It’s here… registration for the AVS Annual Conference 2026 is officially OPEN.
This year’s theme?
Square Peg. Round Hole. Redefining Fit in Academic Venues.
If you’ve ever worked in an academic venue, you’ll know exactly why.
Trying to be commercial in a non-commercial environment. Balancing institutional priorities with customer expectations. Competing with hotels while navigating processes that hotels simply don’t have. Being asked to deliver more with less.
Sometimes it can feel like you’re constantly trying to fit into someone else’s idea of what success looks like.
This conference is about changing that conversation.
It’s about celebrating what makes academic venues different, challenging what no longer serves us, and giving our community the confidence, ideas and practical tools to thrive.
And this year we have pulled together what we genuinely believe is our strongest programme yet.
We’re incredibly excited that Geoff Ramm will be headlining Day Two, bringing his trademark energy, humour and thought-provoking challenge to help us think differently about customer experience and standing out in a crowded market.
We’re also absolutely delighted to welcome Adrianne Carter, one of the UK’s leading experts in body language and behavioural communication. Not only will Adrianne deliver a keynote session on day one but she’ll also stay with us for an interactive workshop, giving delegates the opportunity to put their learning into practice.
And that’s just the beginning.
Across two days you’ll hear from sector experts, industry leaders and peers who understand the unique challenges of academic venues because they live them every day.
This is where you can have honest conversations, share practical ideas and enjoy a community that genuinely wants each other to succeed.
If you’ve joined us before, you’ll know this isn’t just another conference.
If you haven’t… this is the year to find out why so many people tell us it’s the event they look forward to most.
Keele University 3–4 December 2026
The square peg? It turns out it was never the problem.
Come and discover why.
#AVSConference2026
