PM Forum Annual Conference 2026
Frontline confidence
Bridging insight, intelligence, and impact
Cavendish Venues, The Minster Building, London | 07 October 2026
Frontline confidence:
bridging insight, intelligence, and impact
From the boardroom to the client meeting, professional services thrive on confidence. Richard Kline reminds us that “Confidence is preparation. Everything else is beyond your control.” Yet knowledge gaps inhibit preparation and undermine confidence every day.
These knowledge gaps include lack of clarity over real client needs, invisible competitor priorities, vague strategy, unclear differentiation, low visibility of expertise, and poor understanding of client psychology. The consequences are board‑level: poor profitability, lack of strategic direction, lost pitches, weak positioning, missed media and policy opportunities, and reputational dilution.
As guardians of strategic intelligence, marketing and BD professionals have to play a vital role in:
- Sourcing reliable evidence to fill knowledge gaps
- Sharing the Board’s vision and plan for the business
- Briefing the frontline on trends, challenges & opportunities linked to specific client needs
- Ensuring that the firm’s website has good content discoverability and avoids an accumulation of low‑quality material
Marketers’ contribution equips boards with clarity over strategic alignment and competitor priorities, increases buy in to the strategy across the firm, improves service delivery through identifying and surfacing credible internal experts to brief those in the frontline, and ensures that clients can distinguish between firms with deep expertise and those producing high‑volume generic output.
The outcome is a boost to frontline confidence – leading to more client instructions, optimal growth and improved retention – and greater respect for marketing’s contribution to the business.
Richard Chaplin
Founder & Chief Executive
200
Attendees
30
Years of experience
21
Stellar speakers
The countdown to the conference has started!
Day(s)
:
Hour(s)
:
Minute(s)
:
Second(s)
8:30am
Networking breakfast and registration
9:25am
Chair’s introduction
Leor Franks
9:35am
Keynote
The rise of the confident firm
How aligning AI, marketing, and leadership transforms confidence into growth. Includes findings of the 2026 marketing benchmark.
Alastair Beddow
10.15am
Fight Club: Confidence matters more than expertise
The debate concludes with a live audience vote, encouraging participation and energy.
PRO: Karen Snell
CON: Susie Pugsley
UMPIRE: Keith Hardie
CHAIR OF JUDGES: Charlotte Green
10:55am
Coffee break
An opportunity to meet the sponsors, catch-up with old friends and make new ones.
11.25am
CMO Panel
The unsung heroes: marketing as the guardian of strategic intelligence
Marketing and BD leaders are best placed to thread the needle between competitive differentiation and client psychology; They become the only people in the room who understand what competitors are doing AND what clients care about; That puts them in front of the Board and gives them a seat at the table; As a result, they can confidently expect greater respect for their contribution to the business.
Ed FitzGerald
Jenni Montgomery
Paul Seymour
Amelia Stirling
12.05am
Morning Breakout Sessions
O
The psychological value of high confidence levels
Topics include: Identifying cultural barriers within organisations; Reviewing psychological safety and inclusion; Exploring leadership through the equity lens; Building resilient leaders and teams
Harah Chon
Neha Sawjani
A
Mapping your firm’s blind spots
Clive Webb
B
From data to decisions
Derek Klyhn
C
Confidence playbook
[For senior marketers]
Richard Chaplin
1:05pm
Lunch break
An opportunity to meet the sponsors, catch-up with old friends and make new ones.
02.00pm
AI panel: Artificial intelligence or artificial confidence?
The panel explores when AI builds confidence (speed, clarity, prediction) and when it erodes it (over-reliance, loss of authenticity)
Alastair Banks
Lee Curtis
Bernard Savage
Natasha Tucker
03.00pm
Afternoon Breakout Sessions
O
Relationships that impact confidence
[Clients, Experts, Board, Marketers, Platforms]
Meirion Jones
A
Mapping your firm’s blind spots
Clive Webb
B
From data to decisions
Derek Klyhn
C
Confidence playbook
[For senior marketers]
Richard Chaplin
3:40pm
Tea break
An opportunity to meet the sponsors, catch-up with old friends and make new ones.
04.00pm
PM Forum update
Richard Chaplin
04.10pm
Keynote
Confidence is preparation: why marketing must lead the charge
Ruxandra Radulescu
4:50pm
Chair’s closing remarks
5:00pm
Refreshments
6:30pm
Conference close
How to Book
Eligibility
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Our Sponsors
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FAQ
Substitutes and cancellations
Up to 29 August 2026: Full refund minus £95 (plus VAT)
cancellation fee.
No refund after 29 August 2026.
Cancellation
Cancellations must be made in writing.
Substitutes are welcome.
PMI reserves the right to cancel
with no liability beyond refund of fees paid
Further information
+44 (0)20 7786 9786
pmf@pmint.co.uk | www.pmforum.co.uk | www.mpfglobal.com
Testimonials
“What a fantastic day, every presentation was engaging. I have come away very inspired and with lots of tools to put into place at my workplace.”
“The PM Forum Conference is the leading industry event for all aspirational markters.”
“Spending time with those who challenge and support your thinking always makes for a fun, informative, and engaging day.”