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Case Studies | 15 Jul 2026

NASUWT: 20 Years of Partnership

THE EVENT

The NASUWT Annual Conference 2026, Friday 3 April and Saturday 4 April 2026, ICC Birmingham.

The ICC’s central location, infrastructure, outstanding transport links, range of nearby accommodation options and high-level delivery have been key factors in NASUWT working with the NEC for over 20 years.

The annual conference is their flagship democratic event, bringing together over 1000 attendees including elected teacher delegates, observers, exhibitors, international guests and stakeholders from across the UK. For this two-day event NASUWT occupied ICC Halls 1,3,4,9,10 and 11.

THE BRIEF

A wide and flexible range of conferencing spaces and facilities were required:

  • A main conference hall capable of supporting a complex agenda with debates, keynote addresses, live voting and strict procedural requirements for decision making
  • Multiple breakout and meeting spaces for committee sessions, policy discussions, fringe meetings, networking and stakeholder engagement and evening functions
  • A large exhibition space for partners and sponsors

All to be supported by:

  • High-quality AV production to support a seamless delegate experience
  • First class, integrated catering across multiple days and spaces
  • Strong accessibility provision, including quiet spaces, inclusive catering, and family friendly facilities such as a large onsite 70 children crèche

Delivering social impact

A central tenet of the brief was to deliver meaningful social impact. This principle is embedded in how NASUWT design and produce events, and for 2026 the aim was to create an environment which actively supported wellbeing, inclusion and engagement whilst also highlighting key issues affecting teachers and scholars.

The event needed to reflect NASUWT’s values - member-led, inclusive and professional – whilst delivering a seamless experience at scale.

DELIVERY

The scale and complexity of the event called for detailed coordination across multiple spaces and stakeholder groups. Working alongside the Freshwater PR and event management agency and other partners, NASUWT and the ICC designed an exhibition and delegate experience that went far beyond a traditional conference setup.

Special features including a Neurodiversity Café, an EventWell wellbeing space, a mindfulness tipi with scheduled sessions, a Soundbites stage using silent-disco headphones and a delegate library helped to create an inclusive, energising environment which supported different ways of engaging.

‘The ICC team demonstrated real flexibility in accommodating our more innovative and human centred elements, alongside the formal requirements of a democratic conference. Their responsiveness and solution focused approach meant we could deliver both seamlessly.’

F&B is an essential ingredient in enhancing the conference experience too: the ICC delivered a varied, high-quality offering catering to a wide range of dietary requirements - essential for NASUWT’s diverse membership. This included clearly labelled options, inclusive menus and flexibility to meet specific needs.

STAND-OUT MOMENTS

The welcome reception featured an interactive choir performance by the Ex Cathedra choir which ‘took the roof off’ – and delicious Bake-Off style treats which went down very well!

There was another very special moment which perfectly captured the spirit of the event. A ‘spontaneous’ flashmob involving delegates, NASUWT and ICC staff and children from the onsite crèche brought real energy into the conference space and created a powerful moment of connection across generations. ‘More than just a fun activation, it reflected the inclusive and human centred approach we take to our events creating moments where people feel they belong, can express themselves and are part of something bigger. This took months of planning with our British Youth Music Theatre, Cue Media as a production partner, Nipperbout our crèche provider and of course the ICC, with many of their staff joining in!’

‘The ICC Birmingham continues to be an outstanding partner for NASUWT’s Annual Conference. Their professionalism, flexibility and genuine commitment to delivering an inclusive and socially impactful event make them an extension of our own team. Annual Conference 2026 combined complex democratic processes with an innovative, wellbeing-focused delegate experience, and that is down to the expertise and dedication of the ICC team. We look forward to returning next year!’ - Sammy Connell, Head of Events, NASUWT, The Teachers’ Union.

‘This conference truly is something special. NASUWT have an incredible vision each year and their employees and colleagues make it a pleasure to work on. The conference’s success calls for teamwork and determination, and we’re always eager to support them and work in a close partnership every step of the way.’

Eve Palmer, Account Director - Live Events, NEC.

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