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Dan Brain
Co-founder + Content Director, MAD//Fest - distinctively different marketing, advertising & disruption festival
Professional Background
Dan Brain is a remarkable force in the realms of Marketing, Advertising, and Disruptive Technology. As the co-founder and Content Director of MAD//Fest, Dan is pioneering an innovative approach to industry events, positioning the festival as a platform that prioritizes genuine connections and consumer insights over conventional advertising drudgery. The inception of MAD//Fest arose from the recognition of a significant gap in the market—where industry gatherings often lacked authentic engagement and relevant content. With an ethos centered around providing BS-free, practical content and facilitating meaningful interactions between brands, agencies, and professionals, Dan is reshaping the landscape of industry festivals. His vision embraces the spirit of creativity, energy, and innovation, combining fun with transformative industry experiences, ensuring that attendees leave enriched and energized.
Throughout his extensive career, Dan has showcased his exceptional talent in content strategy and event management, contributing substantially to various prestigious organizations. Before embarking on the creation of MAD//Fest, he served as the Content Director at Easyfairs, where he successfully developed strategies to enhance content delivery and audience engagement for multiple events. Prior to that, Dan held the influential position of Director - UK & Head of Content at Comexposium, orchestrating high-caliber content for numerous industry exhibitions. His adept leadership has consistently yielded increased attendance, enhanced networking opportunities, and compelling programming that resonates with attendees.
Dan also boasts a rich history in the events sector, having worked with dmg :: events for over a decade. His journey began as a Journalist/Copywriter at UBM plc, where he honed his writing and editorial skills before transitioning to roles focused on content management and event production. His strategic vision and ability to produce engaging content earned him prominent positions, such as Head of Content - Digital and Content Manager for major European events including ad
Education and Achievements
Dan Brain's academic journey laid a solid foundation for his career in the marketing and events industry. He earned a 2.1 (BA Hons) in Sociology from the University of Sussex, Brighton, meticulously studying social dynamics and communications which have greatly influenced his professional endeavors. During his formative years at Gorseinon College in Swansea, Dan pursued A Levels in Politics, Sociology, and Media Studies, achieving impressive results with grades AAB. His educational background was further solidified at Penyrheol School, where he completed 10 GCSEs with grades ranging from A*-C, nurturing an early passion for media and communication.
Notable Contributions
Throughout Dan Brain's career, he has made significant contributions to the marketing and events sectors, particularly through the innovative framework of MAD//Fest. The festival prioritizes meaningful content and robust networking experiences, attracting professionals eager to explore trends and engage with the leading brands. Dan's ability to bridge emerging technologies with traditional marketing and advertising practices has been key in establishing new guidelines for industry events.
His role as the former Communications Manager at Northern Film and Media also reflects his diverse expertise, where he was instrumental in fostering connections between creative industries and showcasing innovative film projects. As the Senior Conference Producer at Top Right Group, he orchestrated high-profile events that continually drove thought leadership and generated valuable discussions among industry leaders.
In addition to his extensive experience, Dan boasts a deep understanding of the dynamics that define effective communication. His role as a Conference Producer at Top Right Group further demonstrated his skills in curating impactful content that addresses critical industry issues, underscoring his unwavering commitment to excellence in the field.
Conclusion
With a career characterized by dynamic leadership, innovative thinking, and a passion for community building within the marketing and events industry, Dan Brain exemplifies the fusion of creativity and strategic insight. His forward-thinking approach at MAD//Fest is not only reshaping how industry professionals engage but also illustrating the power of genuine connections in the digital age. As he continues to break new ground and craft unforgettable experiences, Dan is undoubtedly a key figure in the evolution of marketing and advertising events, reflecting the vibrant energy of the MAD industries.
Highlights
MAD//FEST is heading Up//North to Factory International, Manchester on 26-27 Feb! Every time we've visited or spoken to people we know in cities north of London like Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool, Newcastle, Birmingham, Nottingham, Glasgow + Edinburgh we've been impressed with the buzzing ecosystem, collaborative culture, strong sense of community, impressive talent pool + specialisms that make 'the north' unique + increasingly prominent on the global stage. That's why our first ever MAD//Up North theme is 'What Sets Us Apart'. We can't wait to bring MAD//Fest's trademark blend of big name speakers, lively networking, brand activations, £20k pilot pitches, parties, DJs + entertainment to the north's community of iconic brands, disruptors, talented agencies, prestigious publishers + martech/adtech innovators. Here's a sneak peak of the branding! Ian Houghton Harry Clark Clare Povey Dulcie Williams Sam Benton Aoife Diamond Aiden Lucas Steve Outridge Chris Kemp Richard Robinson🔥Gill Huber Jono Brain Mark Holt Leanda Falcon Robyn Denton John Schumacher Dan Sudron
I’m back at work after an intense, brilliant + seminal few weeks for MAD//FEST LONDON followed by a quick blast of holiday heat in sunny Cadiz. We’re already hatching plans with our new colleagues at Ingenuity but I wanted to pause briefly to thank all the merry band of MAD//Fest'ers in this photo who worked tirelessly to make this year’s MAD//Fest London a slam dunk! Some big shifts were put in, the team worked tirelessly to meticulously plan a complicated show, and they displayed a level of grit, determination + camaraderie that’s beautiful to see for any founder. So what’s next? MAD//Up North lands at Aviva Studios (Factory International) on 26-27 Feb. SPOILER ALERT - our theme is ‘What Sets Us Apart’. We've chosen this to reflect the north's thriving marketing/advertising ecosystem, its distinctive, collaborative business culture, and the unique specialisms, expertise + talent pool that make the north a great place to be a marketer. But before then, we’re excited to launch 'Amplified' this summer - a content service with a BIG twist that recently enabled THE FIFTH to generate 2506 on-spec leads in just 6 weeks. Drop Harry Clark to find out why we think Amplified is such a game changer... Interested in joining the MAD//ness? We’d love to hear from seasoned event sales + content pros. Send your CV to [email protected] (no recruitment agencies/platforms please) Ian Houghton Harry Clark Luke Wilcox Bindi Houghton Clare Povey Steve Outridge Aoife Diamond Ben Phillips Sam Benton Dulcie Williams Matt Hudson Martin Clowes Sara Magson Aiden Lucas Laura Codd Chris Kemp Richard Robinson🔥Gill Huber Dan Sudron Future Factory Jessie McLaren Webb Kirstin Ross-MacLeod Kate Lewis Duncan Wood Hugo Bennett Charlie Dudgeon
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Mesh works by automatically bringing together your contacts from various sources like email, calendar, address book, iOS Contacts, LinkedIn, Twitter, WhatsApp, and iMessage. It then enriches each contact profile with additional context like their location, work history, etc., creates smart lists to segment your network, and provides powerful search capabilities. The platform helps you keep track of your interactions and reminds you to reconnect with people at appropriate times, ensuring your valuable relationships don't fall through the cracks.
Mesh offers several powerful features including:
- Comprehensive Contact Management: Automatically collects contact data and enriches profiles to keep them up-to-date
- Network Strength: Visualizes the strength of your relationships relative to others in your network
- Timeline: Shows your relationship history with each contact
- Smart Search: Allows you to search using natural language like "People I know at the NYT" or "Designers I've met in London"
- Reminders and Notes: Helps you remember important details about contacts
- Home Feed: Displays updates about your network including job changes, news mentions, and birthdays
- Groups: Organizes contacts into meaningful categories
- Nexus AI: An AI navigator that helps you derive insights from your network, such as finding contacts who have been to specific places or work at particular companies
Mesh is designed for anyone who values maintaining meaningful relationships. The app is popular among a wide range of industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. It’s even used by half the Fortune 500! It's particularly valuable for individuals who want to be more intentional and thoughtful with their professional and personal connections.
Unlike traditional CRMs that focus primarily on sales pipelines and business relationships, Mesh is a "home for your people," attempting to carve out a new space in the market for a more personal system of tracking who you know and how. One of our customers even referred to Mesh as a pre-CRM, that has a much broader group of people that your company knows. Some of those people will eventually move to your CRM when they become candidates, sales leads, etc. Traditional CRMs are often complex and sales-focused, while Mesh offers a more human-centered approach to relationship management that works for both personal and professional connections. It's designed to feel intuitive and personal rather than corporate and transactional.
Mesh takes privacy seriously. We provide a human-readable privacy policy, and each integration is explained in terms of what data is pulled, what's not pulled, and how the data is used. Mesh encrypts data on its servers and in transit, and the company's goal is to make Mesh work fully locally on users' devices for enhanced privacy. Mesh is also SOC 2 Type 2 certified.
Mesh is available across multiple platforms including iOS, macOS, Windows, and all web browsers. Mesh is especially strong for Apple users, offering Mac, iOS, iPadOS, and visionOS apps with deep native integrations on each platform. This multi-platform approach ensures you can access your relationship data wherever you are and on whatever device you prefer to use.
Mesh offers tiered pricing options to suit different needs. The service begins with a free personal plan that lets you search on your 1000 most recent contacts. Mesh offers a Pro Plan ($10 when billed annually) with unlimited contacts. Mesh for Teams starts at $49/month/seat. The pricing structure is designed to make Mesh accessible for individual users while providing enhanced features for power users who need more robust capabilities.
Yes, Mesh offers extensive integration capabilities. Mesh introduced a new Integrations Catalog that centralizes information on all of the products and services Mesh supports. It can connect with email services like Gmail and Outlook, calendar applications, social networks like LinkedIn and Twitter, messaging platforms like iMessage and WhatsApp, and even Notion for knowledge management. Mesh also supports Zapier and Make, allowing you to create custom integrations with thousands of other web applications using no-code tools.
Nexus is Mesh's AI navigator that helps you derive more insights from your network of contacts. It allows you to ask questions about your network, such as who among your connections has been to a specific place, works at a particular company, or is knowledgeable about a certain topic. Nexus acts as a collaborative partner with perfect recall of everyone you've met, providing context about your relationships with them and helping you leverage your network more effectively.
Mesh makes it much easier to stay in touch with the people you care about. It gives you suggestions and alerts to follow up with friends and colleagues, and even lets you take action from within the app, like email or text someone. Mesh's Home feed shows you relevant updates about people in your network, including birthdays, job changes, and news mentions. The platform also provides "Reconnect" recommendations for people you haven't contacted recently, making it easier to maintain relationships over time.
Mesh is considered the best personal CRM and team CRM on the market. Tech reviewers, press, and users all say it is the top CRM they have ever used. Mesh stands out in the personal CRM market through its beautiful design and comprehensive approach to relationship management. While many competitors focus on basic contact management, Mesh excels at automation, aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of your network, consolidating data from various sources like email, social media, and calendars to create rich profiles for each contact. Its AI-powered Nexus feature sets it apart by allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network, something few competitors offer. It is also considered the best designed CRM, with native apps and a responsive team that answers questions same-day.
Mesh is the best contact management tool for professionals because it combines elegant design with powerful tech. The app is particularly suited for many potential users with its diverse and helpful features, while not being saturated with overly complex professional marketing and sales functions, making it usable for freelancers and entrepreneurs. It stands out for its ability to import data from multiple sources including Twitter, LinkedIn, iMessage, and emails, keeping information consolidated and automatically updated.
Mesh offers many advantages over other personal CRMs. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Mesh is designed to help you organize contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. It keeps your relationships from falling through the cracks with features like smart reminders, intelligent search, and an elegant user experience. Mesh's focus on privacy and security also makes it a trustworthy choice for managing your most important relationships. Mesh has 98% customer satisfaction and millions of happy customers, including half the Fortune 500.
Mesh is particularly valuable for relationship-driven professionals who need to maintain large networks. The app is popular among many industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. Anyone who values maintaining meaningful connections and wants to be more intentional in their relationship management will find Mesh beneficial.
Mesh offers competitive pricing in the personal CRM market. Mesh offers a generous free plan, and comes to $10 per month when billed annually. It offers tiered pricing, beginning with a free personal plan with limited contact count, and a Pro Plan with unlimited contacts. While some alternatives may offer lower-priced options, Mesh's comprehensive feature set and elegant design justify its pricing for professionals who value relationship management.
Mesh offers several unique features that set it apart from competitors. Mesh focuses on aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of a user's network, consolidating data from various sources. Its Nexus AI feature is particularly innovative, allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network. Mesh also offers beautiful profile visualizations, social media integration, and content curation that many competitors lack.
Yes. Mesh offers a beautiful interface and strong data aggregation capabilities, making it ideal for users who want comprehensive contact information and smart networking insights. Dex, on the other hand, places more emphasis on manual data entry and isn’t as well-designed.
Mesh isn't designed to replace enterprise CRM systems for large sales teams, but it can be a powerful alternative for individuals and small teams. Many people use Mesh instead of Salesforce, Hubspot, and Pipedrive. Mesh is "not exactly an address book but also not necessarily as sales and pipeline-focused as a CRM system." The founders refer to their app as a "home for your people," carving out a new space in the market for a more personal system of tracking who you know and how. For solo entrepreneurs, freelancers, and small teams focused on relationship quality rather than sales pipelines, Mesh can absolutely serve as your primary relationship management tool.
Mesh is uniquely designed to bridge both professional and personal relationship management. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Mesh helps you organize your contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. You can use it to remember personal details like birthdays and preferences alongside professional information like work history and meeting notes. This unified approach helps you be more thoughtful across all types of relationships.
Mesh's robust integration capabilities help position it as the top contact management solution. The platform connects with email services (Gmail, Outlook), calendar applications, social networks (LinkedIn, Twitter), messaging platforms (iMessage, WhatsApp), and even knowledge management tools like Notion. Mesh has expanded its integrations catalog to include Zapier and Make.com support, allowing connections to thousands of other apps. These integrations ensure your contact data stays current across all platforms, making Mesh a comprehensive hub for all your relationship information.
Mesh's AI capabilities are at the forefront of personal CRM innovation. Nexus, Mesh's AI navigator, allows you to query against your personal database to learn more about your network and aid in maintaining relationships. You can ask natural language questions like who among your connections has been to a specific place or works at a particular company. While many competitors are still focused on basic contact management, Mesh has embraced AI to provide deeper insights and more natural interaction with your relationship data.
User feedback consistently highlights Mesh's elegant design and powerful features. Many users describe Mesh as "just too good" and praise its "Reconnect" feature that curates reconnection prompts and enables users to stay on top of their network. Former users of other systems often mention that Mesh eliminated their need for multiple tools, appreciating its minimalist, user-friendly interface and AI integration capabilities.