Best marketing events to go to in 2026 in the UK
- Ben Percival
- Reading time: 15mins
The marketing landscape is changing how brands connect with customers, and every campaign must now consider sustainability. For marketers who want to stay ahead, 2026 has an amazing calendar of events all over the UK and Europe.
We help marketing teams ensure that event registration goes smoothly at their events. This guide will assist you in planning your professional development for the upcoming year. It lists the best marketing events to go to in 2026 that will be most useful for marketers at all levels.
Marketing events in spring 2026
PMW Unlocked / Performance Marketing Unlocked
3–4 March 2026 | Business Design Centre, Islington, London
Performance Marketing Unlocked (often styled as PMW Unlocked) is a major two-day industry event and conference for performance and digital marketing professionals. It’s designed as an immersive gathering where leaders, practitioners, agencies, brands, and technology partners come together to explore trends, strategies, and practical insights around performance marketing and broader digital marketing topics.
Best for: Marketing leaders (CMOs, Heads of Growth, Digital Marketing Managers), performance and paid activity specialists, brand builders, agencies, and tech/platform partners.
The Marketing Meetup Conference
19 March 2026 | Church House, London
The Marketing Meetup (TMM) is a global marketing community of over 50,000 members, running dozens of events each year from casual meetups and webinars to big conferences.
Unlike a multi-track conference, this is a single-track / single-stage event meaning everyone attends the same sessions. A variety of topics from writing and content strategy, marketing trends, creativity & storytelling, behavioural science fundamentals, to emerging tools (e.g. practical AI for marketing) are discussed.
TMM prides itself on being a friendly, welcoming, inclusive community not a slick corporate conference. Their vibe is about kindness, support, shared curiosity, and real human connection.
Best for: Friendly, community-minded marketers, content creators, freelancers, consultants and anyone in those fields who values practical learning and genuine connection.
29 April 2026 | 180 Studios, London, UK
The Future of Brands is a major UK industry conference for brand marketers, media professionals, and advertising leaders, run by Adwanted Events – a leading organiser of media & advertising industry events. The conference explores current and future trends in branding, media, advertising, creativity, technology and measurement.
The 2026 edition has been expanded into a multi-stage experience spread over three floors. Previous speakers and attendees have included high-profile leaders from brands like Octopus Energy Group, Morrisons, NatWest Group, Volkswagen UK, Specsavers, Reckitt, Santander and more.
Best for: Brand marketers, media leaders, agency professionals, and advertising tech professionals.
What are the main marketing events in the summer of 2026?
30 April – 1 May 2026 | Brighton
brightonSEO is described as “the world’s biggest search conference”, a major annual gathering for the search marketing/SEO/digital marketing community. For those wanting more than just talks, there’s an optional training day (workshop) the day before giving a chance to dive deep into specific topics.
A big part of the event’s draw is meeting and connecting with other SEO & digital marketing professionals. According to attendees of past events, beyond the formal sessions there’s a strong informal, community-driven energy, with plenty of opportunity to mingle, exchange ideas, and get inspired.
Best for: SEO professionals, digital marketers, content strategists, freelancers, and agencies. People wanting to learn up-to-date SEO and search marketing tactics, whether advanced or entry-level.
6–7 May 2026 | ExCeL London, United Kingdom
The Digital Marketing World Forum (DMWF) Global is a major conference and expo for senior marketing leaders and marketing technology professionals. It focuses on the latest trends, strategies, tools, and innovations shaping the future of digital marketing and martech. It is designed as a two-day immersive event with high-level content and networking opportunities. The event showcases 150+ speakers from leading brands and organisations.
Best for: Senior marketers aiming to stay ahead in digital strategy and technology innovation, offering actionable insights and exposure to cutting-edge trends in the industry.
Gartner Marketing Xpo
11 – 12 May 2026 | Park Plaza Westminster Bridge, London
The main European marketing event from Gartner is back with the theme “Build What’s Next: Marketing Leadership in an AI-Driven World.” This conference is only for CMOs and other high-level marketing leaders who want research-based information instead of sales pitches.
The two-day programme includes digital and product marketing, customer experience strategy, and optimising marketing across multiple channels. Expect keynotes led by analysts, one-on-one advisory sessions, and structured networking with other marketing executives. Park Plaza Westminster’s small size makes it easier for people to connect in ways that larger events can’t.
Best for: CMOs, VPs of Marketing, and Marketing Directors who want to set a strategic direction.
SocialDay
19 – 20 May 2026 | Protein Studios, London
SocialDay is different from other marketing conferences because it focuses only on social media marketing for two days. The festival format includes social commerce, AI tools for social, the creator economy, paid advertising, influencer partnerships, and organic strategy. You can make a custom agenda that focuses on your specific problems because sessions are offered in several streams.
Protein Studios in Shoreditch has a creative space that fits with the fast-paced, new ideas that come up on social media.
Best for: People who manage social media, plan content, or work in influencer marketing.
June 16th 2026 | Newcastle upon Tyne
ATOMICON is billed as “the world’s EPIC-EST sales and marketing conference”, one of Europe’s largest gatherings aimed at small business owners, entrepreneurs and marketers. The vibe is described as fun, welcoming, and high-energy combining serious business content with a more relaxed, community focused and creative atmosphere.
The event isn’t just about passive listening. You’ll have opportunities to connect with other small business owners, potential collaborators or clients. The organisers even run a “matchmaker” service to help you meet like-minded people. There are pre-event and after party networking sessions, giving time and space to socialise, mingle, and forge relationships even if you come alone.
Best for: Small business owners, Entrepreneurs & startup founders, Coaches, consultants, and freelancers, Digital marketers & content creators.
What are some of the best marketing events to go to in 2026 autumn?
Nottingham Digital Summit
September 2026 | Broadway Cinema, Nottingham (Exact dates TBC)
Nottingham Digital Summit is the biggest digital marketing event in the Midlands and shows that there is great marketing education outside of London. This community-driven conference brings together more than 500 marketers, creatives, and tech professionals for very useful sessions. The focus here is on practical things you can do right away, not on abstract ideas.
The event lasts from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and networking goes on into the night. This is a great deal for professional development because the prices are low and the money goes to charity.
Best for: Marketers in the Midlands, people who want to learn practical skills instead of theory, and professionals who are on a budget.
DigiMarCon UK
3 – 4 September 2026 | Sofitel London Heathrow
DigiMarCon UK is now in its seventh year. It focuses on how to use new technologies in digital marketing in real life. Sessions cover AI and automation, ways to get customers to interact with your business, ways to get leads, and ways to grow your audience.
The Sofitel London Heathrow is a very nice place that is directly connected to Heathrow Terminal 5, which makes it easy for international delegates to get there. The two-day format is a good mix of thought leadership talks and demonstrations from solution providers.
Best for: Marketing technologists, digital marketing managers, and people who are looking at new platforms.
September 23–24, 2026, London ExCeL
Technology for Marketing is the UK’s top MarTech and AI event for marketers. It brings together senior marketers from both B2B and B2C companies with the best solution providers in the world. The conference schedule includes CPD-accredited talks from top speakers and brands in the fields of content creation, lead generation, AI applications, and analytics.
Attendees can access the UK’s largest e-commerce event, which is held at the same time as the eCommerce Expo. This makes it a full two-day experience for anyone interested in digital commerce and marketing technology.
Best for: People who work in marketing operations, people who test MarTech, and people who market online.
Festival of Marketing
October 2026 | London (venue TBC)
Marketing Week’s biggest event is back for 2026, and it’s going to be even bigger and better. Festival of Marketing is a place where the most ambitious marketers in the business can hear inspiring keynotes, get useful tips, and meet the smartest people in the business. Brand leaders from some of the UK’s most well-known companies have shared real-life case studies in past editions.
The 2026 edition promises new ideas on what good marketing is and how to do it right every time.
Best for: Brand marketers, marketing leaders looking for ideas, and people who want to grow their network in their field.
Top marketing events for winter 2026
The MarTech Summit London
10–11 November 2026 | London (venue TBC)
The MarTech Summit is a well-known global series, and the fifth annual London edition is part of it. The agenda covers both B2B and B2C marketing through keynotes, case studies, panels, fireside chats, and interactive Q&A sessions that cover the latest MarTech trends. There are three focused stages. The audience is mostly senior, with 85% of the 500+ attendees being Directors or higher. This makes for great networking opportunities with real decision-makers. If you work for a brand or an end-user organisation, you can get a free pass.
Best for: B2B and B2C marketers, senior marketing leaders, and people who are putting together MarTech stacks.
B2B Marketing Live
18–19 November 2026 | ExCeL London
The UK’s top event just for B2B marketing. B2B Marketing Live is different from other conferences that try to appeal to both B2B and B2C audiences because it only talks about the problems that come up when marketing to businesses, like longer sales cycles, complicated buying committees, account-based strategies, and relationship-driven approaches. The exhibition shows off the newest tools and solutions for businesses that work with other businesses, and the speaker program has real people talking about what’s working in their own businesses.
Best for: Marketers who work with businesses, people who generate demand, and people who do account-based marketing.
How to get the most out of your event attendance?
Going to marketing events takes a lot of time and money. Based on our experience helping with hundreds of marketing conferences, here are some useful tips for getting the most out of your investment:
- Look over the agenda ahead of time and pick out the sessions that are most important to you. Most events now post their speaker schedules months in advance, which lets you plan your schedule more effectively.
- Before you go, make sure you know what you want to learn. What three questions do you want to know the answers to? What problem are you trying to fix?
- Use any networking tools or apps that the event gives you to set up meetings ahead of time. A lot of the best conversations happen between sessions.
- As soon as each day is over, share what you’ve learnt with your team. If you don’t act on new ideas right away, they lose their value.
- Within 48 hours, get in touch with anyone you shared information with. A short LinkedIn message that refers to your conversation keeps things going.
Making plans to attend your event
You can plan your conference attendance around your planning cycles because events happen all year long. Events in the spring are good for planning for the next year, events in the summer are good for improving skills in the middle of the year, and events in the autumn are good for getting tactical ideas to end the year on a high note.
We hope this guide helps you make smart choices about where to spend your professional development time in 2026, no matter which events you choose to go to.
About Conferences Badges
Conference Badges Ltd is a UK-based company that specialises in event registration and badges. We work with companies like Google, Microsoft, Heathrow, HSBC, and Ford. Our eco-friendly badge options, like seed paper badges and lanyards made from recycled PET, help event planners have less of an effect on the environment. We are the official registration partner for the Sustainable Events Show 2025.
