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Yorkshire-based comedian, writer, and broadcaster Lucy Beaumont will be the special guest for the inaugural MAD//UpNorth keynote on Wednesday 26 February, at Aviva Studios, home of Factory International in Manchester.

Launched on the back of the UK’s largest marketing and advertising festival MAD//Fest, part of The Ingenuity Group, MAD//UpNorth will celebrate the pioneering people, brands and businesses in the North who are shaping a booming dynamic and cooperative marketing scene.

This two-day event takes place on Wednesday 26 and Thursday 27 February and will bring together 4,000 top brands, agencies and media owners and marketing professionals from across the North and Scotland for inspiring content and unrivalled networking opportunities.

Guest speaker Lucy Beaumont’s MAD//UpNorth keynote will focus on the theme ‘What Sets the North Apart’ and seeks to capture the cultural zeitgeist of the North, highlighting how this strong sense of identity can drive creativity and innovation.

Lucy has built a hugely successful career in television and radio, excelling in writing and stand-up, with credits for hit shows including Meet the Richardsons, Taskmaster, and Would I Lie to You? Much of Lucy’s work, including her sold-out UK tour The Trouble and Strife, features anecdotes about her home city of Hull and explores the north-south divide.

“Making light of the way we do things up north and pointing out what's funny, unusual and different has served me pretty well professionally, possibly sparing me the future threatened by my career teacher at school," commented Lucy. "But I think there's also a serious point to be made. Northerners are a creative bunch with a strong sense of identity, regularly punching above their weight in many areas, including music, culture, and potentially even marketing. I can't wait to share my thoughts on What Sets Us Apart and how we can leverage our northerness at MAD//UpNorth.”

Dan Brain, Co-founder, MAD//Fest: “Naturally we’re excited to bring Lucy's unique brand of observational humour to MAD//UpNorth. Marketers have long attempted to capture the cultural zeitgeist in their work, which is something Lucy has done incredibly well throughout her stellar screen and stage career. Not only can MAD//UpNorth attendees get under the skin of what makes the north’s most iconic brands tick; they can also gain fresh thinking from people like Lucy on what really sets the north apart and its creative credentials.”

MAD//UpNorth has launched to connect the industry outside London and address the need for a flagship festival highlighting the work of the North’s most innovative brands and agencies.

MAD//UpNorth speakers include:

 John Roberts: CEO and founder, AO World

Rory Sutherland:  Vice-chair, Ogilvy

Kenyatte Nelson: Chief Membership & Customer Officer, Co-op

Jessica Myers: Chief Marketing Officer, The very Group

Sacha Lord: Co-founder, Warehouse Project

Adam Zavalis: Chief Marketing Officer, ASDA

Michelle Spillane: Chief Marketing Officer, Paddy Power

Lucy Henderson: Marketing Director, Irn-Bru

Danny Micklethwaite: Chief Marketing Officer, Arla Foods

Mark Brown: CMO, Hovis

Jon Kell: Global Marketing Director, Yoto

Peter Hook: Musician, DJ and writer