Bathroom Association prepares to bring industry together at Connect Conference 2026

Preparations are gathering pace for the Bathroom Association’s Annual Connect Conference, which returns to The Grand Hotel, Birmingham, on Thursday 8th October 2026.

Bringing together the entire bathroom industry, the conference will provide a full day of insight, discussion and networking, followed by the Association’s Gala Dinner and the celebration of its Thirty-under-Thirty winners.

The theme for 2026 is ‘Stronger Together’, reflecting the importance of closer collaboration at a time when businesses across the sector are responding to economic uncertainty, changing consumer expectations, skills shortages, regulatory pressures and the need to improve environmental performance.

Rather than viewing these as separate challenges for different parts of the market, the conference will consider how knowledge and experience can be shared more effectively across the bathroom supply chain.

The daytime programme will open with award-winning author, broadcaster and keynote speaker Jez Rose. Drawing on research into nature, behaviour and wellbeing, Rose will examine how small changes can significantly affect performance, resilience and the way teams work together.

Rebecca Larkin, head of construction research at the Construction Products Association, will assess the economic and construction outlook while Dr Vanessa Brady OBE, founder and CEO of the Society of British and International Interior Design, will explore the changing relationship between design, product development and consumer expectations. 

Skills and competence will form another important part of the programme. An industry panel featuring Steve Collinge, managing director of Insights Retail Group, will discuss the shortage of skilled installers and plumbers and its wider consequences for capacity, costs, quality, compliance and consumer confidence.

The final main session will come from entrepreneur Rob Law MBE, best known for creating the Trunki ride-on suitcase. Law will draw on his experience of turning an early setback on BBC’s Dragons’ Den into an international product success, sharing lessons around resilience, innovation, manufacturing and understanding the needs of the end user.

Daphne Doody-Green, CEO of the Bathroom Association, said: “The challenges and opportunities facing the bathroom sector are increasingly interconnected. Our annual conference gives us the chance to bring different parts of the industry together, hear perspectives we may not encounter in our everyday roles and have constructive conversations about where we go next.

“The speaker programme will provide plenty to think about, but the value of the day will also come from the conversations around it. Strong professional relationships help businesses share knowledge, find new opportunities and respond more effectively to common challenges.”

The day will conclude with the Bathroom Association’s Gala Dinner, which will include the Association’s charity raffle in aid of CRASH.

Comedian Alun Cochrane will host the evening. He has appeared at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival multiple times and appears as a regular panellist on Never Mind the Buzzcocks, Mock the Week, Have I Got News for You, and 8 Out of 10 Cats.

Amy Kirk, marketing and events director at the Bathroom Association, said: “We want the Connect Conference to feel relevant, welcoming and genuinely useful. The programme moves across economic insight, design, people, skills and manufacturing, giving delegates a broad view of the issues shaping the industry.”