Northern Summit 2026

Aaron Mellor, Founder and Managing Director of Tokyo Industries. The UKs largest privately owned nightlife company, owning and operating 47 of the UKs coolest Music Venues, NightClubs and Festivals, alongside 19 International venues in Los Angeles, Palm Springs. New York, Dubai, Croatia, Palma and Ibiza. The company is proudly based here in Manchester where it operates 11 venues including the former Factory Records building, legendary music venues Gorilla, The Deaf Institute, Impossible, BLVD, Ramona Firehouse, a new Irish bar Dirty O’Sullivans, and a 10,000 capacity complex DIECAST featuring its new 3,500 capacity day club IDRA.

Sarah has thirty years experience in placemaking. As Chief Executive of the NewcastleGateshead Initiative, Sarah leads destination marketing and investment activity for Newcastle and Gateshead. Having qualified as a lawyer, Sarah developed a career in economic development as Director of Regions and Nations at the CBI. Sarah has a MSc in Urban Regeneration, a MBA and a doctorate which considers how small businesses animate communities. Sarah was awarded an OBE in 2025 for her contribution to the visitor economy, sits on the government’s Visitor Economy Advisory Council and the Visit England Advisory Board. Sarah also chairs the Employee Owned Trust of Ryder Architecture, is an elected member of the National Trust Council and a board member of North East Museums. Sarah is currently part of the judging panel for the City of Culture 2029.

Niall Keating is a Staffordshire-born chef who built his reputation training in leading international kitchens including Restaurant Sat Bains, Benu and Kong Hans Kælder. He rose to prominence at The Dining Room at Whatley Manor, earning a Michelin star in 2017 just eight months after opening, followed by a second in 2019, alongside a Michelin Green Star and accolades including Michelin Young European Chef and BBC Great British Menu Champion of Champions. His cooking combines classical technique with global, particularly Asian, influences.

Since 2021, Keating has expanded beyond the traditional restaurant model, launching Lunar in his hometown and later Tender at the Stock Exchange Hotel, co-owned by Gary Neville. His work also spans collaborations such as with Williams Racing and his street food concept Paradise Carriage, reflecting a broader approach to hospitality that blends fine dining with more accessible, experience-led formats.

Aoife Roche MBA is Regional Vice President for EMEA at STR, a CoStar Group company. Based in London, she leads a dynamic sales team delivering industry-leading hospitality benchmarking and property intelligence to hotel owners, operators, and brands across the region.
Before joining STR, Aoife built broad international experience with boutique hotel groups in London, Paris, and New York, and advised independent properties on sales, revenue, and distribution strategies to drive growth and profitability. Recognised for her strategic insight and leadership, she is passionate about advancing the industry through data, innovation, and collaboration.
A graduate of the University of Limerick with a BA in Applied Languages and more recently an MBA, Aoife also serves on the board of Hospitality Beats Cancer, an initiative uniting the hospitality sector through events that support Cancer Research UK’s pioneering research.

Ben co-founded and has been CTO of Sona, the AI-native workforce management solution, since July 2021. His background is in tech consultancy and he has founded or co-founded multiple start-ups, including Catapult Ventures, Make it with Code, Style Gauge and InGuide. During the early part of his career, he was a software engineer at Thorlabs and then a consultant at PWC.

Dr Angela Anthonisz is Principal Lecturer in Tourism and Visitor Economy Management at the University of Cumbria. An experienced and forward thinking academic leader with a passion for both industry practice and education, Angela began her career in the hotel sector before transitioning into higher education in her mid thirties.
Her career has since spanned the UK and international institutions in Dubai, Switzerland, and Paris. She holds a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) specialising in the strategic management of human capital and its influence on organisational performance.
Angela is the research lead for Tourism and the Visitor Economy within the Centre for National Parks and Protected Areas, based at the Ambleside campus. She also oversees the visitor economy academic portfolio at the University of Cumbria, working closely with a range of strategic partners to strengthen hospitality career pathways and advance management skills development at regional and national levels.

As Senior Vice President & General Manager, Co-op Live, Guy’s role sees him spearhead delivery and strategy across the UK’s next-generation live entertainment arena, ranked as one of the top three arenas in Europe. The arena hosts up to 23,500 fans per event, designed with exceptional acoustics, a world-leading fan experience, sustainability and community engagement at its heart.

Boasting over two decades of experience in the industry, Guy worked at the NEC Group, starting as an Event Manager and working his way up the business through several roles including Arenas Sales (Programming) Manager, Head of Arenas Sales and Events, General Manager of Utilita Arena and Resorts World Arena, before becoming Managing Director in March 2020.

As well as now fronting Co-op Live, Guy’s career highlights to date include leading the £29 million pound redevelopment of Resorts World Arena in 2009 and the £24 million redevelopment of Utilita Arena in 2014, securing several high-profile long term annual events for both venues.

Guy has previously acted as chair of the LIVE Venues Group and the National Arenas Association (NAA). He was responsible for NAA training courses in emergency planning, crisis management and disability awareness for the NAA.

Outside of work, Guy is married with two children. He loves spending time with his family, travelling and completing sporting challenges including 2 marathons, the 100-mile Midlands Velo cycling event and the National 3 Three Peaks Challenge. He is also a season ticket holder at Aston Villa FC, a keen follower of cricket, golf and attending concerts and events.

Laura Johnson, Partnership Manager North for Hospitality Connect Ltd, has a background in careers education projects, mentoring, voluntary management and a specialty in social value.

Laura cares deeply about bridging the gap between industry and education, and shaping initiatives that meaningfully nurture talent pipelines.

Paul Askew is one of the UK’s most pioneering figures in hospitality. Chef Patron and owner of The Art School for over a decade, since September 2014 Paul and his team have brought innovative fine-dining to Liverpool. Since opening, The Art School has proudly been Michelin Recommended and held two Rosettes in the AA Guide.

Paul is focused on maintaining the highest standard of gastronomy in Liverpool and to showcase how good the city can be, as he strives to achieve the region ever more recognition.

In honour of his career and commitment within the hospitality industry, last year Paul was proudly elected as President of Disciples of Escoffier UK. Paul became a Disciple of Escoffier in March 2023 and he now has the immense honour being the President of Disciples of Escoffier UK. His new role includes to modernise the organisation with diversity, help bring the next generation of chefs to the fore in the hospitality sector and mentor and support the young chefs of the future.

Robyn Black is Head of Content at Fleet Street, the specialist PR, comms and content agency for the hospitality and leisure sector. Formally editor of Imbibe magazine and imbibe.co.uk, she is an award-winning writer with over 20 years’ experience in the drinks and hospitality industries. In her time she has written for a number of key national and trade titles including The Guardian, The Grocer, The Morning Advertiser, and Inapub. With a wealth of experience and in-depth industry knowledge, Robyn is a regular commentator on the sector, frequently chairs panels at industry events, and is judge of several sector business competitions.

Peter Davies heads the firm’s tronc team where, as a recognised industry expert, he advises hospitality businesses on the set-up of tronc systems to help them fairly manage service charges in the most tax-efficient way.
A connoisseur of coffee, Peter describes one of the highlights of his job as travelling to London drinking espresso in nice restaurants, providing clients with advice and support whilst doing so. With a passion for the hospitality industry, he enjoys public speaking and has contributed to trade and accountancy publications as well as making TV and radio appearances. His wealth of experience in a niche market helps him to be the best at what he does and a highly sought after individual.
Additionally, Peter advises clients on employment tax-related issues. A former Inland Revenue investigator, he has extensive experience of HMRC enquiries, so can see arising situations from both sides of the coin.

Matt Townley is an accomplished hospitality leader with a significant profile across the North of England. He is currently Group Operations Director at Dakota Hotels, Chair of the Manchester Hoteliers Association, a member of the Master Innholders Executive Committee, and Chair of the Institute of Hospitality (IoH) North Region.
After completing his degree in Tourism and Hospitality in 2006, Matt began his career with the Malmaison Group through its Graduate Management Programme, progressing into Deputy General Manager roles in both Liverpool and Manchester. He went on to hold a series of senior leadership positions, including Resident and Hotel Manager roles at Mottram Hall, the Principal York Hotel, and the Principal Manchester, where he successfully led major refurbishment and repositioning projects.
In 2017, Matt joined Dakota Hotels as Opening General Manager of Dakota Manchester — one of the city’s most significant hotel openings in recent years — before progressing to Regional Operations Director and subsequently Group Operations Director. In his current role, Matt is responsible for delivering exceptional operational performance while positioning the brand for sustained growth, including the opening of Dakota Newcastle (April 2025), Dakota Manchester Airport (July 2026), Dakota York (2027) and two other hotels in planning phases.
A passionate advocate for people and culture, Matt has played a key role in fostering a multi award winning workplace environment. Under his leadership, Dakota Hotels has been recognised as one of The Caterer’s Top 30 Best Places to Work in Hospitality for four consecutive years and a Sunday Times Best Place to Work in both 2024 and 2025. He is also deeply committed to developing future talent within the hospitality industry, mentoring Acorn Award winners and supporting emerging leaders across the sector.
Beyond his professional role, Matt is a strong supporter of charitable causes. Most recently, he raised over £12,000 for Doddie Aid, supporting motor neurone disease research in memory of his late father.

Professor Brendan Paddison is Dean of York Business School at York St John University and Professor of Tourism Geographies. In his role as Dean, Brendan leads the strategic development of York Business School’s teaching, research and external engagement activities. Brendan has an international reputation as a leading expert in tourism and sustainable destination development. His research explores the relationships between tourism, place, sustainability and spatial justice, with a particular focus on how tourism shapes cities, communities and regional economies. He works closely with policymakers and industry, contributing to debates on the future of tourism in an era of climate crisis and social change. He is Chair of the York Tourism Advisory Board, Co-Chair of the Tourism Education Futures Initiative (TEFI), and co-leads the Visitor Economy and Experience research group at York Business School. Brendan is also Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Hospitality, Leisure, Sport and Tourism Education and serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Teaching in Travel and Tourism, the e-Review of Tourism Research, and Routledge Open Research.

Matty White is one of the most connected voices in the city’s food and drink scene.
With two decades in the media industry, Matty is a highly accomplished food and drink presenter, contributing regularly to Manchester's Finest, a hugely popular website and social media platform showcasing the city's highlights, as well as hosting numerous hospitality-focused podcasts.