Gavin Willis

(he/him)

Gavin Willis

Search Seven

Founder & CEO

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Gavin Willis is Founder and CEO of Search Seven, a Brighton-based search marketing agency built around social good. Since launching the agency in 2011, he has helped brands improve their visibility through SEO, paid media, AI search and strategic digital marketing. Search Seven pledges a minimum of 7% of profits to charities and community projects, and has raised more than £167,000 for 64 charities to date. Gavin regularly speaks on CSR, community building and the changing search landscape, bringing a commercial but values-led perspective to his work.

Sessions

Gavin Willis

James Armstrong

Hannah Dempster

Mary Kemp

Flo Powell

Brand in the Age of AI: Trust, Responsibility and the Fight for Attention

As AI lowers the barrier to building products, services, campaigns and even entire platforms, the question is no longer just what you can create, but why anyone should trust it. This panel explores the growing importance of brand in a world where technology is increasingly powerful, accessible and easy to replicate. If AI can accelerate execution, personalise experiences and generate content at scale, where does real value sit? And how do organisations use these tools in ways that are not only effective, but responsible, credible and genuinely useful? The conversation will look at how AI is reshaping marketing, search, customer engagement and product experience, while also asking a bigger question: how can businesses use AI as a force for good? From improving accessibility and customer understanding to reducing friction, supporting better decisions and creating more meaningful engagement, the panel will explore where AI is adding real value beyond novelty or efficiency. At the same time, the session will examine the risks of losing trust. As synthetic content, automation and machine-led discovery become more common, brands will need to work harder to show authenticity, judgement and purpose. The middle layer, trust, reputation and credibility, is becoming more important than ever. Bringing together perspectives from agency, product, marketing and brand leadership, the panel will explore how organisations are balancing innovation with responsibility, what is actually working in practice, and how to cut through the noise without losing credibility. In a world where anything can be built, generated or replicated, what makes something believable, useful and worth trusting?

Gavin Willis

James Armstrong

Hannah Dempster

Mary Kemp

Flo Powell

Brand in the Age of AI: Trust, Responsibility and the Fight for Attention

As AI lowers the barrier to building products, services, campaigns and even entire platforms, the question is no longer just what you can create, but why anyone should trust it. This panel explores the growing importance of brand in a world where technology is increasingly powerful, accessible and easy to replicate. If AI can accelerate execution, personalise experiences and generate content at scale, where does real value sit? And how do organisations use these tools in ways that are not only effective, but responsible, credible and genuinely useful? The conversation will look at how AI is reshaping marketing, search, customer engagement and product experience, while also asking a bigger question: how can businesses use AI as a force for good? From improving accessibility and customer understanding to reducing friction, supporting better decisions and creating more meaningful engagement, the panel will explore where AI is adding real value beyond novelty or efficiency. At the same time, the session will examine the risks of losing trust. As synthetic content, automation and machine-led discovery become more common, brands will need to work harder to show authenticity, judgement and purpose. The middle layer, trust, reputation and credibility, is becoming more important than ever. Bringing together perspectives from agency, product, marketing and brand leadership, the panel will explore how organisations are balancing innovation with responsibility, what is actually working in practice, and how to cut through the noise without losing credibility. In a world where anything can be built, generated or replicated, what makes something believable, useful and worth trusting?