Emma Hassard is a communications professional with experience across the charity and education sectors in Northern Ireland. As Communications Manager at the Integrated Education Fund (IEF), she leads strategic messaging to support the growth and development of Integrated Education. A passion close to her heart, Emma previously worked at the Council for Integrated Education and was a Governor at an Integrated Primary School. Before joining the IEF, Emma spent nearly a decade working in International Development with Concern Worldwide, coordinating public engagement and managing the Concern Debates. In 2022/23 Emma chaired CADA NI, the Coalition of Aid and Development Agencies. Emma holds a MA (Honours) degree in English Literature and Italian from the University of St Andrews.

Paul McGarrity is Managing Director of Octave Digital – an agency specialising in marketing campaigns, advertising, and digital upskilling. Paul has over 24 years of experience in the UK and Ireland marketing delivering highly impactful campaigns for brands and organisations including: Cavan Tourism, Waterways Ireland, and ERP Ireland. He also operates a specialist Linkedin Training and Content service via PaulMcGarrity.com

Amy Lynch O’Connor is a seasoned social media strategist and content leader with extensive experience driving engagement and brand growth for major companies including in her previous role as Social Media Lead for Ryanair and in her current role managing the Digital and Content team in Aldi. Renowned for her creative storytelling and data-driven approach, Amy has led viral campaigns, built thriving online communities, and developed impactful multi-platform strategies. Passionate about innovation in digital communication, she continues to help brands connect with audiences and stay ahead in the fast-evolving world of social media.

Chiara Pullo started her career at ByteDance before TikTok became the platform we know today. Over more than seven years at the company, she’s worked across trust and safety, content moderation, quality assurance and operations, giving her a strong foundation in how platforms actually function behind the scenes. She later moved into content, creators and partnerships, where she was part of the early development of TikTok LIVE. Today, she specialises in content strategy, short-form video and live streaming, working closely with creators and brands to build content that connects and drives real engagement.

Catherine is a Digital Marketing Manager with over a decade of experience, predominantly within agency environments. She has worked in Belfast, Sydney and London, delivering award-winning, high-impact campaigns for a range of high-profile brands. After 13 years living away, Catherine returned home and rediscovered Northern Ireland as a tourist herself, bringing a global perspective and a results-driven mindset to her role at Tourism Northern Ireland. Catherine is passionate about creating consumer and channel-centric content, underpinned by trends and audience insights. Known for her collaborative approach and attention to detail, she consistently delivers effective, impactful marketing.

Cara has over 10 years of marketing experience, specialising in social media and influencer partnerships across both in-house and agency roles. She currently works with the UK & Ireland’s largest food influencers through Bored of Lunch, delivering impactful campaigns that connect brands with highly engaged audiences. Alongside her professional role, Cara is the creator behind NI Food Reviews, a platform with over 100,000 followers. Combining her passion for food with a strong understanding of what drives results on social media.

David Levin is a writer, tone-of-voice specialist and agency founder. His social agency, That Lot, which he co-founded with renowned actor/comedian, David Schneider, hired platform specialists and ran feeds / created content for the likes of Spotify, Channel 4 and Have I Got News for You. David previously ran The Guardian’s social masterclass, recently led content inspo sessions at TikTok HQ and even more recently did a TedX talk about creative community management. David moved to N.I two years ago and returned to freelance life. He is currently managing socials for a sportsperson of the legendary variety.

Eleshea Williams is a charity marketing and social impact specialist and consultant with experience at leading charities such as Amnesty International and UNICEF UK. She’s passionate about creating campaigns that drive meaningful change through ethical storytelling and bold marketing -making sure the world's most important stories are being told in the right way.

With a background in social media strategy and human rights communication, Eleshea helps global non-profits connect with younger audiences and build authentic online communities that inspire action.

She’s a proud Trustee of Charity Comms and advocate for making the charity and social impact industry more accessible to early-career professionals and champions inclusive, creative approaches to marketing for good.

Alice is the digital content producer at An Coimisiún Toghcháin, Ireland’s independent electoral commission, heading up all digital and social campaigns within the organisation. She has worked across public sector digital and social media campaigns for 6 years in An Coimisiún Toghcháin and previously in The Ombudsman for Children. Before joining the public sector, she previously worked across video and journalism in JOE.ie and Storyful.

Hey! I’m Roseanna, Digital Communications & Events Officer at Belfast City Marathon where I create Social and Digital content for one of NI’s biggest sporting events. I enjoy finding creative ways to engage audiences, tell authentic stories and bring events to life across digital platforms. Passionate about building online communities and creating content that connects, I'm always keen to explore new trends, test fresh ideas and learn what works in the ever-evolving world of social media.

Tom Butcher is the General Manager of LADbible Ireland, where he heads up operations and commercial strategy for the leading social video publisher. With extensive experience across the LADbible Group, Tom oversees the team driving multi-platform growth, creator partnerships, and high-impact social campaigns that reach millions daily

Danyele is the Social Media Manager for National Trust, Europe's largest conservation charity, who have over 4.5 million followers across their accounts. Before joining NT, Danyele worked in communications and marketing for a wide range of non-profit and commercial organisations.

Gavin McKenna is Head of Marketing, Digital and Communications at Visit Belfast, leading brand, campaigns, social, PR, digital and partnerships for one of the UK's most exciting city destinations. With over a decade in media direction across digital, social and influencer, he has built high-performing teams and shaped strategy for global brands such as Harvey Nichols and Marks and Spencers. Since joining Visit Belfast he has launched the UK's first social-first tourism website, driven 23% average social channel growth, and developed a social first strategy across brand touchpoints.

Rachel Leitch is Head of Marketing at the MAC, Belfast’s Metropolitan Arts Centre, where she leads on brand, campaigns, social media and audience development for one of Northern Ireland’s busiest cultural spaces.

She has spent more than a decade working in marketing and communications, mostly in the arts, finding ways to make people care about what’s happening on stage, on walls and inside buildings they might not always think are “for them”. Her work is rooted in storytelling, but also in getting results, from growing audiences and increasing ticket revenue by 54%, to helping organisations communicate clearly through big moments of change.

Rachel’s approach to social media is simple: people connect with people. Whether she’s selling a show, shaping a campaign or building a brand voice, she believes the best work happens when organisations sound human, show a bit of personality and give audiences a reason to feel part of something.

Alongside her role at the MAC, Rachel is Chair of Tinderbox Theatre Company, supporting one of Northern Ireland’s leading theatre companies as it grows its team, reach and impact.

She is passionate about the arts, brilliant stories, clever campaigns and making digital spaces feel more human

Nora Brennan is a Belfast-based communications and PR professional with experience in strategic communications, media relations and campaign delivery. As Communications Executive at Cancer Fund for Children, Nora develops engaging campaigns and communications initiatives that amplify the voices of children and young people impacted by cancer and help raise awareness of the charity’s vital work across the island of Ireland.

Nora graduated with a First Class Honours degree in BSc Communication Management & Public Relations from Ulster University in 2019. After gaining valuable experience in a PR agency, working across a diverse portfolio of clients and industries, she has built a successful career in the charity sector, combining strategic thinking with creative storytelling to drive meaningful outcomes.

Chloe Henning is the Managing Director of VAVA Influence, specialising in influencer marketing strategies, creator partnerships, and digital UGC. She works with brands to deliver impactful campaigns that drive engagement, build awareness, and generate measurable results.

Jonathan Gallagher is Marketing Director at Lough Erne Resort, where he leads the resort's luxury brand, digital marketing, PR and communications. With 20 years' experience in marketing, Jonathan has delivered award-winning campaigns across the tourism and hospitality sector, earning multiple industry awards, including All-Ireland Marketing Excellence Awards from the Chartered Institute of Marketing. A Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, he holds a Master's in Marketing and Entrepreneurship and has completed two Mini MBAs in Marketing and Brand Management. Jonathan was recently one of the hosts of Season 1 of The Marketers' Table. Before joining Lough Erne Resort, he co-founded and sold the party planning brand HenorStag.