National Play Conference 2026

A landmark one-day event designed to bring the play sector together at a pivotal moment

The one-day conference will take place on Friday 9 October 2026 at The Slate, University of Warwick. The night before, on Thursday 8 October 2026, the same venue will also host the first ever National Play Awards.

The conference will provide a unique national forum for everyone involved in creating, enabling and advocating for play, from designers, playworkers, contractors, manufacturers and local authorities to educators, playground operators and policymakers. Through a carefully curated programme of keynote addresses, panel debates and practical learning sessions, the event will explore the most pressing issues shaping play today and into the future.

Delegates will hear from an influential speaker line-up, which includes policymakers, sector specialists from a range of industries and innovators connected to play. For anyone working in, or alongside, the UK play sector, the National Play Conference will be an essential date in the diary.

[https://sapca.org.uk/events/national-play-conference/](https://sapca.org.uk/events/national-play-conference/)