Rapid Sessions 006: Brian Collins, Mary Doherty (Red Dog) & more.

Founded and produced by the team at Rapid Agency, Rapid Sessions is a series of informal, creative, talk events where you can share ideas, be inspired and grow together.

We’re delighted to bring Rapid Sessions back to Belfast, and this time it’s going to be bigger than ever before. We’re thrilled to welcome Brian Collins, Co-Founder of Collins to Belfast on Thursday 1st May to headline Rapid Sessions 006 at ICC Belfast.

Collins is a leading transformation consultancy, recognised as Ad Age’s 2023 Transformation Firm of the Year, as well as Ad Age’s 2024 Design Firm of the Year, with a client portfolio of iconic, world-class brands including Spotify, Ogilvy, Nike, Facebook, Airbnb and Coca-Cola.

On the day you’ll also hear from Mary Doherty, Managing Director of Red Dog, as well as a panel of local business owners who will share their personal journeys, challenges and invaluable lessons learned on the road to success.

Mary Doherty is the continuous force behind Red Dog. As founder of the agency in1993, she has shaped it into one of Ireland’s most respected and award-winning creative studios.

Mary thrives on transformation. She loves helping brands evolve - whether they’re ready for a bold new direction, a strategic reinvention, or simply breaking free from an outdated identity. Incredibly, she has never worked anywhere else (yet!). Red Dog was born the day after she graduated, and to this day, she embodies its guiding mantra: "We are good at what we do because good is never good enough."

Beyond Red Dog, Mary is a key figure in the Irish design industry. She serves on the board of The Institute of Designers in Ireland (IDI) and the Merrion Fertility Clinic. Most recently, she completed a two-year tenure as President of the IDI, further cementing her influence in supporting Ireland’s design landscape.

This is a rare, invaluable opportunity for all creatives to hear from world-class talent right here in Belfast, and we’ve gone the extra mile to make this one of the leading creative talks in Ireland this year.

Following our Rapid Session, we will be hosting an intimate Rapid Sessions Unplugged event at the Harp Bar on the evening of Thursday 1st May, where you will have the opportunity to network with a variety of creative minds from Belfast, Ireland and beyond, and get to know Brian Collins with an exclusive Q&A session and unheard talk.

We will also be bringing back our Rapid Student Sessions during this event, and will be inviting local students to take the stage and share their projects with us.

P.S. Yes, there will be free food.

There are 3 ticket options to choose from:

• Rapid Sessions - admission to Rapid Sessions @ ICC Belfast only.
• Sessions Unplugged - admission to Sessions Unplugged @ Harp Bar only.
• Rapid Sessions + Sessions Unplugged - admission to both events @ ICC Belfast and Harp Bar (the full Collins experience)

For agencies and larger group bookings there will be a discounted rate available. Please contact [email protected] to find out more.

Venue Details: https://iccbelfast.com/

Enquiries: [email protected]

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

ICC Belfast, 2 Lanyon Place, Belfast, United Kingdom