Social Media Mania 2027

Social Media Mania is the UK's leading conference dedicated exclusively to hospitality social media and digital marketing.

Co-founded by Mark McCulloch MBE and Alison Battisby of Avocado Social, it was built to be the social media event hospitality marketers had always wanted: practical, commercially focused, and free of fluff. Honest conversations, world-class speakers, platform experts and real case studies from the brands getting it right.

Each year we bring together hundreds of marketers, founders, agencies and hospitality leaders to explore what's working across TikTok, Instagram, LinkedIn, AI, creator marketing, paid social, search and brand building — all through the lens of what actually drives bookings, revenue and growth.

Save the date: Social Media Mania is back on Thursday 27 May 2027, once again at Box Piccadilly — this time upstairs, in our biggest space yet, with room for 160 hospitality marketers. Same sharp content and no-fluff format, just more people in the room.

The ambition: to make Social Media Mania the hospitality social media event nobody can afford to miss, and to raise the bar for marketing across one of the world's greatest industries.

2026 Event Agenda

9.00am Welcome Coffee & Networking - Glenda from Team Marketing

Join us for coffee, pastries and networking. Glenda Barber from Team Marketing will get the conversation flowing with discussion around your wins, challenges and what you're hoping to take away.

10.00am Introductions & State of the Nation - Mark McCulloch MBE
What does the world of social media look like for hospitality marketers right now? Mark McCulloch MBE sets the scene with the headlines that matter, the brands cutting through the noise, and what it all means for your strategy in 2026.

10.40am Are You Findable in TikTok, Instagram, ChatGPT and Other Searches in 2026? - Alison Battisby

SEO isn't dead, it's just changed. Today's customers and guests are discovering you through tools like ChatGPT, TikTok, Instagram and Reddit. In this session, Alison Battisby explores how hospitality brands can show up in the places that matter most, and what you can do right now to stay visible in an increasingly AI-driven world.

11.15 Coffee Break

11.30am The Guide to TikTok Discovery Commerce for Hospitality - George Meagher, TikTok Shop
TikTok isn't just where your guests discover you,  it's fast becoming where they buy from you too. TikTok will share how restaurants and dining brands are already capitalising on TikTok Shop to sell merchandise and products directly to their audience. Plus, get a first look at the key developments coming down the pipeline, straight from the platform itself.

12.00pm Turn Your Team Into Your Most Powerful Marketing Channel - Alison Battisby
Human-led content consistently outperforms polished, staged content - and it costs almost nothing.  But getting your GMs, chefs and owners comfortable on camera, bought into LinkedIn, and genuinely excited about showing up online? That's the hard part. In this session, we’ll share the practical tools, confidence-building techniques and internal frameworks that turn even the most camera-shy team members into authentic, high-performing content creators.

12.30pm Once and For All: The Definitive Marketing Team Structure - Mark McCulloch MBE

What if everything you thought you knew about structuring your marketing team was wrong? In this session, Mark McCulloch MBE shares how rethinking processes, resources, and mindset can transform your social media function from a cost centre into a revenue driver.

13.00 Lunch

14.00 Creative is the New Targeting: Winning at Social Ads in the Age of AI - Alison Battisby

The rules of paid social advertising have been completely rewritten. Meta's Andromeda AI engine killed the era of audience obsession. TikTok is turning scrollers into bookers. And LinkedIn is quietly becoming hospitality's most underrated B2B weapon. In this session, you’ll discover how to cut through the noise, whether you're managing ads in-house or briefing an agency.

14.30 The Creator Playbook: The Honest Guide to Creator Marketing in 2026 - Expert Panel hosted by Joli

Let's talk creators - are they worth it, and can they transform your hospitality brand? Hosted by influencer platform Joli, this candid panel brings together three of the UK's top TikTok and Instagram creators to share exactly what hospitality marketers need to know. From crafting a pitch that actually gets a response, to contracts, briefing and the age-old question of payment - this is the honest conversation you've been waiting to have.

15.00 Coffee Break

15.20 TBC - with Exciting Special Guest

15.40 TBC: Interview with a successful restaurant brand - with Exciting Special Guest

16.00 Social Media Open Q&A & Discussion - Chaired by Mark McCulloch MBE

This is your chance to get specific. Bring your content headaches, your engagement frustrations, your "why isn't this working?" moments and get honest, practical answers from people who've been in the trenches. Chaired by Mark McCulloch MBE, this open session invites hospitality brands to share what's working, what isn't, and what's keeping them up at night when it comes to social media. Whether it's paid or organic, strategy or execution, nothing is off the table.

16.30 Sponsored Drinks / Networking

17.30 Event Ends