Festival of Marketing 2021 agenda revealed

The agenda for the Festival of Marketing: The Year Ahead (18 – 21 October) has been revealed, featuring sessions celebrating success, sharing best practice and offering actionable insight to help marketers thrive in 2021 and beyond.

Speakers joining the line-up include Boots CMO Pete Markey, who will team up with his CFO Michael Snape to discuss how marketers can optimise their relationship with finance and reap the benefits of a close bond.

Elsewhere a panel of top marketers will share their leadership lessons from the frontline. Hosted by Marketing Week editor-in-chief Russell Parsons, the session will feature Greggs customer director Hannah Squirrell, NHS England head of campaigns and social media Phil Bastable, and Whitbread global customer director Tamara Strauss sharing what they’ve learnt about leadership over the past 18 months.

Marketing director at mochi ice cream company Little Moons, Ross Farquhar, returns to explain what the brand did next after going viral on TikTok. Farquhar will outline how he and his team are turning social media buzz into sustainable growth, transforming fame into a loyal fanbase.

Behavioural scientist and founder of Astroten, Richard Shotton, will answer the question of whether marketers should focus less on change. Shotton will be joined to debate the issue by fellow behavioural scientist Philip Graves and Roberta Lucca, co-founder of video games publisher Bossa Studios.

Other speakers to have joined the Festival of Marketing line-up include acclaimed author and Ehrenberg-Bass professor Byron Sharp, who will be discussing how marketers can transform the fortunes of the businesses they work for. The discussion is a celebration of what marketers can achieve, as well as an exploration of what might be getting in their way.

Also on the agenda is Mini MBA founder and Marketing Week columnist, Professor Mark Ritson. In his own inimitable style, Ritson will be exploring how small businesses can land massive brand results despite lower budgets and resources.

He is joined on the Festival of Marketing agenda by fellow Marketing Week columnist and founder of Passionbrand, Helen Edwards. Urging marketers to move ‘forwards not sideways’, Edwards hopes to help marketers keep their ambitions high and achieve breakthrough innovation.

The Festival of Marketing is also honoured to have actor and comedian Eddie Izzard sharing her story on how she turned comedy into storytelling. The session will cover her amazing feat of running 27 marathons in 27 days, as well as discussing her feeling of being trapped in the wrong body since the age of four.

Attend the Festival of Marketing on 18-21 October! The virtual event will provide four days of unrivalled learning, including a day of content curated by Marketing Week. Explore the agenda. If you are a Marketing Week Premium Subscriber, get in touch for your exclusive discount.