The first speakers for Radiocentre’s Tuning In North event at The Bridgewater Hall, Manchester on June 4 have been announced, and include Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham and Hits Radio presenter Gemma Atkinson.
Burnham will take to the stage to outline his priorities for media and creative industries in the North as he begins his third term in office.
Also from the world of politics, Warrington South MP and chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Commercial Radio, Andy Carter will be speaking to provide insights into the current political landscape and discuss key developments such as the forthcoming Media Bill, as well as the recent BBC radio announcements on new station launches and the introduction of advertising on some podcasts.
Hits Radio’s Atkinson will join Bauer Media Group’s commercial chief operating officer Claire Foster in a session exploring the importance of connection, why it’s under threat, and how innovation and AI are changing things.
The line-up also includes Tesco Mobile’s head of acquisition marketing, Dipesh Patel who will take part in a session with Charlie Cadbury, founder of voice assistant-focused advertising agency Say It Now, about how they are working together to take advantage of the shift to voice engagement in audio.
The conference will be opened and chaired by Radiocentre’s CEO Matt Payton and will also feature a session from planning director Mark Barber and head of insight Donna Burns, who will delve into Radiocentre’s new landmark research project Radio: The Performance Multiplier.
Tuning In North begins with a networking breakfast at 8:45am followed by presentations from 9.15am to 12.15pm. Tickets are free to radio and audio professionals, brands and agencies based in the North, but are limited so reserve your ticket now to guarantee a place.
More speakers will be announced in the coming weeks. The list of confirmed speakers so far is:
• Right Honourable Mayor Andy Burnham
• Andy Carter MP & Chair of All-Party Parliamentary Group for Commercial Radio
• Gemma Atkinson, Presenter, Hits Radio
• Claire Foster, Commercial Chief Operating Officer, Bauer Media Group
• Dipesh Patel, Head of Acquisition Marketing, Tesco Mobile
• Charlie Cadbury, Founder, Say It Now
• Matt Payton, CEO, Radiocentre
• Mark Barber, Planning Director, Radiocentre
• Donna Burns, Head of Insight, Radiocentre
Radiocentre is the industry body for commercial radio and audio in the UK. It works on behalf of more than 50 stakeholders, who represent over 90 per cent of UK commercial radio in terms of listening and revenue.
