Open call for submissions
On 10-11 June in Manchester, NHS Confedexpo returns as the UK's leading health and care conference. We don’t want you just to be there; we want you to be a part of it.
Submit your breakout session proposal
We are inviting proposals from organisations across the health and care sector to deliver breakout sessions at NHS ConfedExpo 2026. We know that this will help provide a rich programme covering a diverse range of perspectives, with sessions providing high-quality learning and insights to share with the 6,800+ delegates we expect on site.
We’re looking for great applications that highlight what makes your session unique and the value it will bring to our delegates.
We would love to receive a wide range of ideas with a diverse range of speakers to give as many people as possible a voice.
Important notes
We are looking for tangible examples of work that is improving the NHS and wider health sector.
If you have a communications lead in your organisation, we encourage you to contact them to flag your application and involve them in drafting your submission. Feel free to use AI software to refine your application, but bear in mind that if your submission appears to be entirely written by AI, this will be considered in the review process.
There are a limited number of sessions available, so get your applications in early to stand the best chance of being selected.
The NHS ConfedExpo team hold final editorial control on all sessions, including the ability to add or request changes to speakers, especially where the same people are suggested for multiple sessions.
- This call for submissions is intended for health and care organisations of any size, but not intended for commercial organisations or organisations with a large turnover. We have a range of sponsored packages available if you are interested in delivering a session at NHS ConfedExpo 2026. Please contact our business development team for more details.
What we are looking for:
The open call for submissions is specifically for breakout sessions at NHS ConfedExpo 2026. Other session formats (main stages, interactive sessions, networking sessions and podcasts) will be commissioned via other routes.
How these sessions work:
- 40-minute sessions
- Theatre-style layout
- A non-negotiable maximum of 4 speakers, including the session chair
- A focus on practical takeaways for delegates, through eg case studies or policy insights
- An expectation of a minimum of 5-10 minutes of delegate Q&A as part of the 40-minute slot
- Held in either breakout rooms (200-300 delegate capacity) or in learning theatres on the exhibition floor (130 delegate capacity)
- The learning theatre topics can be found at the bottom of this guidance. If you feel your proposal aligns well with a specific learning theatre topic, please make this clear in the session description
Please ensure your panel of speakers are:
- Diverse and inclusive – providing different perspectives, backgrounds and experiences
- Highly knowledgeable, subject matter experts
- Respected for their breadth of experience
- Compelling and able to connect with the audience and present their ideas clearly
- Available on both 10 and 11 June 2026, and able to travel to Manchester
All speakers receive a free pass for the whole conference. Please note that speaker expenses will need to be covered by the inviting organisation or the speaker’s employer.
Speakers must be approached to check they are available before you include them in your proposal. Please ensure they understand it is for a proposed session, but you will need them to keep their diary free until you are able to confirm if the session has been successful, around 3 March 2026 We will only review submissions where the speakers have been confirmed as available.
Checklist
Here's a helpful checklist for submitting your proposal:
- Have you checked that your organisation is eligible to submit a proposal? If you are unsure if your organisation is classified as high income-generating, please email sessions@nhsconfed.org
- Have you flagged this submission internally with communications colleagues and relevant senior leaders?
- Have you clearly defined how delegates will benefit from your session?
- Have you confirmed your proposed speakers would be available on 10 and 11 June 2026 and able to travel to Manchester?
- Have you ensured your proposed speakers represent diverse perspectives and backgrounds, in terms of protected characteristics as well as organisation/role types?
- Have you considered how the patient voice will be represented in your session?
- Have you checked that your team has the capacity to deliver to the timelines outlined in this guidance document
- Have you checked that you or someone from your organisation can be available to attend in person to support the session?