What's happened 

Tickets are now on sale for the Royal College of Podiatry's annual conference and exhibition, Podiatry 2026, together with the RCPod Learning Academy Immersive Day. 

Taking place at the ICC Birmingham, Podiatry 2026 will run on 26–27 November, with the member-only Learning Academy Immersive Day following on 28 November. 

This year's conference has been redesigned to make the most of practitioners' time away from clinical practice, with a stronger emphasis on practical learning, specialty-focused education and content tailored to different career stages. 

A new online booking platform has also been introduced, making it easier for delegates to register for one or both events. 

What's new this year? 

The conference programme has been developed in partnership with the Conference Chair Joseph Spannari, the College's Specialist Advisory Groups, the Conference Committee and Chief Clinical Advisor, Dr Helen Branthwaite. 

Building on the College's One purpose, One profession theme, this year's programme places movement at the centre of the conference, bringing together different specialties to explore patient care from multiple perspectives. 

Rather than following traditional professional boundaries, sessions have been designed to encourage collaboration and reflect current priorities across podiatric practice. 

Confirmed keynote speakers include: 

• Professor Cathy Bowen, Professor of Podiatry, University of Southampton 

• Alessandra Fassulo, Senior Lecturer in Psychology, University of Portsmouth 

• Professor Nicola Maffulli, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon 

A further keynote speaker will be announced in the coming weeks, with the full programme to follow. 

New for 2026 is an Innovation Zone, delivered in partnership with Health Innovation East, showcasing emerging technologies, innovations and future developments in podiatric care. 

Learning for every career stage 

One of the biggest changes for this year's conference is a new three-tier learning model. 

Sessions will be mapped to different career stages, allowing delegates to build a programme that reflects their own professional development, whether they are seeking broad clinical updates or more specialist learning. 

The aim is to provide education that can be taken straight back into practice and applied to patient care. 

RCPod Learning Academy Immersive Day 

The conference will be followed by the RCPod Learning Academy Immersive Day on 28 November. 

Exclusively for qualified College members, the day offers hands-on practical learning through small-group workshops. Delegates will choose two three-hour sessions from six specialist topics, including vascular assessment, gait analysis, ultrasound, casting, immediate life support, and neurodiversity and mental health in children's care. 

Places are limited to maintain a practical, interactive learning experience. 

Why this matters to members 

Podiatry 2026 is the College's largest CPD event, bringing together practitioners from across the UK to learn, share ideas and connect with colleagues. 

This year's redesigned programme places greater emphasis on practical education, multidisciplinary collaboration and learning that reflects the changing needs of the profession. 

What happens next 

Tickets are now available for both events. 

Further speaker and exhibitor announcements will be published over the coming months. 

Links and references 

Booking: https://events.rcpod.org.uk/ 

Conference information: https://rcpod.org.uk/podiatry-conference