the same, with panels and sessions covering everything from brand momentum with Uber Advertising, how to blend media with creative with IMA, what matters in the AI era with JBH PR, and a deep dive into search visibility with leaders from Impression.
The closing brand session will be with Co-op Live on how the venue is turning events into ecosystems.
The annual Northern Marketing Festival continues to position itself as a key fixture in the region’s calendar, built around three core themes: the intersection of humans and machines, the rise of “slow marketing”, and the power of collaboration in a challenging economic climate.
