Your guide to Care Show Birmingham 2026

Role-based guide to Care Show Birmingham

With so much on the horizon and continued pressure across the sector, those leading care services have big decisions ahead.

Care Show Birmingham brings the sector together to unpack what's coming and what it means for you, your team, and the future of care.

Whether you join us for a few hours or both days, make your time count. Below, you'll find our role-based guide to help you pinpoint the sessions, conversations and areas of the show most relevant to you and your organisation.

View the conference programme

if you're a senior leader, director or owner within the care sector:

Wednesday 7 October

This is the show for you. Explore a wide range of essential topics, from business strategy and funding to operational efficiency, CQC policy updates, and the adoption of emerging technologies, including AI.

Brand-new for 2026, we’ve launched the Owners' & Directors' Forum, designed specifically for senior decision-makers. The new theatre will tackle the strategic, financial and operational realities of running a care business in today’s climate.

Morning sessions

Bold futures: innovating regulation to improve care
11:45 - 12:15 | Keynote Theatre

Between sessions

Collect your leaders passport and use it as your guide to visit key on-site destinations and collect stamps. Collect all the stamps and you could be in to win!
Visit the CQC stand and speak directly with the inspectors, ask your burning questions and gain practical insight into what good looks like
Check out the many different suppliers around the show floor, start conversations, discover game-changing innovations, and head back to your team with fresh ideas.

Afternoon sessions

Driving private-pay growth: strategic insights from 100+ private care providers
13:00-13:45 | Owners’ & Directors’ Forum
Attend the Care Business Clinic to gain key insights from CEOs across the sector
15:45 - 17:00 | Owners’ & Directors’ Forum

VIEW THE FULL CONFERENCE PROGRAMME

VIEW THE FULL EXHIBITOR LIST

Evening networking

To close out day one, join us for networking drinks at 5:00 PM in the Cafe area, followed by the Care Sector's Got Talent finale at 6:00 PM - come cheer on your peers as they shine bright.

Thursday 8 October

Morning sessions

Brand building: how to best market your care service and increase occupancy
10:15-11:00 | Owners’ & Directors’ Forum

Between sessions

Collect your leaders passport and use it as your guide to visit key on-site destinations and collect stamps. Collect all the stamps and you could be in to win!
Check out the many different suppliers around the show floor, start conversations, discover game-changing innovations, and head back to your team with fresh ideas.

Afternoon sessions

Scaling and growth: everything you need to consider first
12:05 - 12:50 | The Outstanding Society Learning Lounge
Policy reform: what do the changes mean for me?
15:15 - 15:45 | Keynote Theatre

VIEW THE FULL CONFERENCE PROGRAMME

VIEW THE FULL EXHIBITOR LIST

if you're a registered manager or care professional:

Wednesday 7 October

This event is designed to keep you informed, equipped and connected. Start the day with thought-provoking discussions on the issues that matter most to your role. Between sessions, hear directly from CQC inspectors, network at the Homecare Association Lounge, and explore suppliers offering solutions, and opportunities to improve your care services.

Morning sessions

Workforce wellbeing: helping care managers feel seen, supported and confident
11:40-12:10 | People & Workforce Theatre

Between sessions

Visit the CQC stand and speak directly with inspectors, ask your burning questions and gain practical insight into what good looks like.
Also take a moment to visit other suppliers who provide game-changing innovations and solutions to improve the quality of care you provide.

Afternoon sessions

Always on for CQC
12:20-12:50 | People & Workforce Theatre

VIEW THE FULL CONFERENCE PROGRAMME

VIEW THE FULL EXHIBITOR LIST

Evening networking

To close out day one, join us for networking drinks at 5:00 PM in the Cafe area, followed by the Care Sector's Got Talent finale at 6:00 PM - come cheer on your peers as they shine bright.

Thursday 8 October

Morning sessions

Future fit: what should care look like in 2040 and are we ready for it?
11:45 - 12:30 | Keynote Theatre

Between sessions

Come along and meet the best business brains in the sector during the informal drop-in clinic session in our brand-new Owners' & Directors' Forum.

Afternoon sessions

Money counts: challenging finance and funding decisions from local authorities
13:30 - 14:00 | The Outstanding Society Learning Lounge

VIEW THE FULL CONFERENCE PROGRAMME

VIEW THE FULL EXHIBITOR LIST

if you're an architect or interior designer:

Wednesday 7 October

If you work in the care sector’s design world - as an architect, interior designer or more - this overview is designed to get you started. It offers insights into designing spaces that support evolving CQC standards, complemented by practical demonstrations from sector-leading designers and architects who specialise in care environments.

Morning sessions

Who do you need at RIBA Work Stage 0-1: strategic definition, preparation and briefing
10:15 - 10:45 | Design & Build Theatre

Between sessions

Connect with fellow care professionals over a coffee at the Café, sharing ideas, experiences, and challenges.
Take time to explore other suppliers offering solutions designed to support your service and day-to-day operations.

Afternoon sessions

Dementia design: what works and what doesn’t
12:15 - 13:00 | Design & Build Theatre

VIEW THE FULL CONFERENCE PROGRAMME

Evening Networking

To close out day one, join us for networking drinks at 5:00 PM in the Cafe area, followed by the Care Sector's Got Talent finale at 6:00 PM - come cheer on your peers as they shine bright.

Thursday 8 October

Morning sessions

Designed for life: creating homes for people with more complex needs
10:15 - 10:45 | Design & Build Theatre

Between sessions

Explore hundreds of suppliers and discover products and solutions that can help you create better care environments, from initial concept through to finished spaces.

Afternoon sessions

Designing dignity: safe environments without restrictive practice
12:55 - 13:40 | Design & Build Theatre
Building for the future: how design can contribute to neighbourhood health
14:30 - 15:00 | Design & Build Theatre

VIEW THE FULL CONFERENCE PROGRAMME

if you’re a senior decision-maker in retirement living:

Wednesday 7 October

We’ve created this overview to get you started with the Retirement Living Show Executive Club. It brings together operators, developers, investors, consultants and sector partners for two days of collaborative learning and high-quality conversations focused on the future of the retirement living sector.

Morning sessions

The future resident: what will retirement living look like in 2035
10:30 - 11:30 | Retirement Living Show Executive Club

Afternoon sessions

Lunch & Learn
12:00-13:30 | Retirement Living Show Executive Club

VIEW THE FULL CONFERENCE PROGRAMME

Evening Networking

To close out day one, join us for networking drinks at 5:00 PM in the Cafe area, followed by the Care Sector's Got Talent finale at 6:00 PM - come cheer on your peers as they shine bright.

Thursday 8 October

Morning sessions

Building communities, not just developments
10:30 - 11:30 | Retirement Living Show Executive Club

Afternoon sessions

Networking
14:00 - 16:00 | Retirement Living Show Executive Club

VIEW THE FULL EXHIBITOR LIST

your to do list:

Before the show

Travel & Accommodation:

Care Show Birmingham is held at the NEC, Birmingham. The NEC is very easy to access from all parts of the UK with easy access from the M6, M1, M40 and the M42 motorways.
The train is also easy, with the NEC being served by Birmingham International Station. The NEC is connected by a covered bridge link directly from the station.
If you are coming from further afield, Birmingham International Airport is located on the NEC complex and is a short walk to the halls.
Don't miss out on the 20% discount for Care Show Birmingham attendees

TRAVEL AND ACCOMODATION

Before the show:

It's always best to have a plan! Take some time to explore the conference programme, review the floorplan, and think about who you’d like to connect with before the show begins. With so much energy on-site, a little preparation will help you make the most of every moment across the two days.

Promote your presence at Care Show Birmingham 2026 by sharing your banners on social media and tag us with #CareShow26.

We love to see the buzz before the show.

On the day & after the show

What happens on arrival?

Collect your badge - either received by mail or printed onsite using your registration code.
Collect your delegate bag and show guide (including floorplan) at entrance.
Get ready to connect, learn and network – we can’t wait to see you this October!

During the show:

Review our conference programme to find sessions that interest you.
Check out all the incredible exhibitors across the two days.
Grab a coffee and network with new and old faces, it's a great opportunity to form lasting relationships within the sector.
Promote your presence at Care Show Birmingham 2026 by sharing your pictures on social media and tag us with #CareShow26

BONUS TIPS:

Leave room for the unexpected - don't pack every minute of your schedule. Some of the best ideas and connections can come from the conversations you didn't plan.
Stay for Care Sector's Got Talent - the fun doesn't stop when day one finishes. Stick around, grab a drink and see some brilliant talent from across the care community.
Wear your comfiest shoes - with 300+ suppliers to discover there's plenty to explore, so make sure you're ready to get those steps in.

After the show:

Follow up with contacts you met at exhibitor stands, networking or at the evening drinks. A quick follow-up message or email can turn a casual chat into a lasting professional connection.
Keep up with the what's happening in the sector by subscribing to the Care Show newsletter - it's a good way to stay connected and reinforce what you learned at the show.

don't miss out - register today!

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Click the button below to claim your FREE pass today. Registration is free for UK care professionals.

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your go-to guide

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Role-based guide to Care Show Birmingham

if you're a senior leader, director or owner within the care sector:

if you're a registered manager or care professional:

if you're an architect or interior designer:

if you’re a senior decision-maker in retirement living:

your to do list:

don't miss out - register today!

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