A social media conference that has become one of Ireland's most talked-about events for creators, entrepreneurs and small business owners is coming to Belfast for the first time, with organisers promising an experience that stands apart from what is currently on offer in the market.
Social Media Fest, which has previously taken place in Wexford and Dublin, will bring its sixth edition to the Clayton Hotel in Belfast on Wednesday, April 29.
Running from 9am to 5pm, the event is built around the theme "Connect, Create, Conquer: Mastering the Social Media Landscape" and is aimed at business owners, managers and entrepreneurs who want practical guidance on growing their presence online.
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Conference director Esther Ocampo, who took over the brand in 2025, said the event has grown it into a community of more than 200 in-person attendees.
With a packed lineup of local experts to be revealed Esther says the decision to bring the hugely popular event to Northern Ireland was driven by clear demand from the business community north of the border.
She explained: "We’ve spent four events building something in Dublin and Wexford that people genuinely value, and the appetite from Northern Ireland has been impossible to ignore.
“Belfast is a city full of ambitious business owners who deserve access to the same quality of conversation and the same practical tools that our southern attendees have been benefiting from. Bringing Social Media Fest to Belfast felt like the natural next step."
What organisers say sets this conference apart from others in the sector is its deliberate focus on speakers who understand the specific realities of hyperlocal markets, delivering advice that attendees can act on immediately to make a difference in their business.
“Not only do we want to showcase the expertise and talent available in the marketing field across Northern Ireland but we wanted speakers that could show people not only how to shoot for the moon and a global audience but speakers who knew the importance of hyperlocal campaigns and how these can translate into incredibly powerful strategies for standing out in a global market too.”
Rather than drawing in names from outside Ireland who present strategies built around budgets and technologies that most local businesses can’t access, Social Media Fest Belfast will feature speakers rooted in the Northern Ireland and Irish business landscape, offering guidance that translates directly to the challenges facing entrepreneurs here.
Esther added: "There’s a tendency at conferences to bring in people from major cities in England or the US who tell you what is working for brands with enormous budgets, and you sit there thinking, that is never going to apply to my business. That is not what Social Media Fest is about.
"Every speaker at this event understands the local market. They know what it takes to build a business here, to reach customers here, and to grow from here. The advice you will hear on the day is advice you can take out of the room and use immediately, whether that means connecting with the person beside you, posting something that afternoon, or finally tackling the platform you have been putting off for months."
Alongside the conference there will also be a round table element of the day, designed to encourage connection and conversation as much as learning from the stage. Topics across the day will span the full social media landscape, including artificial intelligence, TikTok, LinkedIn, Instagram, email marketing and community building, with each subject approached through the lens of what is achievable for small and medium-sized businesses today.
Sponsors and partners for the event include IPA Group, The Monday Morning Marketing Podcast, Entrepreneurs Unleashed, Ruthless Media, The Blackbelt Mastermind, FSB and HighLevel.
The overarching theme of "Connect, Create, Conquer" was chosen deliberately to reflect the journey organisers want attendees to go on across the day: starting with building genuine connections at a local level, developing content and communications that resonate, and ultimately building the kind of online presence that supports business growth at home and beyond.
"The conference follows a clear arc," said Esther.
"We want people to connect - with the person sitting next to them, with their local community, with the broader island.
“We want them to create - content that actually works, emails that people open, videos that reflect who they really are.
“And then we want them to conquer - starting with their own backyard and then thinking about how to expand beyond it.
“It sounds simple, but most conferences never give you the time or the space to think through all three."
“Previous editions of Social Media Fest have drawn more than 200 in-person attendees, with a further 65 joining virtually, and the event's hashtag has trended consistently across social platforms.
“Testimonials from past attendees point to the atmosphere as much as the content, with one describing the experience as "a day away from the office to surround yourself with like-minded, enthusiastic and empowering people in business."
Tickets for Social Media Fest Belfast 2026 are on sale now with subsidised tickets available for students, those who are unemployed, economically inactive, disabled or on the Job Start programme as well as registered charities and social enterprises, with organisers encouraging anyone in those categories to get in touch directly for a reduced-price code.
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Esther added: "We’re very aware that not everyone has the same budget, and we want Social Media Fest to be genuinely accessible.
“If cost is a barrier, we want to hear from you. There are options, and we don’t want anyone to miss out if we can make something work.
“We also have group tickets and further opportunities for sponsoring elements of the day."
Social Media Fest 2026 takes place at the Clayton Hotel, Belfast, on Wednesday April 29. Doors open at 8.30am for registration and the conference runs until 5pm. Tickets are available at https://bit.ly/SMFestPress
For further information, visit socialmediafestglobal.com or email hello@socialmediafest.ie
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