Our Conference Handbook contains all the information you need to get the most from the event. Click here to read it.

We look forward to seeing you at what we’re sure will be a great event!

Following the success of our 2025 conference, attended by over 300 people, we will be returning to the De Vere Beaumont Estate in Windsor.

The 2026 conference takes place as DCN member councils navigate the complexity of local government reorganisation. They’re seeking to build ambitious new councils that are even more responsive to communities, make use of the latest technology and operate seamlessly alongside other local public services. To make this happen they benefit from the support of outside organisations.

This makes now the perfect time to engage with DCN’s membership – and you can do so via our showpiece annual event. Among the opportunities on offer are:

• Plenary session speaking slots
• Breakout sessions
• Exhibition stands
• Bespoke opportunities such as name badge or Gala Dinner sponsorship.

These options offer a golden opportunity to extend your network among DCN’s membership at a time all of our councils are thinking big.

DCN’s full brochure gives more details on this major local government event. To read it, click here.

Useful information:

• Conference registration opens around 10am on Thursday 19 March with lunch served from around 11.45am.
• Conference programme begins around 12:30pm.
• Drinks reception and gala dinner take place on the evening of 19 March.
• Conference finishes around 2pm on Friday 20 March.

Sponsorship options will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. To learn more or for more information on pricing, please email dcn@local.gov.uk.

Following the success of our 2025 conference, attended by over 300 people, we will be returning to the De Vere Beaumont Estate in Windsor.

If you’re a councillor or an officer at a DCN member council, you can book your place by following this link. Please share this invitation widely with your colleagues.

Our 2026 conference will focus on the opportunities and challenges of local government reorganisation, reforming the local public sector, leading people through change and empowering communities.

Delegates will have the chance to engage with high-profile speakers, including Government ministers, parliamentarians from across the political spectrum, local government partners and leaders from the private sector and other walks of life.

The conference offers a golden opportunity to meet others in our network and find out how other elected members and officers are grappling with the same issues you face on your council.

Useful information:

• Conference registration opens around 10am on Thursday 19 March with lunch served from around 11.45am.
• Conference programme begins around 12:30pm.
• Drinks reception and gala dinner take place on the evening of 19 March.
• Conference finishes around 2pm on Friday 20 March.

Tickets will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis. Tickets are available on our booking site:

• Full conference ticket including gala dinner and overnight accommodation at the conference hotel on Thursday night: £549 + VAT.

Other options are available by emailing dcn@local.gov.uk. They are:

• Full conference with gala dinner but no overnight accommodation £435 + VAT
• Full conference without gala dinner or overnight accommodation £400 + VAT
• Thursday only with gala dinner but no overnight accommodation £250 + VAT
• Thursday only without gala dinner or overnight accommodation £198 + VAT
• Friday only £198 + VAT.

All options include lunch and other refreshments.

Please book now to secure your place at what is sure to be a popular event.

Prospective corporate attendees should contact DCN@local.gov.uk for more information on how to book as a sponsor or exhibitor. This booking site is for member councils only.

Tickets featuring overnight accommodation are now sold out. However, a limited number of day tickets are still available for DCN’s flagship event, which takes place on 13-14 March 2025 at the De Vere Beaumont Estate in Old Windsor.

Among the speakers at DCN’s conference are:

• Local government ministers Jim McMahon and Baroness Sharon Taylor
• Senior parliamentarians Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative), Gideon Amos (Lib Dem), Baroness Jenny Jones (Green) and Toby Perkins (Labour)
• East Midlands Mayor Claire Ward
• Former district, county, unitary and combined authority Chief Executive Deborah Cadman
• Centre for Local Economic Strategy Chief Executive Sarah Longlands
• Chartered Institute of Housing Chief Executive Gavin Smart
• And radio host, musician, priest, writer and Strictly contestant Rev Richard Coles (as after-dinner speaker).

The full conference programme can be seen by clicking here: DCN Annual Conference 2025 – Programme 25 Feb with chairs.

Among the themes of sessions are reorganisation, devolution, housing, the environment and leadership.

There will of course be ample opportunity to network, socialise and discuss with other elected members and officers how they are grappling with the same issues you face on your council.

The event is made possible by the support of our sponsors CCLA, Capita, The Cyber Centre of Excellence for Local Public Services, Inner Circle, Local Partnerships, Norse Group, Penna, Unify Group, Vistry and Zellar, and by our exhibitors.

The parliamentary event showcased the work of specific council projects to support communities, drive growth and prevent ill health or homelessness.

The reception was attended by two local government ministers: Jim McMahon and Baroness Sharon Taylor, as well as 150 councillors and officers from our member councils. The event was kindly supported by CCLA and Capita.

Mr McMahon said the councils in attendance gave him a real sense of being the “glue that holds places and public services together” in their area. He also urged member councils to “embrace devolution”.

DCN Chair Cllr Sam Chapman-Allen told attendees: “For 50 years all of you have ensured your communities have gone from strength to strength.”

On the subject of the forthcoming English devolution white paper, he said that local government’s “super-power” was the fact that it was local.

“For local government to stay successful we need to ensure that it remains local in its entirety,” Cllr Chapman-Allen said.

We’re pleased to say that we’ve kept the main ticket price frozen. You can book your place by following this link. Please share this invitation widely with your colleagues.

At our 2025 conference we will engage with the opportunities and challenges our sector faces, with issues including planning reform and devolution looming large on everyone’s radar. We’ll also examine how DCN councils can devise new and innovative ways to deliver for our communities.

Delegates will have the chance to engage with high-profile speakers, including expected Government ministers, MPs across the political spectrum, local government partners and leaders from the private sector and other walks of life. There will also be interactive sessions showcasing best practice and innovation in service delivery.

The conference offers a golden opportunity to meet others in our network and find out how other elected members and officers are grappling with the same issues we you face on your council.

Useful information:

• Conference registration opens around 10:15 am on Thursday, 13 March.
• A drinks reception and gala dinner take place on the evening of 13 March.
• Conference finishes around 2pm on Friday, 14 March.

Tickets will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis. Ticket prices are:

• Full conference including gala dinner and overnight accommodation: £499 + VAT
• Two days including gala dinner but without overnight accommodation: £395 + VAT
• Day ticket (per day): £180 + VAT

Please book now to secure your place, at what is sure to be a popular event. For corporate attendees please contact DCN@local.gov.uk for more information on how to book as this form is only for member councils.

The District Councils’ Network annual conference offers an unparalleled opportunity to any business or organisation seeking to engage with district and unitary councils.

To find out about the options available, please read our event prospectus by clicking on this link.

Among the packages we offer event sponsors are exhibition packages, speaking slots and the opportunity to sponsor name badges.

Please email dcn@local.gov.uk to speak to the DCN team about how we can meet your organisation’s specific needs.

The event, at Sopwell House in St Albans on 14-15 March, led to 8.1 tonnes of CO2 being emitted.

Over two-thirds of this was from transport. Seventy percent of delegates travelled by car, with the rest using the train. However, had all delegates switched to train travel, the emission of 4.3 tonnes of CO2 could have been prevented.

Only a fifth of delegates car shared. Had half of them done so, 2.1 tonnes of carbon would not have been emitted.

DCN Director James Hood said of the emissions figure: “This benchmark is an important step towards minimising the environmental impact of our events.

“I hope you find this snapshot interesting and I extend my thanks to all our conference delegates who contributed their valuable time to enable us to share this with you.”

You can read the full report here: DCN 2024 Conference Carbon Impact Report

Our conference theme was looking ahead to 2030 and beyond – facing up to the challenges of the coming years, and examining the opportunities that they will bring.

We have produced a short film showing some of the main conference speakers to give you a lasting flavour of the event. You can see this here.

Speakers included ministers or shadows from the three main political parties, journalist and presenter Steph McGovern, pollster Professor Sir John Curtice, AI expert Chris Meah, former health secretary Patricia Hewitt and Dame Moriarty, Chief Executive of Citizens Advice.

Thank you to everyone who attended, sponsored or spoke at the event.

Further thanks to Jack Edwards of South Norfolk and Broadland councils and Oliver Somervell of Cotswold District Council for filming the event.

Sponsored by:

Conference exhibitors: