ASCL ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2026

Yes, we would encourage you to bring your colleagues and team members to the conference. We are able to offer group discounts as follows:

• Small Group (2-4 delegates) – 10% discount per person
• Large Group (5+ delegates) – 25% discount per person

You do not have to be a member of ASCL to attend the event.

No, however we will be hosting a drinks reception after the final keynote on Day 1, and from 5.15pm – 6.45pm. Drinks and canapés/light refreshments will be served and there will be many opportunities to network with colleagues and speak with exhibitors, invited guests and members of the ASCL policy and member support teams.

We recommend all delegates download the ASCL App (kindly sponsored by Pearson). This is free to download with full instructions provided when you book your place at ASCL Annual Conference. It is also the only way you can book your workshop places prior to the event. Emails will be sent to your registered email address with ASCL; this may be your personal email. 
 
The ASCL App enables you to:

• book your workshop sessions and view the full conference programme
• access your workshop tickets (go to your profile, click on view profile, and then click on your QR code)
• access the up-to-date delegate list, with a ‘chat’ option to catch up with colleagues
• view exhibition details
• participate in the newly created "Annual Conference game" for a chance to win a prize.

The drinks reception will be held in the Exhibition Hall from 5.15pm – 6.45pm.

Exhibitors will be available at their stands, and you will also be able to speak with invited guests, ASCL policy specialists and other members of the ASCL team at our exhibition hubs.

Please contact our exhibitions team in the first instance – exhibitions@ascl.org.uk – they will then be in contact once the exhibition opens for booking.

Update 27 February 2026: exhibition spaces are now sold out. 

Workshop bookings are made through the ASCL App. Once you have booked your place as a conference delegate, you will receive an email to confirm your attendance.  You will then receive a second email which will contain detailed instructions on your attendance and how to book your workshop sessions.

If you did not receive this second email, please contact annualconference@ascl.org.uk and we will resend the instructions.

Please note, you can only book your workshop sessions through the ASCL App. If you do not receive an email with instructions on how to download the app, please contact app@ascl.org.uk for support. Please also check your junk/spam folders. 

Your ticket/s for your workshop choice/s will be available on the ASCL App. you can view your booked workshops in the 'My schedule' section. 

There are three separate sets of workshops taking place across the two days. Please choose only one workshop per session for each day you are booked to attend.

Please do not make multiple choices per session as this causes errors.

If there are several sessions you would like to attend, don’t worry, where we have permission from the speakers we are collecting resources for all sessions and these will be shared with all delegates after the event.

It is recommended you make your choices in advance as it allows us to ensure that everyone is allocated the correct tickets for the workshops they want to attend, and that you are able to attend your preferred choices. Many of our workshop sessions become full before the event. 

If you choose not to book in advance, you will be asked to wait outside the session room on the day and if there is capacity in the room, you will be able to attend. If there is no capacity, unfortunately, you will have to find an alternative session to attend.

 

If you have made an error on a workshop booking or you would like to change your workshop, click on the '+' button used to book onto workshops to unregister. 

Alternatively, go to 'My schedule', select the workshop you would like to change and click 'Remove session'.

Please book your workshop sessions by Monday 9 March. Workshop bookings made after this date cannot be guaranteed.

The Conference is non residential and accommodation is not included in the conference fee. Accommodation (if required) can be booked through our agent, Reservation Highway. We have several hotels near the ACC in Liverpool to suit all tastes and budgets.
 
You can book your accommodation online by email admin@reservation-highway.co.uk or by phone on 01423 525577. 

The ACC is located on the Liverpool Waterfront. The nearest mainline station is Liverpool Lime Street, which is a 20 minutes’ walk or short taxi ride away. If you choose to drive, the nearest car parking can be found at Kings Dock Car Park. Details of how to get to the conference can be found here.

Information about parking at the venue is available here. 

We will be compiling a highlights reel during the event and a photographer and videographer will be present at the conference. At busy events we are not able to request individual consent for all photography but if you do not wish to be included, please let us know.
 

Dress code for during the day and evening reception is business casual.

If you are unable to attend the conference, please advise us as soon as possible. All cancellations must be confirmed in writing.

By making a booking online or by email you are agreeing to accept our terms and conditions, please refer to these to find out about our cancellation policy and charges.  From this point forward, your booking will be subject to the cancellation charges outlined below:

From confirmation of booking: £50 admin charge
Within 10 weeks of conference: 25% charge
Within 6 weeks of conference: 50% charge
Within 4 weeks of conference: total fee

If you need to change your attendance at Annual Conference, please let us know as soon as you can. Please be aware that changes to delegate attendance require some administration to undertake so an administration charge will be applied. 
 

If you need to send a substitute delegate, there is no charge to do so. We need their details in writing in order to update our database and communications for the conference. Please be aware that changes to delegate attendance duration require some administration to undertake so an administration charge will be applied. 

You will need to update details for your accommodation directly with the provider.
 

Sustainability at our events is important to us and over the years, we have been working to reduce the amount of paper produced in support of our events and encouraging the use of technology to improve delegate experience.

The ACC is a carbon neutral venue and has a Green Tourism Silver Award. You can take a look at their Sustainability Strategy here.