BEYOND Conference reveals its very first speakers for 2026!
Kim-Leigh Pontin is Interactive Experience Creative Lead at Merlin Entertainments, where she leads the creative development of immersive and interactive experiences including LEGOLAND and Minecraft.
Ruth Mackenzie CBE is Director of Arts at the British Council and a leader with extensive and impressive experience directing both arts and government sectors around the world.
KIM-LEIGH PONTIN
INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCE CREATIVE LEAD
MERLIN ENTERTAINMENTS
Kim-Leigh Pontin is Interactive Experience Creative Lead at Merlin Entertainments, where she leads the creative development of immersive and interactive experiences across some of the world’s most beloved IP including LEGOLAND, Harry Potter LEGOLAND, and Minecraft.
With over a decade of experience leading multidisciplinary teams across XR, AI, and interactive media, her work sits at the intersection of emerging technology, spatial design, and immersive storytelling.
Kim-Leigh has held senior creative roles at Meta Reality Labs, Nexus Studios, and Sky VR Studios, delivering groundbreaking projects for clients including Disney, the BBC, and Meta. Her work spans generative AI, volumetric capture, and immersive theatre, and has been recognised with a BAFTA, Emmy, D&AD, and multiple Venice Film Festival selections, cementing her reputation as one of the most distinctive creative voices working across the technology and experience design space today.
RUTH MACKENZIE
DIRECTOR OF ARTS
BRITISH COUNCIL
Ruth Mackenzie CBE is Director of Arts at the British Council, and a strategically influential figure within in the international arts and creative economy landscape.
Ruth joined the British Council from her previous role as Program Director for Arts, Culture and Creative Industries Policy for the Government of South Australia. She began her career at Arts Council England and the South Bank Centre before taking on senior leadership roles including Executive Director of Nottingham Playhouse, Director of Scottish Opera, and General Director of Manchester International Festival.
Ruth gained national recognition as Director of the London 2012 Festival, the official cultural programme for the Olympic and Paralympic Games — work that saw her OBE elevated to CBE. She subsequently served as Artistic Director of the Holland Festival in Amsterdam (2014–18) and Director of the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris (2017–20), before being appointed Artistic Director of the Adelaide Festival in Australia in 2022.
MORE TO COME
100+ SPEAKERS TO BE ANNOUNCED
BEYOND played host to 131 speakers last year, across 44 sessions. Watch this space for our next speaker announcements. Check out who spoke at BEYOND 2025.
BEYOND 2026
OUR THIRD YEAR IN GREATER MANCHESTER
BEYOND Conference 2026 takes place in Greater Manchester for its third consecutive year, reinforcing the region’s position as a leading hub for creative innovation and technology. Taking place at MediaCity from November 23-25, BEYOND’s return signals both the continued success of the conference and the strength of its partnerships across Greater Manchester’s cultural, civic and business communities.
BEYOND has grown into a key moment in the UK’s creative technology calendar, attracting international speakers, industry leaders, investors and emerging talent to explore the future of immersive experiences, AI, digital storytelling, performance, screen and innovation. Don’t miss out!
Find out more about this year’s conference themes, Experience and Growth
Early Bird tickets, available now for a limited time
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