Party Conferences 2026

Conference season is back. Here's where to find techUK this autumn, and what we'll be talking about.

techUK will be at the Labour, Conservative, Liberal Democrat, and Reform party conferences this autumn with a programme of panels and receptions bringing the technology sector together with parliamentarians, policymakers and party members.

Working with member companies and partner organisations, our sessions this year focus on the issues where technology meets the government's growth agenda: digital adoption among SMEs, the quality of the UK's mobile networks, and the foundations the NHS needs to use AI at scale.

Who from techUK is attending

A number of techUK colleagues will be at each conference across the policy, public affairs and programme teams. You can see the full list of who is attending which conference, and their policy areas, by clicking here.

If you would like a techUK speaker for one of your own events, or would simply like to catch-up with one of us over a coffee, please get in touch with Oliver Alderson here.

techUK Events

Labour Party Conference

ACC Liverpool | Sunday 27 - Wednesday 30 September 2026

Member's only session | Economy 2030: In Conversation with the Minister for AI on Technology & Growth

Date: Tuesday 29 September 2026
Time: 08:00 – 08:45
Admission: Members only.

techUK members are invited to join techUK Deputy CEO Antony Walker and AI Minister Kanishka Narayan MP for an exclusive, intimate discussion on leveraging technology to drive nationwide UK economic growth.

Panel | Doing more with less: SME digital adoption and the growth agenda

In partnership with: Visa
Date: Sunday 27 September 2026
Time: 14:00 – 15:00
Location: Delhi House, Albert Dock, Liverpool
Admission: Open session.

As the cost of doing business in the UK rises, SMEs continue to look towards digitisation as a tool to do more with less and drive efficiencies across their operations. Similarly, the Government’s core ambition throughout this Parliament is to drive growth across the UK economy. A thriving economy is reliant on widespread digital and financial inclusion across all parts of the business ecosystem, especially with non-digitally literate businesses and SMEs.

This session will consider whether the UK has the right structures and support in place to help businesses of all sizes on their digital adoption journey, and what levers should be used by the Government to further unlock the opportunities that digital technologies can bring to organisations. It will also provide the opportunity to platform Visa’s work in this space, including its soon-to-be published economic impact report on the topic.

Panel | Signal failure: 5G quality and the growth agenda

In partnership with: Cellnex UK
Date: Tuesday 29 September 2026
Time: 10:00 – 11:00
Location: Delhi House, Albert Dock, Liverpool
Admission: Open session.

Mobile connectivity sits at the heart of the Government’s growth agenda. Whether it is the deployment of AI across public services, the levelling up of regional economies, or the emergence of new technology-led industries, almost all of it depends on consistent, high-quality connectivity. Coverage maps continue to improve, but quality remains a persistent issue – with consequences ranging from lost productivity on rail routes to real barriers for mobile-first businesses in underserved areas, and a cap on the ambitions of frontier industries such as autonomous vehicles and logistics robotics.

This panel will ask what it would actually take to close the mobile quality gap, how that connects to the Government’s wider industrial and regional growth strategy, and what the policy levers are to make it happen. The discussion will be informed by new research on the relationship between 5G quality and the UK’s growth agenda, produced by Cellnex UK in partnership with the Progress think tank.

Panel | Foundations first: building an NHS ready for AI at scale

In partnership with: Cisco
Date: Tuesday 29 September 2026
Time: 11:30 – 12:30
Location: Delhi House, Albert Dock, Liverpool
Admission: Open session.

The Government has been clear that it sees innovative technology solutions, including AI, as integral to delivering better public services - and nowhere is this clearer than in the NHS, as the Department for Health and Social Care continues its mission to build a healthcare system fit for the future. Whilst there are innovative solutions being trialled and exhibited across the health tech sector, uptake and scaling of such technologies remain low.

Getting there starts with the basics. Cyber security and digital foundations underpin any serious AI ambition, and this session will argue that investment in the fundamentals can't be an afterthought to the more exciting use cases.

Scaling also depends on getting place-based care right. Real impact happens locally, through partnerships between NHS trusts, providers, academia and industry that last well beyond a single trial. Cisco's Lister Alliance is a live example of this: its Living Labs bring NHS Trusts, industry and academia together to test and embed technology in practice, and this session will explore what it will take to build more of that kind of collaboration across the country.

Conservative Party Conference

ICC Birmingham | Sunday 4 – Wednesday 7 October 2026

Tech Reception

With: The Digital Tories and Startup Coalition
Date: Monday 5 October 2026
Time: 19:00 - 22:00
Location: Provided upon sign-up
Admission: Subjcet to approval - register here.

An evening reception bringing the technology sector together with parliamentarians and party members.

Liberal Democrat Conference

Brighton Centre | Saturday 19 – Tuesday 22 September 2026

Tech Reception

With: The Digital Liberal Democrats and Startup Coalition
Date: Monday 21 September 2026
Time: 18:30 - 21:30
Location: Provided upon sign-up
Admission: Subject to approval - register here.

An evening reception bringing the technology sector together with parliamentarians and party members.

Invitation-only events

Alongside our open programme, techUK is also hosting a small number of private, invitation-only events during conference season for members, partners and invited guests. Details of these are not published, specific questions about wider conference activity please get in touch with Oliver Alderson.

Get in touch

Registration links for our open sessions will be added to this page as soon as they are live. If you would like a techUK speaker for your own conference event, or would like to invite us to something you are hosting, please email the public affairs team.