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ProtectZ, our conference where every speaker is under 30 but everyone is welcome

ProtectZ

ProtectZ 2026 is on 11th June 2026

We are excited to announce Emily McCarthy as the Keynote Speaker for ProtectZ 2026.

A Brighton and London-based presenter, Emily has built an impressive portfolio with brands including ITSU, Iconic London, Hairburst and Crocs. But her talk goes deeper than brand deals.

Emily will explore the "alternative career" landscape, sharing how she turned a period of uncertainty into a thriving professional path. She’ll also address the growing pressure for age limits and restrictions on social platforms. By weighing the real concerns of online safety against the undeniable power of digital creativity, Emily offers a perspective the protection industry cannot afford to ignore.

 

Session 1 - Social, Tech & Trust

How do we communicate and engage with GenZ, the next generation of protection customers? How far beyond traditional marketing techniques do we go? Should we be using influencers and celebrities? And can we even trust what people are saying on TikTok?

Roger Edwards will be chairing this session and our speakers are:

 

Session 2 - Gen Z: Did the FCA Get It Right?

We've all heard the opinions of senior industry leaders and personalities about the FCA Review. But what do Gen Z think? What insights do our future colleagues and customers have? Do they have the same concerns or a completely different view.

Kevin Carr will be chairing this session and our speakers are:

Don't miss this important session on the future direction of the protection industry.

 

Session 3 - Let's Talk Gen Z

Unpacked, unfiltered, under 30. Our panellists will share their thoughts and feelings on a range of important issues. Some relate to the protection industry specifically, some about society and life in general.

Jo Miller will be chairing this session and our speakers are:

 

All ages welcome. All speakers under 30.

Important Details:

Date: 11th June 2026 9:30 - 1:15

Venue: UnderwriteMe, Tower Bridge House, St. Katharine’s Way, London, E1W 1BA

Tickets: Each company gets ONE free ticket. Additional tickets for a small fee. Email us on: [email protected]

 

 

Here's what happened at ProtectZ 2025.

ProtectZ - all speakers are under 30 but everyone is welcome.

Chair - Kevin Carr, Protection Review

Nilesh Patel, UnderwriteMe

Keynote Speaker:  Lottie Hayton, The Times/Sunday Times

Panel 1: GenZ Research

Panel 2: Tech, AI & Social Media

Interview

Panel 3: Engaging Younger Customers & Employees

Keynote Speaker: Akshay Ruparelia, Forbes Entrepreneur Under 30

Closing remarks, Roger Edwards, Protection Review

Networking

 

Our second ProtectZ took place on 30th June 2024

This was the line up.

 

Keynote Speaker - Clodagh Griffin.

Clodagh talked about how to build a Gen Z audience.

Clodagh is a social media expert, presenter, keynote speaker and currently a journalist at The News Movement, 

A major milestone in Clodagh’s career so far is her appearance on BBC Panorama: Is TikTok Safe? She completed an undercover investigation into the safety of TikTok and shared her findings on the show.

 

Panel 1 - Engagement & Communications

What does the industry need to do to better engage with young people and how can we communicate with them to make our products more desirable?

 

Panel 2 - Technology

What software and apps can help us give better service to our customers? Can AI genuinely make a difference? What's in development and what do we want and what can we expect to see in future?

 

Panel 3 - Product & Process

Are we developing the right products for GenZ customers? Are we involving them in developments? Do we need to ask fewer questions during processing now everyone is on a mobile device?

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