The Heritage Network Conference 2027 will be held in Medway
Written byHeritage Network
Published on07 Oct 2026
We are delighted to announce that our annual conference will be held in Medway between 3rd – 5th October 2027.
The conference is a pivotal event within the heritage sector, bringing together over 300 community heritage leaders, major heritage agencies and funders, local authorities, volunteers, heritage businesses and early-career professionals.
The event highlights the work of those involved with community heritage, both locally to the conference and nationally, and so the location of each conference is important to provide a wide range of activities to engage with and learn from.
Izabella Maar, Conference Organiser at the Heritage Network explains:
“Medway is fantastic location for our 2027 conference;it's a place with lots happening across heritage and culture. The well-known heritage in the area includes the maritime history of the area, the links to literature and Dickens, the historic castle and cathedral; but the community heritage is what we're keen to see. With an active heritage development trust, lots of community activity, and plenty to discover, we're really looking forward to bringing the Heritage Network conference here in 2027."
The Conference will consist of tours and visits to key historic spaces within Medway, a plenary session, breakout sessions, an exhibition of heritage sector suppliers, dedicated networking opportunities as well as 3 social events: a Welcome Reception, Conference Dinner and Farewell Lunch at different historical venues.
Each year the programme reflects relevant themes within the sector, such as funding and governance, youth engagement, accessibility and working in partnership.In 2025 the Conference was held in Bradford, and in 2026 it was held in Belfast and Armagh.
Cllr Nina Gurung, Medway Council’s Portfolio Holder for Heritage, Culture and Leisure, said:
“We are extremely delighted that Medway has been chosen to host the Heritage Network’s annual conference in 2027. We are incredibly proud of Medway’s rich heritage, and in particular the passion of the organisations, volunteers and communities here who help bring that history to life for people today.
Hosting the conference gives us a fantastic opportunity to put that work on a national stage, including grassroots projects in our communities, and those being developed through our Heritage Place programme. Just as importantly, it will connect people working across Medway’s heritage sector with colleagues from around the country, creating opportunities to share ideas, learn from each other and build lasting relationships.
We are really looking forward to welcoming delegates to Medway and showing them everything our area has to offer.”
Super early bird tickets are now available to book for this year’s conference (external link) (opens in new tab). Network, Network Plus, Partner and Supporter members get a further discount, please get in touch with us at admin@heritagenetwork.org.uk if you have not received your code
