Daphne Doody-Green: Stronger Together – why connection matters more than ever

Daphne Doody-Green, CEO of the Bathroom Association, explains why Connect Conference 2026 is designed to encourage collaboration across the bathroom sector, and why the relationships built away from the stage can be just as valuable as the formal programme.

The bathroom sector does not lack expertise, ambition or ideas, but what it sometimes lacks is the time and space to bring those things together.

That is why the theme of this year’s Bathroom Association Annual Connect Conference, Stronger Together, feels particularly relevant. The conference takes place at The Grand Hotel, Birmingham, on Thursday 8th October, bringing people from across the bathroom industry and its wider supply chain into one room.

Collaboration can easily become one of those words we use without stopping to consider what it means in practice. For me, it means listening to perspectives beyond our immediate part of the market. It means sharing knowledge earlier, tackling common problems collectively and recognising that manufacturers, retailers, designers, installers and industry partners are all connected by the customer’s experience.

The challenges facing our sector underline the need for that approach. Businesses are dealing with economic uncertainty, changing consumer expectations, skills shortages, regulatory pressures and the continuing need to improve environmental performance. No organisation can address all of these issues alone.

Our daytime programme has therefore been created to offer different perspectives on the conditions in which bathroom businesses operate. Jez Rose will open the conference by examining behaviour, wellbeing, resilience and the impact of small changes. Rebecca Larkin of the Construction Products Association will provide insight into the economic and construction outlook, while Dr Vanessa Brady OBE will explore design trends and evolving consumer expectations.

A panel discussion will address skills shortages and competence across bathroom installation and plumbing, which affects capacity, quality, compliance and consumer confidence across the whole sector. Rob Law MBE will then bring the day’s formal programme to a close with lessons from his experience of entrepreneurship, innovation and taking a manufactured product into international markets.

Conferences are not valuable simply because people sit in a room and listen to speakers. Their real impact often comes from the conversation prompted over coffee, the introduction that develops into a useful working relationship or the honest exchange between people facing similar problems.

We have built dedicated networking time into our conference because these conversations matter. The purpose is not to collect as many business cards as possible, but to strengthen the relationships that allow our industry to share insight, challenge established thinking and work together more effectively.

That spirit will continue into our Gala Dinner in the evening. It provides a more relaxed setting in which to reconnect with familiar faces, welcome new ones and celebrate the people contributing to our sector.

A particular highlight will be recognising the Bathroom Association’s Thirty-under-Thirty winners of 2026. Celebrating emerging talent is about more than presenting awards. It sends an important message that younger professionals are valued, that their contribution is being noticed and that there is a future for them within our industry.

A strong sector is built through its people and the relationships between them, and the Connect Conference 2026 is an opportunity to invest in both.

Further details are available on the Connect Conference 2026 website.