The 2026 Freelancers' Awayday
We are delighted to announce that Newgen KnowledgeWorks is the main sponsor of the 2026 Freelancers' Awayday.
This year's Awayday will take place on 1 and 2 of October.at the voco® Oxford Spires Hotel in Oxford, UK. The event has been held at this venue very successfully for a number of years.
Who is the Freelancers' Awayday for?
The Awayday brings together freelancers alongside representatives of publishing houses, outsourced services providers, EdTech companies and other organisations in the English Language Teaching and Educational publishing sectors. This combination of roles within the industry naturally leads to opportunities for connecting, collaborating and understanding each other's challenges and requirements. The Awayday has become the sector's go-to networking event of the year and is open to Freelance Publishing Professionals members and non-members alike.
Networking before, during and after the Awayday
The Awayday has become known for its friendly, relaxed atmosphere and the quality of the professional connections people make. Rather than leaving networking to chance, we've built in opportunities to help you connect throughout the event.
Before arriving in Oxford, you'll have access to the Awayday Hub, where you can browse our interactive attendee directory, see who's coming, introduce yourself, arrange meetings in advance and register our Pre-Awayday Online Networking event – an opportunity to put faces to names before the Awayday begins.
On the Thursday evening you can continue building those connections at the free Walk & Talk and social drink or you can book a place at the pre-conference dinner to get to know some attendees better. And if you can only make it to the Awayday itself on Friday, there are ample opportunities to meet people throughout the day with generous networking breaks, lunch and post-conference drinks.
Afterwards, the Awayday Hub lets you continue discussions, access speaker resources and stay in touch with the people you've met.
Many delegates tell us they leave with new contacts, fresh ideas and, in many cases, new clients or freelance projects.
WEDNESDAY 23.09.26 – SAVE THE DATE
1–2pm (UK time) – Pre-Awayday Online Networking
An online meet-up for Awayday delegates. Put faces to names, arrange meetings and start making connections before you arrive in Oxford.
Included within main-day ticket. Register via the Awayday Hub.
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PROVISIONAL PROGRAMME – THURSDAY 01.10.26
At the voco® Oxford Spires Hotel
5pm – Walk & Talk networking (free, booking required)
Freelancers and Publishers are warmly invited to join us for a relaxed social walk by the River Thames. Mingling is encouraged. The walk will go ahead in all weathers, so please bring appropriate clothing.
Meet outside the hotel foyer. Free, but ticket required.
6pm – Social drink (free, no booking required)
Everyone is welcome to join us in the hotel bar for a relaxed chat. If this is your first Awayday, we'd particularly love to see you there. – we'll be looking out for you and gently connecting you with like-minded colleagues.
Purchase drinks from the bar. No ticket necessary.
7–10pm – Pre-conference dinner (booking required)
This social dinner is a great opportunity for Freelancers and Publishers/Suppliers to mingle and meet before the conference. The evening includes a two-course meal (dietary requirements catered for), plenty of opportunities for networking and, after dinner, a quiz or other entertainment – watch this space for more information!
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PROVISIONAL PROGRAMME – FRIDAY 02.10.26
At the voco® Oxford Spires Hotel
Detailed speaker biographies and session abstracts will be added soon.
9am – Registration, refreshments, networking, exhibition stands
9.30am – Welcome and introduction
9.45am – The Lifecycle of Learning
Opening plenary by Samantha Richter of Newgen KnowledgeWorks, the main sponsor of the 2026 Freelancers' Awayday.
10.10am – What Makes Good Design? A Hands-On Exploration
A workshop by Georgia Styring (Richmond Publishing) and Topsy Fletcher (Freelance).
11am – How to Bump into the Right People: A Few Sneaky Networking Strategies by Helen Holwill (Freelance Publishing Professionals).
11.15am – Refreshments, networking, exhibition stands
11.45am – Lightning talks
1 – Running on Empty? Recognising Burnout and Recharging by Rhiannon Santos (Silva Education)
2 – Marketing Mindset: 5 Ways to Improve Collaboration with Marketing by Laura Hewitt (Freelance)
3 – Why Connecting Personally Matters Professionally by Naomi Moir (Freelance)
12.50pm – Hot & cold buffet lunch (Restaurant & Cardinal Suite)
2pm – Lightning talks
4 – Is the Employability Crisis Going to Eat ELT? by Stephen Haggard (Digital Learning Associates)
5 – The Future of Freelancing: Jill of All Trades, Master of None? by Michelle Worgan (Freelance)
2.30pm – Finding and Fixing What's Holding You Back: Three Ways to Improve Your Workflows
A workshop by Vicki Donald (Vanitas Consulting).
3.20pm – Refreshments, networking, exhibition stands
4pm – Panel discussion
Topic and panellists TBC
5pm – End of day
Join us for a relaxed drink in the hotel bar before heading home – many a great idea has been born or a surprising connection made in this setting!
With thanks to Digital Learning Associated (DLA) for sponsoring and leading the Walk & Talk networking event.
With thanks to Troika for sponsoring this workshop session.
Organisations with representatives present on the day will be listed on this page in due course.
Awayday Hub
✓ Get practical networking advice before, during and after the Awayday
✓ Browse the attendee directory
✓ See who's coming and view delegates' roles
✓ Introduce yourself before the Awayday
✓ Arrange meetings in advance
✓ Connect via LinkedIn and FPP profiles
✓ Register for the Pre-Awayday Online Networking
✓ Continue discussions after the event
✓ Access speaker resources and useful links
Haven't been to one of our Awaydays before?
It can be a little daunting stepping into a new environment, so our experienced 'newbie hosts' greet you and introduce you to other like-minded delegates. We also have a designated quiet room, where you can take a break as needed. Why not read about previous awaydays to find out more?
Venue: The voco® Oxford Spires Hotel
The Oxford Spires Hotel is just over a mile from Oxford train station.
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High quality seated buffet lunch, and refreshments during breaks
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Excellent conference facilities
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Terrace alongside the main conference room
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Free parking (you must register your car at the reception desk)
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Free superfast Wi-Fi
Find out more about the hotel and its excellent residential facilities here.
Accommodation is not included in the Awayday ticket prices and must be booked separately. Find out about local travel and accommodation options.
What do attendees say about the event?
The Awayday is always such a pleasure to attend: informative, well-attended, authoritative, inclusive and above all, friendly! It's an event that has the pulse of the industry, from authorship to editorial, content services to publishing and print to digital.
Meetings such as this for freelancers to meet suppliers, and for all parts of the circle to get together, are very important.
The networking was great ... it was one of the easiest conferences to chat to random people ... the badge and prep you supplied were super helpful and gave me the confidence to engage with people.
One of the most productive days in your whole business year.
This was my first one and I loved it. It was a very successful day and I left feeling inspired and motivated.
The organisation of the day was brilliant and very professional ... The atmosphere is lovely too, and very supportive.
Sustainability
This event is organised with reference to the Sustainability guidelines for conference organisers document, sourced from ELT Footprint. Find out more about the measures we actively take to reduce our environmental impact.
To receive updates about the programme, speaker announcements and other Awayday news, please join our mailing list.