LONDON, UK, October 13, 2026: The Accessible Events Show returns to Wembley this October with a programme focused on tackling barriers to inclusion across the events industry. The one-day event will bring together leading voices from organisations including ICC Wales, The Business of Events, Mash Media and Ringrose Law, alongside the launch of new research examining the gap between accessibility commitments and the experiences of event attendees.
The Accessible Events Show, the UK’s only dedicated event bringing together professionals working to make events accessible and inclusive, takes place at The Drum, Wembley, on 29 October 2026. Following an award-winning debut year that secured two major industry accolades, this year’s programme combines expert-led discussions in the morning with practical workshops throughout the afternoon.
New research highlights the scale of accessibility challenges
The event begins with the presentation of Access All Areas: Closing the Accessibility Gap in Events, a research project commissioned by ICC Wales in partnership with The Business of Events and developed with Dr Shani Dhanda, accessibility consultant and co-founder of the Accessible Events Show.
Supported by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Events, the research draws on a survey of 1,000 delegates aged 18 to 65, conducted by market research agency 3Gem in June 2025, as well as contributions from more than 100 venues.
The findings reveal that 93% of disabled delegates encounter barriers when attending events, while almost one in three event attendees identify as having a visible or non-visible disability. The report outlines ten recommendations designed to help the industry bridge the divide between accessibility provisions and the experiences of those attending events.
Amy Phillips, Director of Sales at ICC Wales, and Lesley Whyte, Associate Director at Davies Tanner and The Business of Events, will introduce the findings and explore the reasons behind the disconnect between industry commitments and the realities faced by delegates.
Industry experts lead a packed programme
The morning sessions will examine how accessibility can be embedded into event planning and delivery. Josh Waddell and Ashlea Gilfoy from ROAR B2B will join Gina Kay of media partner Mash Media to discuss practical approaches to accessibility at two major UK exhibitions, Naidex and Confex.
The programme also features the panel discussion From Good Intentions to Accessible Action, bringing together professionals who are working to turn accessibility commitments into meaningful change. Carrie Clewes, Partner and Equality and Disability Rights Lawyer at Ringrose Law, will lead a legal briefing on medical cannabis in venues and at events.
In the afternoon, delegates can take part in interactive sessions designed to help them put inclusive practices into action. Catherine Grinyer, Director of Attendable and co-founder of the show, will lead Stress-test Your Event, helping participants assess their event planning through an accessibility lens.
A session on access services will feature Orla Pearson, co-founder of the show and Director of MyClearText and AccessLOOP, alongside Karen Green of Interpreting Matters and Claire Saddleton, CEO of VocalEyes.
Jonathan Hassell, CEO and Lead Consultant at Hassell Inclusion, will present Is Your Event Really Digitally Accessible?, exploring accessibility considerations for registration platforms, digital content and hybrid events. The programme concludes with Creating More Neuroinclusive Events, led by Andy Williamson, Founder of Welcome Brain Consulting.
Advancing accessibility across the events industry
With more than 16 million disabled people in the UK and 1.3 billion worldwide, accessibility is a significant issue for the events sector. Creating inclusive experiences is both a professional responsibility and a commercial consideration, with accessible design helping ensure more people can participate fully.
Dr Shani Dhanda, co-founder of the Accessible Events Show, said: “Winning two awards in our first year told us something important: the events industry is ready for this. This year’s agenda is our most practical yet, real research, real case studies and real people leading sessions on what actually works. We cannot wait to bring everyone together at Wembley in October.”
About the organisers and event partners
The Accessible Events Show is organised by Catherine Grinyer of Attendable, Orla Pearson, co-founder and Director of MyClearText and AccessLOOP, and Dr Shani Dhanda, accessibility consultant and broadcaster.
Operating as a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee, the show reinvests all proceeds into initiatives that support greater accessibility throughout the events industry.
The 2026 event partners are HSBC, AccessLOOP, Accessible Surveys, Attendable, CrowdComms, EventWell®, Interpreting Matters Ltd, Mash Media, MyClearText, Performedia, Dr Shani Dhanda, Swagable, Silent Seminars and Apple Sound Ltd.
Registration is now open at accessibleeventsshow.com/aes26.
