George Medal recipient and Thai cave rescue diver John Volanthen to deliver keynote on 25–26 January 2027.
Venues of Excellence (VOE) has announced details of its industry-leading Annual Conference, conneX 2027, which will take place at Wyboston Lakes Resort, Bedfordshire on 25–26 January 2027. Built around the theme People, Purpose & Performance, the conference is open to the whole hospitality community, whether or not they are VOE members.
The VOE Annual Conference has fast become one of the must-attend events in the hospitality calendar: the perfect opportunity to kick-start the new year, make valuable new connections, discover inspiring suppliers, and take away fresh ideas from a world-class line-up of international industry speakers.
But conneX 2027 is about more than simply attending a conference. It is about sharing ideas, challenging thinking, making meaningful connections and discovering new possibilities for the industry. The programme will explore the things that really make a difference to hospitality businesses, their teams, and the experiences they create for their customers.
Mandy Jennings, CEO and Owner of Venues of Excellence, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to unveil conneX 2027, an event we believe no one in hospitality will want to miss. In an industry built on relationships, connection has never been more important. As always, our Annual Conference will bring our members and industry colleagues together to share ideas, challenge thinking, and explore how meaningful connections can drive innovation, growth, and excellence across hospitality. Today, more than ever, we need to create purposeful events that deliver real value and a tangible return for our delegates. conneX 2027 is designed to do exactly that. I encourage everyone to join us and be part of the conversation, the energy and the ideas that will help shape the future of our industry.”
Keynote: George Medal recipient John Volanthen
The conneX 2027 keynote will be delivered by John Volanthen, awarded the George Medal for his role in the 2018 Thai cave rescue. John will share his extraordinary story of courage, teamwork, and resilience, and reveal what it takes to stay focused under pressure, work together when the stakes are at their highest and keep going when everything is on the line.
A packed programme
Alongside the keynote, the programme features a strong line-up of speakers and sessions. Leanne Spencer will ask how we can stay human and high-performing in a world that is too fast, too disconnected, and too demanding, while Paula Rowntree will introduce an AI-powered platform, Eventbid, designed to help venues identify potential event and bid opportunities early. Laura Tatton, PR consultant and AI specialist known as The Ai Lady, will lead an AI prompting masterclass, and Andy Williamson of Welcome Brain will take a deeper look at the importance of understanding neurodiversity within venues. Rounding off the line-up, Jon Reid of Paddy & Scott’s and Steve Jones of Wyboston Lakes Resort will present The Power of Performance.
The latest addition to VOE’s VX Collective of Preferred Partners is Insight6, which will deliver an immersive workshop on customer experience excellence. VOE looks forward to working closely with Robert Southall and his team to transform the way the industry approaches mystery shopping and measures customer success.
Experience Wyboston Lakes Resort
Delegates will have the chance to experience Wyboston Lakes Resort first-hand: discovering its impressive conference and event facilities, enjoying its surroundings, meeting the team who make it all happen and seeing why the venue is such an exciting place to bring people together. With an inspiring programme, a buzzing exhibitor zone and plenty of opportunities for genuinely meaningful conversations with peers, there is plenty to look forward to.
Booking
A discounted rate is available until 30 November 2026. To find out more and register, visit https://www.tickettailor.com/
