AMA Conference 2022 logo - a teal compass

A New Adventure

Birmingham, 14-15 July 2022

AMA Conference speakers inspire new adventures and passion

Sharing expertise and learning on a wealth of topics, we choose speakers who will kickstart your new adventures. It’s about you, your work, your organisation and your audiences — and what insight our speakers can help you unlock.

We’ll be announcing more speakers who will be joining the adventure in the next weeks and months.

You can also get a flavour of the pioneering spirits, trailblazers and experts we’ve brought to previous AMA Conferences in the video excerpts at the bottom of the page.

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Your first preview of AMA Conference 2022 speakers

Professor Jonathan Wilson Headshot

Professor Jonathan Wilson PhD DLitt, Branding Professor

Session title: Breaking the 4th Wall on Branding

Crayg Ward Headshot

Crayg Ward, Communications and Membership Coordinator, Theatr Clwyd

Session title: Doing Digital — two stories

Holly Adomah Thompson Headshot

Holly Adomah Thompson, Theatre Marketer

Session title: Exploring Balance in Arts Marketing

Sian Booth Headshot

Sian Booth, Cultural Services Manager, Mansfield Theatre and Museum

Session title: Growing Communities

Elma Glasgow Headshot

Elma Glasgow, Director, Aspire Black Suffolk CIC & PR Consultant

Session title: Beyond Marketing — improving diversity among your audiences

Emma Martin Headshot

Emma Martin, Head of Marketing, Original Theatre

Session title: A Night In at the Theatre — building digital theatre experience

Kerstin Glasow Headshot

Kerstin Glasow, Director of Marketing Communications and Sales, Berliner Philharmoniker

Session title: From Concert Hall to Web — brand positioning and audience development during a global crisis

Ruth Cooke Headshot

Ruth Cooke, Director of Communications, Hull Truck Theatre

Session title: Great Adventures in Storyland — developing family audiences

Lyndsey Wilson Headsot

Lyndsey Wilson, Company Manager, Culturapedia

Session title: The A-Z of Library Touring, Starting with B for Blackburn

Hardish Virk Headshot

Hardish Virk, Audience and Organisational Development Consultant

Session title: Diversity and Inclusion — the bottom line

Vicky Price Headshot

Vicky Price, Associate Director — Development and Communications, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

Session title: Diversity and Inclusion — the bottom line

George Rennison Headshot

George Rennison, Digital Projects Manager, The Place

Session title: Doing Digital — two stories

Matilda Hunter Headshot

Matilda Hunter, Marketing Manager — Producing and Touring, The Place

Session title: Doing Digital — two stories

Beki Smith Headshot

Beki Smith, Marketing Manager, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra

Session title: Brand Positioning and Audience Development during a Global Crisis

Caroline Dooley Headshot

Caroline Dooley MBA, Director of Marketing and Communications, Scottish Opera

Session title: Brand Positioning and Audience Development during a Global Crisis

Lynn Aitchison Headshot

Lynn Aitchison, Head of Marketing, After Digital

Session title: Setting the Old Vic up for a Successful Season

Nick Kime Headshot

Nick Kime, Project Manager — Websites, Cog Design

Session title: The Travel Guide to your Perfect Website

Hugh Topping headshot

Hugh Topping, Founder, crowdEngage

Session title: Experience is Everything — bringing your audiences along for the ride

James Akers Headshot

James Akers, Data Analytics and Insight Tech Champion, Digital Culture Network

Session title: Why are you Measuring That?

Hans de Kretser headshot

Hans de Kretser, Director, HdK Associates

Session title: A Voyage into the Metaverse — how is the arts and cultural sector preparing for the future?

Nina Primeraki Headshot

Nina Primeraki, Client Intergrations Lead, Spektrix

Session title: A Website is a Journey, not a Destination

Kate Mroczkowski Headshot

Kate Mroczkowski, Strategy Director, Supercool

Session title: Your Website vs. the Planet

Rachel Easton Headshot

Rachael Easton, Business Development Director — EU, Tessitura

Session title: Adventures in Forecasting — deciphering audience clues through a new lens

More announcements coming soon.

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Previous Conference Keynotes

Helping you find focus

Making a Difference – AMA Conference 2019 Keynote

Lemn Sissay, Poet, Playwright & Broadcaster

You know, when I was a literature development worker, and people say, “Oh, you’re doing really well here, Lemn”, I’d say, well, it’s your money. I’m using taxpayers money to provide a service. It gives you a really central idea of, of why you’re doing what you’re doing and for whom, and you are part of that community as well. So you deserve to serve yourself and serve the community. We are here to serve. So are the artists. Creativity is not the monopoly of artists. It’s in all of us and we need you to know that and to live that and to uphold it.

Lemn Sissay: Making a Difference

Working to make a difference

Talking Brand – AMA Conference 2019 Keynote

Nadja Bellan White, Executive Partner, The Ogilvy Group

So today I want to challenge what you know about Brand. I want to challenge what you think about what a higher purpose means. I want to challenge how you feel about character. And I want you all to remember this. You are the difference. You are the difference in your organisations. You’re the difference in your community. You make the difference in what happens. You can affect the outcome. And so while I spend my day, advising different brands, advising presidents of countries, advising different organisations, I want you to think about the context of what this means for you on a day to day basis.

Nadja Bellan White: Talking Brand

Finding motivation and energy

Play & The Oxygenation of the Workplace — AMA Conference 2018 Keynote

Emma Rice, Artistic Director, Wise Children

Sarah Ogle: How are you trying to take notions of play into the setup and delivery and planning of this new adventure? Emma Rice: Well, I’m quite challenged by that because I realised setting up a company is one of the least playful things you can possibly do. So coming to this talking to you guys today is made me think we really must, with our tiny team who are here today, we really must make sure that we’re being playful at the same time because obviously, there’s a lot of work to be done and a lot of focus on us which everybody in this room will understand. But it’s really, it’s made kicked me up the ass.

Emma Rice: Play & Oxygenation of the Workplace

Celebrating the adventure

Sparking Change — AMA Conference 2019 Keynote

Richert Schnorr, Director of Digital Media, New York Public Library

There’s such great stories to tell within those organisations. The question is, are they being told? And do people know about the work that you’re doing that we’re doing? And more importantly, do they feel about it?
The second is, it’s good to set a strategy. But don’t be afraid to follow something in a completely different direction when it emerges. I mentioned at the top, this was supposed to be a social media campaign and it was that, I’m glad we did that. But if I’m honest with you, that ended up being way less important than the way that it integrated itself into our entire fundraising apparatus, both personal — or both private and public. And then the third thing I would say, and this depending on your job is easier for some of us than others, but get out of the office. Really, like it’s so easy to get bogged down. But to be as close as you can to the people whose lives you’re actually making a difference in will keep you inspired and motivated and spark creativity in you in a way that you didn’t know was maybe possible.

Richert Schnorr: Sparking Change

Speaker headshots courtesy of named speakers

Image Credits:

  • Holly Adomah Thompson (c) Catberry Photography
  • Kerstin Glasow (c) Lea Fabienne Photography
  • Hardish Virk (c) Ayah-Ali Virk

With thanks to our AMA Conference 2022 Sponsors:

Pioneer Sponsors:

Art Fund Logo
Spektrix Logo
Tessitura Network Logo
Ticketsolve logo
TixTrack logo

Explorer Sponsors:

Cog Design Logo
HdK Logo
Supercool Logo
The Audience Agency Logo