active-net National 2026

This year’s active-net proved to be a landmark event driving connection, insight and education

The annual active-net National event returned to Eastwood Hall, Nottingham, on 26th and 27th March, delivering its largest and most impactful gathering to date. With a completely sold-out audience of over 150 delegates, the event brought together supplier partners and operators from across the UK, reinforcing its position as a cornerstone event for the physical activity and leisure sector. With its unique format, active-net once again combined education, insight and meaningful connection, offering attendees a curated experience designed to spark collaboration and drive tangible outcomes. From keynote sessions to structured one-to-one meetings, the event created an environment where ideas could flourish and partnerships could form.

Keynote: from mindset to momentum

This year’s keynote was delivered by Dr Heather McKee, titled “Mindset to Momentum: Why Behaviour Change is the Fitness Sector’s Defining Opportunity.” A leading behaviour scientist and Motivation Science Advisor to Myzone, Dr McKee delivered a powerful and timely message to the sector, challenging operators to rethink their approach to engagement. The session highlighted that while the industry has made significant strides in attracting new participants, member retention remains its greatest challenge.

“The challenge for the physical activity sector isn’t starting behaviour change anymore, it’s sustaining it,” McKee said.

The session emphasised that motivation is not fixed, but fluid, influenced by everyday factors such as stress, confidence and life circumstances. Rather than focusing solely on getting people through the door, she urged the sector to design environments that support individuals when motivation inevitably dips.

At the heart of the message were three core principles for sustaining engagement: competence, connection and autonomy. By creating environments where individuals feel capable, supported and in control, operators can foster consistency, the true driver of long-term habit formation.

Her keynote set a compelling tone for the event, positioning behaviour change not as theory, but as a practical and essential strategy for the future of the industry.

Insightful panels and shared learning

Following the keynote, delegates split into three panel sessions, each offering a different lens on the sector’s evolving landscape. The Wellbeing Services panel, chaired by Mike Hill (Active Insight), explored how operators can expand their offering, with contributions from Liz Wright (Innerva), Suzanne Gabb (Goodboost) and Tanya Hall (EGYM).

In the Wellbeing Policy session, chaired by Mark Braithwaite (Kore), industry leaders including Tara Dillon (CIMSPA), Emma Bernstein (Moving Communities) and Claire Place (ukactive) discussed the role of policy in shaping healthier communities. Meanwhile, Julie Allen (Active Insight) led the Data Driven Decision Making panel, joined by Jonathan Cooke (Innovatise), David Wadsworth (Cornerstone) and Neil Tandy (4Global), highlighting how data can inform smarter, more effective business decisions and behaviour change.

Together, these sessions provided delegates with practical insight and strategic perspective, helping them navigate both current challenges and future opportunities.

With three more active-net events still to come this year, along the themes of Padel, Open Water and Scotland, we are really excited to see how the growth of the event series continues in 2026

The power of connection

At the heart of active-net National lies its signature one-to-one meeting format. Across the two-day event, each attendee participated in at least 12 pre-scheduled meetings, designed to match suppliers with operators in focused, 20-minute sessions, making up a total of 854 meetings across the event.

These meetings are where the event truly comes to life, enabling attendees to build new relationships, strengthen existing partnerships, and match real-world challenges with tailored solutions. Beyond the meeting room, the event also fostered connection through shared experiences. Day one concluded with a group exercise session supported by Big Sister, a charitable initiative tackling the drop-off in sports participation among teenage girls, followed by a formal dinner and evening entertainment.

Sticking to active-net’s unique approach, day two began with energy and movement, as delegates joined a studio cycling session led by Les Mills’ Customer Experience Director, Charlton Clarke, before returning to the meeting programme after breakfast.

A growing community

With a mix of returning attendees and a strong influx of new faces, the event reflected the growing reach and relevance of the active-net series. Organisations including UKactive, STA, Les Mills, Innovatise, HireBOB, ReCreation, Speedflex and 4Global were all among those in attendance, demonstrating the breadth of organisations represented and the value it delivers to them.

Reflecting on the event’s success, David Monkhouse, Director of active-net, said: “We have been delighted by the response to this year’s first active-net event. We knew going into the event that it was sold out weeks in advance, but to then feel the energy and enthusiasm in the room on the day was very special. With three more active-net events still to come this year, along the themes of Padel, Open Water and Scotland, we are really excited to see how the growth of the event series continues in 2026.”

As active-net continues to expand, active-net National 2026 has set a new benchmark, not only in scale, but in its ability to connect people, inspire new thinking and drive the sector forward.