MAD//Fest
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
MAD//Fest firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- MAD//Fest
- Legal name
- Hippocampus Media Ltd
- Website
- https://madfestlondon.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
MAD//Fest industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Marketing Events and Conferences
- NAICS
- Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Industry-Specific B2B Trade Show Organizers (THAHABAB)
Keywords
Where MAD//Fest is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
MAD//Fest business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Festival Tickets: MAD//Fest sells tickets to attend the annual marketing festival in London. The event offers various ticket tiers including Standard, Concession, and Startup options. Mobile ticket delivery via app.
- Sponsorship and Exhibition: The festival generates revenue through sponsorship packages and exhibition space sales. Extensive list of 100+ sponsors including Cvent, Uber Advertising, Tesco Media, StackAdapt, Havas, Kantar, Salesforce, and many more advertising and marketing technology companies.
- MAD//Masters Course: A 12-week CPD-accredited hybrid course taught by Rory Sutherland covering behavioural science and creativity in marketing. Includes on-demand lectures, live Q&A sessions, video assessments, and in-person engagement at MAD//Fest London.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | One time | Standard ticket tier for MAD//Fest London festival access |
| One time/ perpetual license | One time | Concession ticket tier for MAD//Fest London |
| One time/ perpetual license | One time | Startup ticket tier for MAD//Fest London |
| Subscription | Annual | MAD//Masters 12-week course by Rory Sutherland |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels8 records
MAD//Fest product offering
Product offeringCore offering
MAD//Fest produces an annual B2B marketing and advertising festival in London (MAD//Fest London) and Northern England (MAD//North), featuring superstar speakers, masterclasses, brand innovation pitches, experiential activations and evening entertainment across 3 days. It also sells sponsorship and exhibition packages to technology, media and brand sponsors and runs MAD//Masters, a 12-week CPD-accredited hybrid course on behavioural science and creativity taught by Rory Sutherland, delivered via on-demand lectures, live Q&A and an in-person component at the festival.
Product overview
MAD//Fest operates as a multi-event festival company offering live marketing and advertising events, educational programs, and content platforms. The core offerings include MAD//Fest London and MAD//North (annual marketing festivals featuring speakers, networking, and activations), MAD//Masters (Rory Sutherland\'s 12-week behavioural science course), MAD//Amplified (content and insights platform), and the Female Leaders\' Club (female leadership community). The company also provides a companion event app for attendee networking and information access.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- MAD//Fest London The UK’s largest marketing and advertising festival, held annually in Shoreditch, London over 3 days. Features superstar speakers, networking, brand innovation pitches, masterclasses, experiential activations, food, drinks, parties, DJs and evening entertainment for marketing professionals from brands and agencies. Tickets sold via Cvent in Standard, Concession and Startup tiers with mobile ticketing through the dedicated event app.
- MAD//North Regional version of the MAD//Fest marketing festival held in Northern England, offering a similar mix of speakers, sponsors and networking to the London flagship for marketing professionals based outside London.
- MAD//Masters Course A 12-week CPD-accredited hybrid course created by Rory Sutherland teaching behavioural science and creativity for marketers, commercial leaders, founders and B2B practitioners. Priced at £1,295 with early booking discount, includes 12 months of on-demand lectures, 12 months of live Q&A drop-in sessions, a complimentary MAD//Fest London ticket (worth £895), video feedback on optional assessment, bonus content with top entrepreneurs and marketers, and access to the MAD//Masters alumni network.
- MAD//Fest Sponsorship and Exhibition Packages Enterprise sponsorship and exhibition packages for MAD//Fest London and MAD//North, sold directly by the sales team to MarTech, AdTech, media platform and consumer brand sponsors seeking brand visibility, enterprise lead generation and partnership opportunities among the festival's 15,000+ marketing attendees.
Quantifiable outcome
- 15,000+ brands and agencies brought together at each festival
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use MAD//Fest
Customer profileNamed customers15 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
MAD//Fest technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
MAD//Fest partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, strategic and minor.
- CventcoreEvent registration and ticketing platform partner. Cvent handles all ticket bookings and payment processing for MAD//Fest events and MAD//Masters course enrollment.
- StripecorePayment processing provider integrated via Cvent for ticket purchases and course enrollments.
- HubspotcoreEmail service provider for distributing marketing content, information and securely storing email lists for marketing campaigns.
- DigiLearningstrategicPartnership through Flourish initiative that gives young people from underrepresented groups a programme of workshops, masterclasses, practical tasks and mentoring to secure employment opportunities in the marketing industry.
- FalastrategicPartner for Mentor-up-Close mentorship experience that matches mentees with mentors in a speed-dating-style format at MAD//Fest events.
- Creative EqualsstrategicPartnership for Female Leaders' Club and Gen Z Rising Stars series to amplify voices of emerging talent in advertising and marketing industries.
- One ShowminorMentor-up-Close has partnered with the One Show for mentorship initiatives.
- Cannes LionsminorMentor-up-Close has partnered with Cannes Lions for mentorship initiatives.
- Ingenuity GroupcoreHippocampus Media (parent company of MAD//Fest) is part of the Ingenuity Group. Multiple related brands including Ingenuity+, Ingenuity London, and The Media Leader operate under this umbrella.
- EfesminorOfficial beer partner for MAD//Fest London 2026.
- Nicholson's Gin & TonicminorOfficial ready-to-drink partner for MAD//Fest London 2026.
- FrontifyminorBrand governance platform partner; collaborated on Augmented Reality report on AI and human touch in marketing.
- Charlie OscarminorMarketing agency that published the Find Your Nerve 2026 Influencer Report featured on MAD//Amplified.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
MAD//Fest competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- Marketing Week: Long-running UK marketing trade media brand (parent of Festival of Marketing). Comparable in audience and content positioning to MAD//Fest's MAD//Insight/AMPLIFIED platforms; functions as both a content competitor for marketing professional attention and an organizer of the Festival of Marketing event.
Direct peers
- The Drum: UK-based global media company covering the marketing industry, operating The Drum Awards, Drum Recommends, and various marketing events. Combines media, content, community, and events in a model directly comparable to MAD//Fest's MAD//Amplified + festival approach. Same UK audience, same sponsor ecosystem.
- Advertising Week: Global B2B marketing/advertising festival series running in NYC, London, Tokyo, and other cities. Closest direct competitor to MAD//Fest — comparable festival format, same target audience of brands/agencies, similar sponsorship and ticketing model. MAD//Fest has carved a UK niche against this larger global incumbent.
- Social Media Week: Global conference series focused on social media and digital marketing, running multi-day events in multiple cities with comparable sponsor + ticketing model. Targets a similar marketing/agency/brand audience, though with narrower topical focus than MAD//Fest.
- Festival of Marketing: UK-focused annual marketing festival (run by Marketing Week / Brand Performance) targeting the same CMO and agency audience as MAD//Fest in the same UK geography. Closest head-to-head competitor for both attendee mindshare and UK sponsor budgets.
Broad incumbents
- Web Summit: Large-scale annual tech conference (Lisbon, plus regional events) that includes significant marketing/advertising content and sponsors. Much broader scope than MAD//Fest, but competes for the same enterprise marketing technology buyers and sponsors at scale.
- Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity: The most established global advertising/creativity festival, held annually in Cannes and operated by Ascential. Larger, more prestigious, and more international than MAD//Fest, but the same core business model: tickets, sponsorships, awards, and content IP targeting CMOs, agencies, and creative leaders. Sets the bar MAD//Fest must clear to retain UK sponsors.
- SXSW London: SXSW is expanding to London (and runs the original in Austin), bringing a major festival-format conference that combines technology, music, film, and marketing/brands. Direct competitor for London festival mindshare, sponsor budgets, and CMO speaking slots in the UK market.
Regional players
- Dmexco: Major digital marketing conference and exhibition held annually in Cologne, Germany. Comparable B2B marketing festival + exhibition format and similar sponsorship/attendee economics, but operates in Continental Europe rather than competing directly in the UK.
Emerging players
- MarTech Conference: Annual conference focused specifically on marketing technology, operated by the MarTech Today / Third Door Media team. Comparable B2B event format, narrower martech focus, primarily US-based but draws international attendees and overlaps with MAD//Fest's martech-heavy sponsor roster.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
MAD//Fest social profiles
Digital presenceMAD//Fest financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
MAD//Fest leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
MAD//Fest funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
MAD//Fest M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about MAD//Fest
What does MAD//Fest do?
MAD//Fest produces an annual B2B marketing and advertising festival in London (MAD//Fest London) and Northern England (MAD//North), featuring superstar speakers, masterclasses, brand innovation pitches, experiential activations and evening entertainment across 3 days. It also sells sponsorship and exhibition packages to technology, media and brand sponsors and runs MAD//Masters, a 12-week CPD-accredited hybrid course on behavioural science and creativity taught by Rory Sutherland, delivered via on-demand lectures, live Q&A and an in-person component at the festival.
Is MAD//Fest a public or private company?
MAD//Fest is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was MAD//Fest founded?
MAD//Fest was founded in 2018. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is MAD//Fest based?
MAD//Fest is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does MAD//Fest make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Festival Tickets are the primary driver. The others are sponsorship and Exhibition and MAD//Masters Course.
Who are MAD//Fest's main competitors?
Marketing Week is listed as an others. Direct peers are The Drum, Advertising Week, Social Media Week and Festival of Marketing. Broad incumbents are Web Summit, Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity and SXSW London. Dmexco is listed as a regional player. MarTech Conference is listed as an emerging player.
Does MAD//Fest have an API?
No public API is recorded for MAD//Fest.
What industry is MAD//Fest in?
MAD//Fest's product category is Marketing Events and Conferences. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAHABAB, Industry-Specific B2B Trade Show Organizers. Its NAICS code is 56192 and its SIC code is 7900.