The Association of Event Organisers (AEO) will bring senior leaders from across the UK events industry to the Vox Conference Venue on the NEC Campus in Birmingham on 3 September 2026, under this year's theme, "Dare to Win." The conference lands at a moment when AI is changing how event businesses operate, economic conditions remain unsettled, and the wider business world is shifting in ways that reward those willing to act rather than wait β and the programme is built around exactly that tension: how leaders build cultures and mindsets bold enough to turn disruption into an advantage instead of a threat. The keynote comes from Dr Pippa Grange, a performance psychologist best known for her work as head of people and team development at the Football Association. Beyond the main stage, the day is designed as much for the conversations happening in between sessions β organisers, venues, suppliers and industry partners trading notes on where the events business goes next, with an informal icebreaker at the venue the evening before giving attendees a head starts on the networking.
