The Annual Conference is a highlight of the year for everyone involved in AFM. It brings together over 250 leaders from the mutual insurance sector, alongside supporters and partners, to share experiences, insights and expertise on the issues that matter most to the future of insurance and mutuality.
Last year’s Conference was our biggest yet, attracting more delegates, sponsors and exhibitors than ever before and generating great feedback from attendees. Building on that success, we have listened carefully to what people told us they valued most, as well as where the event could be further improved. As a result, we are returning to a venue that proved especially popular when we last met there in 2022, where everyone will once again be based together in the main Conference hotel: De Vere Cotswold Water Park. Mindful of the continued pressures on Members’ budgets, we have also kept delegate fees at the same level as last year.
The opportunity created by the Government’s commitment to support the growth of the mutual and co-operative sector has been a central theme of our work for some time and has featured prominently at our last two Conferences. In recent months, significant policy developments, including the joint regulators’ Mutual Landscape Report, have begun to turn that commitment into reality. This makes it an ideal moment to focus on the strong, energetic and active leadership our sector will need to make the most of this opportunity. That challenge is captured in the core theme and title of this year’s Conference: Leadership, Growth and Impact.
This theme will run throughout the Conference programme, which will include plenary sessions with high‑profile guest speakers, a range of lively breakout sessions, and engaging, relevant and thought‑provoking content. There will also be plenty of opportunities for networking, catching up with familiar faces and making new connections, which we know delegates and sponsors value so much, as well as the ever‑popular Gala Dinner.
As in previous years, we are partnering with a local charity so that, in keeping with our values, we can give something back to the community hosting the Conference. Our 2026 Charity Partner is The Great Western Air Ambulance Charity (GWAAC), which provides specialist emergency critical care by land and air to a population of 2.1 million people across the West of England, operating 365 days a year. You can learn more about their extraordinary life‑saving work elsewhere on this website and of course when you meet them at Conference.
We will keep this website updated as details of the programme, speakers and contributors are confirmed over the coming weeks – so watch this space!
In recent years, Conference registrations have reached capacity several weeks before the event. I would therefore encourage you to book early to avoid disappointment. An Early Bird booking rate is also available for a limited period until the end of July.
It promises to be another special event in an exciting year for AFM, and I very much look forward to seeing you in October.
All the best,
Andrew
