A live evening event tackling the most pressing challenges facing SEO and digital marketing today – from the rise of AI and automation to evolving search behaviours, stakeholder pressure, and proving ROI.
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what to expect
starting with the panel
We’ll start with the 40 minute panel – here we’ll confront all of the most difficult questions. Our aim is to facilitate a conversation between brands and agencies – understanding what we need for each other and how we move forward.
Location: 28-30 Hoxton Square, AVIVA Headquaters
Date: 28th August 2025
Time: 6 – 8pm
q&a
Then we’ll have a 20 minute Q&A. The audience gets to ask questions and start conversations with our panel.
BITES, DRINKS AND NETWORKING
We’ll then disperse to enjoy a selection of food and drinks on the house. Our team will introduce attendees to complimentary parties – want to meet your peers? Want to be introduced to a brand? Or an agency? We can help facilitate these conversations.
THE CONVERSATION
Welcome to State of Play: SEO – Episode 1 of our new series tackling the toughest questions facing our industry.
As AI, automation, and economic pressure reshape how we work, SEO is at a crossroads.
This session dives into the key challenges facing our industry today: how to win budget by proving real ROI, how to earn stakeholder support through smarter forecasting, and how to navigate a content landscape that’s being upended by generative AI.
Is blogging dead? Has AI made traditional content strategies obsolete? Or are we simply entering a new era that demands a sharper, more strategic approach? Join leading voices from top brands as we unpack what’s changed, what still matters, and how SEO professionals can confidently adapt for what’s next.
ABOUT
SEO
State of Play: SEO, Strategy & What’s Next
Join senior marketers, agency leaders, and technical specialists for a dynamic panel discussion, live podcast segment from The Places We’ll Go Marketing Show, and curated networking at Aviva’s London HQ. (28-30 Hoxton Square) Designed for those shaping the future of digital strategy and looking for clarity, connection, and competitive edge.
MEET OUR PANELISTS
ANDREW FOX
HEAD OF MARKETING AT AVIVA
Hi, I’m Andrew Fox, Head of Marketing at Aviva, where I lead the Group’s centralised marketing operations across Paid Media, Digital Marketing, and Growth Marketing. As a Tech Nation Exceptional Talent in Digital Technology Leadership, I’ve spent the past three years transforming Aviva’s marketing approach, building in-house performance teams and delivering integrated campaigns across Insurance, Wealth, Health, and Pensions. Throughout my career, I’ve had the privilege of driving growth for startups, scale-ups and global enterprises across tech, fintech and retail, always focusing on creating strategies that deliver real commercial impact.
JOAO FILIPE PEREIRA
HEAD OF SEO AT EVENTBRITE
Hi, I’m João Pereira, Head of SEO at Eventbrite, where I lead global strategies to drive organic growth across consumer and creator audiences. With over a decade of experience in search marketing, I’ve had the opportunity to scale SEO operations at digital leaders including Hostelworld, EF Education First, and TripAdvisor, building teams and systems that transform search performance into commercial results. At Eventbrite, I’ve built a high-performing SEO team under the Product organisation, championing initiatives that empower event creators and strengthen platform discoverability.
JESSICA ATKINSON
HEAD OF ORGANIC AT EMBRYO
Hi, I’m Jess Atkinson, Head of Organic at Embryo in Manchester, where I lead creative and data-driven cross-channel strategies that deliver meaningful results for our clients. With over 10 years in the digital world, I specialise in building integrated strategies that combine SEO, content, PPC, social media, PR and digital out-of-home to align with business goals. I’m passionate about relationship building, whether that’s developing our team to reach their full potential or partnering with clients to achieve fantastic results. As a mentor with the Women in Tech SEO mentorship scheme and speaker at BrightonSEO and Drink Digital, I love sharing knowledge with the community.
HELEN POLLITT
DIRECTOR OF SEO AT GETTY IMAGES
Hi, I’m Helen Pollitt, Director of SEO at Getty Images, where I drive revenue and create SEO strategies that deliver exceptional ROI. With over 10 years in SEO, I’m passionate about building high-performing digital marketing teams and pushing the boundaries of what organic search can achieve. As a regular speaker at BrightonSEO, SearchLeeds and SMX London, and contributor to Search Engine Journal, State of Digital and Search Engine Watch, I love sharing what works in the trenches of enterprise SEO. Recognised as one of Search Engine Journal’s SEOs to Watch and Search Engine Land’s Women Shaping the SEO Field.
MARK EVANS
MARKETING TRUSTEE COACH, ADVISOR AND CO-HOST OF THE PLACES WE’LL GO MARKETING SHOW
Hi, I’m Mark Evans, and after 25 wonderful years in marketing, customer and leadership roles, I’ve moved to what I call a “fruit salad” portfolio career, a mix of coaching, Trustee, advisory, NED and Chair roles across charities, education, sport, government and technology. As Marketing Society’s 2018 Leader of the Year and 2023 Honorary Fellow, I’m a pathological optimist who believes you can have your cake and eat it, which translates into helping people and businesses fulfil their potential. Beyond my portfolio work, I co-host “The Places We’ll Go Marketing Show” where we’ve interviewed over 180 amazing people, and I founded Sprintathon in 2016 which has raised £960k for Stand Up To Cancer.
KATE ROSS
CO-FOUNDER AND CEO OF EIGHT&FOUR
Hi, I’m Kate Ross, Co-Founder and CEO of eight&four, where we lead social creative for global brands like Hyundai, Sandals, DHL and HSBC. For 16 years, I’ve been building eight&four alongside my business partner, and we’ve now expanded into eight&four Group – a network of creative, media, and technology agencies across Europe. Since 2022, I’ve been a vocal leader in the indie GenAI space, transparently sharing our agency’s AI journey – from the honest challenges to the real wins we’ve achieved building our own AI-powered suite, platform12.
MEET OUR HOST
JOSH PEACOCK
Hi, I’m Josh Peacock, Founder of SEO For Hire and Co-Founder of Paid Media Jobs, where I’m on a mission to fix the recruitment industry for digital marketing. I’ve helped build over 100 high-performing teams for ambitious brands and agencies including Sage, Brainlabs, Studiohawk and Rankings.io, focusing on finding A Players with deep specialism and real delivery track records. We fill 95% of SEO roles in under 28 days through our battle-tested, industry-backed process. I also host the Agency Growth Club podcast, speaking with 7-8 figure agency founders about team scaling and talent leadership.