MW Advocate is the organiser behind a City Summits event programme, including the Belfast Summit and Derry Summit, which bring local and international leaders together to explore what makes each city distinctive and the challenges and opportunities shaping its future.
Our all-island event, Summit of the Cities, convenes civic leaders from all 12 cities across the island of Ireland to share what’s working in their cities and explore how we can work together for cross regional collaboration.
The inaugural Summit of the Cities took place in Belfast in June 2026, bringing together civic leaders from all 12 cities on the island of Ireland for the first time. The event gave leaders a chance to share what’s working in their cities, learn from one another and explore how they can work together for further cross regional collaboration.
We welcomed speakers from the worlds of government, culture and the night-time economy, including former Mayor of New York Bill de Blasio, Sue Gray, former Chief of Staff to Keir Starmer, and Daivd Skaith, Mayor of York and North Yorkshire. They were joined by sectorial leaders Caroline Campbell, Director of the National Gallery of Ireland, Mark O’Brien, Director of the Abbey Theatre, and Ariel Palitz, New York City’s first nightlife mayor.
Summit of the Cities will be returning in 2027, with more details to follow.
Since 2024, the Belfast Summit has brought together leaders from politics, planning, infrastructure, culture and the nighttime economy from across the UK, Ireland and further afield. The annual event brings their perspectives into conversation with local policy makers, civil servants, business people and community representatives to explore how we can make Belfast the best small city in Europe to live, work and socialise.
Over the last three years, we’ve welcomed leading speakers from around the world, including Carlos Moreno, who pioneered the 15-minute city concept, former First Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon, New York City’s first Nightlife Mayor Ariel Palitz, Manchester City Council’s Executive Member for Housing and Regeneration, Gavin White, and global planner, Wei Yang.
We’re delighted to announce that the Belfast Summit will be returning in January 2027, and more details will follow shortly.
The inaugural Derry Summit took place in March 2026 in partnership with Ulster University and the Department for Infrastructure. It brought local and international voices together to explore how Derry can build on its rich cultural heritage, make the most of new public and private investment, and create opportunities for talent emerging from Ulster University.
We welcomed Belgian urban planner Pierre Laconte, who helped masterplan the university town of Louvain-la-Neuve, and Shona McCarthy of the International Fund for Ireland. Shona led Derry’s 2013 UK City of Culture programme and went on to become Chief Executive of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society. They were joined by local entrepreneur and mentor Jennifer Neff, co-founder of Elemental.
We’re delighted to bring the Derry Summit back in March 2027 and will be sharing more details about the event in due course.
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