The Northern Marketing Festival has revealed a second wave of speakers for the 2026 event next month, with a strong focus across digital, PR, SEO and strategic marketing.
The latest names build on the previously announced line-up, highlighting the depth of talent across the landscape in the North.
Sara Donnelly, Director, Beyond Echo PR
Hosting a panel in Liverpool, Sara helps ambitious technology and innovation-led organisations shape the narratives that define how they are understood in the market.
With more than 20 years’ experience in strategic communications, Sara works closely with founders, leadership teams and marketing departments to build the credibility, visibility and influence organisations need to grow.
Nathan Lomax, Co-founder, Quickfire Digital
Leading on a panel of e-commerce experts at our Manchester day, Nathan Lomax represents Quickfire Digital, a European e-commerce agency specialising in Shopify. He works with ambitious brands to scale through high-performing digital experiences, with a focus on conversion, UX and long-term growth.
Andrew Holland, Director of SEO, JBH
Andrew Holland is the Director of SEO at JBH and was a police officer for 17 years.
After first learning SEO while working in police intelligence, he swapped catching criminals for capturing the attention of search engine users. As a columnist for Marketing Week and a subject-matter expert for Search Engine Land, Andrew is one of the most trusted voices on search worldwide and we can’t wait to hear his thoughts and insights in Manchester.
Jay Dickinson, Founder & Strategy Director at Ginger Fury
Speaking in Leeds, Jay is the founder of strategic marketing agency Ginger Fury. A former planning director at HOME and IMA and a trained social scientist, she specialises in helping organisations use customer-first thinking to bridge the gap between strategic ambition and day-to-day marketing delivery, unlocking the commercial value in marketing technology, data and customer insight.
Lauren Henley, Associate Director, Digital PR at Impression
Lauren leads the strategy for the largest PR accounts at award-winning agency Impression, drawing on 13 years’ agency experience to bridge the gap between technical SEO and creative storytelling. Having entered the industry as an apprentice, she is an advocate for unconventional career paths and is known for delivering a results-driven approach for B2B and B2C brands across the UK, Europe and the US.
Hannah Craig, Director, Head of PR and Social at Impression
On stage with Lauren and with 14 years’ experience in PR, organic social and influencer marketing, Hannah helps brands achieve unrestricted visibility through ideas that earn attention and spark conversation. Known for blending strategic thinking with creative impact, she specialises in turning brand stories into culturally relevant moments that travel far beyond traditional channels. She regularly shares sharp, practical insight on how brands can cut through the noise, build credibility and grow visibility.
Get your tickets today
The Northern Marketing Festival 2026 will take place across 3 amazing northern cities, bringing together brands, agencies and industry leaders for a programme of talks, panels and networking opportunities.
You can choose to attend at Liverpool (12th May), Leeds (13th May) and/or Manchester (14th May). If you are purchasing 3 or more tickets, please email [email protected] to receive a bulk purchase offer.
