Philips, Original Source, ITV, HECK and more leading brands will take to the stage at this year’s Prolific North Live as the event looks at what’s really next for marketing, advertising and media.
The marketing landscape is changing quickly.
AI is transforming how teams work. Consumer behaviour continues to fragment. New channels and platforms are changing how people discover brands, while marketing leaders are under increasing pressure to prove that investment is delivering genuine commercial value.
The challenge for marketers isn’t finding another prediction about the next big thing.
It’s working out which changes actually matter – and what to do about them.
That’s the thinking behind Prolific North Live 2026, taking place on Wednesday 18 November at SISTER in Manchester. The event will bring together more than 300 senior marketers, agency leaders, media professionals and technology specialists for a day focused on the ideas, strategies and shifts that will shape 2027.
And as the agenda starts to take shape, we can reveal some of the brands that will be sharing their experiences from the stage.
Hear directly from the brands putting new ideas into practice
This year’s programme is deliberately built around real-world experience rather than predictions for prediction’s sake.
Joining the Prolific North Live line-up will be senior voices from:
- Philips
- Original Source
- ITV
- HECK
- Shoe?
Each brings a very different perspective on how brands are responding to changing audiences, technology, media and consumer expectations – giving attendees the chance to hear what is actually happening inside organisations navigating these shifts.
That’s particularly important at a time when marketing teams are being asked to do more with less, while simultaneously keeping pace with developments in AI, data, creative technology, media and changing consumer behaviour.
So, what really is the next big thing?
That’s the question running through this year’s event.
Rather than simply presenting a list of emerging trends, Prolific North Live will explore what is genuinely worth paying attention to as we head towards 2027 – and what marketers can actually do about it.
The programme will span strategy, creativity, media, technology, consumer behaviour and growth, with sessions designed to challenge established thinking and provide practical takeaways.
The Strategy Spotlight Stage will focus on the bigger strategic shifts affecting marketing leaders – from new approaches to brand building and effectiveness through to the changing role of marketing within the wider business.
Alongside it, the Trendsetters Stage will look at the developments changing what is possible, with emerging technologies, new channels, changing consumer habits and case studies from brands already experimenting with what comes next.
And the emphasis will remain firmly on practical insight.
As with previous Prolific North Live events, the aim is not to fill the day with sales pitches or vague predictions. It’s to give the people in the room ideas they can take back to their teams and businesses.
From AI hype to genuine opportunity
AI will inevitably be part of the conversation – but it won’t be the only conversation.
For many marketing leaders, the challenge now is separating genuine opportunities from the constant stream of new tools, platforms and trends demanding attention.
At the same time, traditional assumptions about the customer journey are being challenged. Search, social, creators, communities, retail media and AI-powered discovery are changing where and how audiences find brands.
And as measurement becomes more complex, the pressure to demonstrate ROI isn’t going away.
Prolific North Live 2026 will bring those issues together, exploring not just what’s changing, but how marketers can respond.
The event’s first keynote speaker, transformation leader Russ Danks, will also explore how younger generations are already influencing consumer behaviour far beyond their own demographic, in a session examining the rise of the “trickle-up revolution”.
A room full of people thinking about what comes next
Ultimately, Prolific North Live is about bringing the industry together to have the conversations that are going to matter over the next 12 months.
For brands, that means hearing directly from peers facing many of the same challenges.
For agencies, it’s an opportunity to understand how client priorities are changing.
And for technology and media businesses, it’s a chance to see where the market is heading and what marketing leaders will need next.
With brands including Philips, Cineworld, ITV, HECK and Shoe? already confirmed to take to the stage, the 2026 agenda is beginning to reveal what promises to be a packed day of practical insight, debate and ideas.
Prolific North Live takes place on Wednesday 18 November 2026 at SISTER, Manchester.
If 2027 is already on your planning agenda, this is the day to start working out what comes next.
