Sector calendar
The association sector's events calendar
Every fixture a UK membership professional should know about: the conferences, the awards nights and the supplier days, with dates verified against the organisers' own listings. We cover the ones that matter and say why.
Coming up
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24 September 2026
Memcom Excellence Awards 2026
The membership sector’s main awards night, covering professional bodies, trade associations and membership charities. The 2026 shortlist was announced in July. Our preview
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13 October 2026
Membership Solutions Day
A supplier-focused day from the MemberWise Network: short demos and procurement conversations rather than conference theatre.
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19 November 2026
Membership Excellence 2026 (#MX2026)
The UK sector’s national membership conference and exhibition: 30-plus speakers, the supplier hall, and the year’s biggest single gathering of membership professionals. Our preview
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6 May 2027
Digital Excellence Conference & Exhibition 2027
The digital counterpart to MX, built around the themes of the annual Digital Excellence Report.
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25 November 2027
Membership Excellence Conference & Exhibition 2027
Next year’s edition of the national conference, already dated.
The annual rhythm
The sector's calendar has a settled shape. February belongs to the trade association awards, September to Memcom and the TAF conference, November to MemberWise's national conference. Plan budgets, entries and board away-days around it.
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February
Trade Association Awards
The trade association sector’s awards. The 2026 edition drew 400 people to the London Marriott Grosvenor Square on 26 February. What the 2026 winners tell us
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September
Best Practice Exchange
TAF’s annual conference for trade association staff, built around peer case studies.
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September
Memcom Excellence Awards
Annual; the shortlist lands in early July and the ceremony follows in late September.
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November
Membership Excellence (MX)
The national membership conference and exhibition.
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May
Digital Excellence (DX)
Biennial in recent years; next edition May 2027.
Beyond the UK
Two international fixtures shape UK thinking even at a distance: ASAE's Annual Meeting each August sets the American agenda the UK sector reads against, and Sidecar's digitalNow has become the reference point for association AI practice. Dates for both are announced on the organisers' sites.