10 March 2026
Advantage Travel Partnership has unveiled the full agenda for its flagship annual Conference, taking place in Madrid from 11–14 May 2026.
The theme for this year’s conference is ‘Powered by People,’ a programme which has been designed to serve the full community — leisure and business travel alike — through a blend of high-impact keynotes, practical breakout sessions and a range of relationship-building experiences.
Conference moderator Georgie Barrat, technology journalist, broadcaster and former co-host of Channel 5’s The Gadget Show, will bring a distinctive perspective to the Powered by People theme, championing technology that amplifies human expertise rather than replacing it.
The main stage programme will include:
- A powerful opening from Julia Lo Bue-Said OBE setting the direction of Advantage and the UK Travel industry
- A sharp global outlook keynote from Mehreen Khan, Economics Editor, The Times, exploring the forces reshaping the world
- A lively senior leadership debate on geopolitics, UK politics and aviation policy, and what it really means for UK travel businesses
- Future-focused travel trends and industry predictions to help delegates prepare for what is next
- Advantage Business Updates with clear progress, commercial focus and what comes next for its members
- Practical, accessible AI insight with our conference host Georgie Barrat, focused on empowering people
- A compelling session on values-based leadership and inclusive decision-making
- An honest and powerful conversation around mental health and wellbeing of the industry, reinforcing that people are people first
- Across the plenary sessions, delegates will hear from an exceptional line-up of industry leaders, economists and business voices.
Day two will feature a range of practical breakout sessions, giving delegates and their teams the opportunity to deep dive into the topics most relevant to their businesses, with all content designed to be immediately applicable upon their return.
Advantage’s Travel as a Force for Good session will offer a meaningful way to experience Madrid beyond the conference walls. This year, for the first time, the experiences will be delivered in partnership with Intrepid Travel, inviting delegates to step out into the city and discover it in a way that gives back.
Delegates can choose from two immersive, impact-led experiences. The first takes them through the vibrant, multicultural streets of Lavapiés on a street art tour, before rolling up their sleeves with NGO Culturas Unidas to help prepare snacks and food bags for local children. The second heads to San Cristóbal Market to explore CESAL’s hospitality training programme for young people at risk of social exclusion, rounding off with an Iberian ham and wine tasting workshop led by the students themselves.
Julia Lo Bue-Said OBE, CEO, Advantage Travel Partnership, said, “Madrid will be more than a backdrop, it will be a bold statement of who we are and where we are headed. As members, stakeholders and friends of the Advantage Travel Partnership, our community is made up of ambassadors of transformation, champions of progress and architects of a more compassionate, interconnected and sustainable world.
Lo Bue-Said continued, “Our time together will be dedicated to exploring and advancing the themes that define our industry’s future: the power of people, the potential of technology and the profound difference travel can make when it is done well. We look forward to welcoming as many delegates as possible to what promises to be an extraordinary few days, inspiring, relevant and, above all, a genuine celebration of everything we have, and can achieve together.”
