Fearne Cotton confirmed as headline act; final places available for the UK’s largest free-to-attend event for HR, internal communications and employee engagement leaders
LONDON, UK. May 1st, 2026 – With less than three weeks to go, the Engage Employee Summit 2026 is fast approaching – and anticipation is building ahead of what promises to be the most ambitious edition yet. Taking place on 20–21 May 2026 at Evolution London, the Summit will bring together over 3,000 senior HR, internal communications, reward, talent, inclusion, wellbeing and employee engagement leaders for two days of insight, connection and practical learning.
Now in its 11th year and expanded to a two-day format for 2026, the Engage Employee Summit is free to attend for qualifying senior professionals and features 250 speakers, 120 exhibitors, a main stage and six specialist topic stages – making it one of the most comprehensive gatherings of its kind in the world.
Kicking off the morning of 21st May, broadcaster, author and wellbeing advocate Fearne Cotton will deliver the Summit’s headline keynote: Finding Your Happy Place at Work.
With her podcast Happy Place amassing over 40 million downloads, regularly topping the UK charts and featuring guests ranging from Michelle Obama to Elton John, Fearne Cotton has built one of the most trusted wellness communities in the UK.
A spokesperson for Engage Employee Summit 2026 said: “We’re thrilled to have her as our Engage Employee Summit headliner.
“We spend so much of our lives at work – but how often do we stop and ask whether we’re truly thriving there? Drawing on her own experiences with burnout, anxiety and rediscovering joy, Fearne will explore what it really means to feel good in the work you do. Weaving together personal storytelling with practical tools from her Happy Place world, she’ll explore how the way we lead – ourselves and others – shapes the culture and wellbeing of everyone around us.
“Because real leadership isn’t just about performance. It’s about showing up with intention, creating space for others to flourish, and having the courage to be honest about the hard days as well as the good ones. Warm, candid and genuinely life-affirming, this is a session to start your day – and maybe shift the way you lead for good.”
The 2026 Summit is structured around two complementary days designed to take delegates from the realities of today to the possibilities of tomorrow.
20th May: The Here & Now explores the realities organisations are facing right now – from engagement fatigue, leadership pressures and talent challenges to wellbeing, communication and reward strategies in practice. Sessions will spotlight what’s working, what’s under strain and how organisations are responding to workforce expectations, economic uncertainty and rapid change.
21st May: The Future of Work looks ahead to how work, leadership and engagement will evolve. From AI and workforce redesign to future skills, trust, communication, inclusion and the changing value exchange at work, sessions will explore how organisations can adapt, transform and stay relevant in the years ahead.
With 250 speakers confirmed across the main stage and six specialist topic stages, the 2026 programme represents a genuinely extraordinary breadth of real-world expertise. Speakers joining this year’s Summit include senior leaders from Aviva, Royal Mail, Lloyds Banking Group, British Airways, EasyJet, Heathrow, KFC UK & Ireland, HEINEKEN, ASOS, Santander, Oxfam, JCDecaux, BT Group, Nestlé, Philip Morris International, Jaguar Land Rover, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, BBC, Skyscanner, Visa, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, NHS, Severn Trent, Yelp and many more.
Across the six specialist stages – Organisational Culture & HR Leadership; Talent, Skills & Workforce Evolution; Internal Communications & Employee Voice; Communication & the Connected Workplace; Wellbeing, Diversity & Inclusion; and Reward, Recognition & Future Benefits – delegates will access case studies, panel debates, interviews and audience Q&As designed to be immediately actionable.
The Summit will host 120 leading employee engagement and HR solution providers as strategic sponsors and partners. Spanning employee listening, internal comms platforms, wellbeing and mental health, DEI, reward and recognition, benefits, AI and automation, learning and skills, and workforce analytics, the exhibition gives delegates a unique opportunity to see live demonstrations, compare solutions and explore new partnerships that can help turn strategic ambitions for people and culture into operational reality.
Throughout the two days, sponsors will deliver live demonstrations, product walk-throughs and case studies aligned to the Summit themes, illustrating how platforms are being used to strengthen connection, measure sentiment and drive meaningful behaviour change. Positioned at the heart of the exhibition, they will offer consultative conversations, practical tools and proof-of-concept examples to help attendees accelerate transformation in their own organisations.
A dedicated Startup Innovation Village will also sit alongside the main exhibition, spotlighting emerging software and technology providers redefining the future of employee experience, HR and internal communications. Curated to sit alongside the main exhibition, this area will give delegates the chance to meet early-stage and fast-growth innovators working on next-generation solutions across AI, listening and analytics, wellbeing, recognition, talent, learning and the digital workplace.
Limited sponsorship and partnership opportunities remain available. Organisations interested in positioning their brand at the heart of the Summit are encouraged to get in touch as soon as possible.
With the Summit now weeks away, registered delegates will receive their full event guide, including personalised schedules, session details and access to the Summit app – the event’s interactive networking platform. The app enables delegates to connect in advance, arrange one-to-one meetings, access live content and engage with speakers and sessions in real time across both days.
The Night Summit – the event’s signature end-of-day-one networking experience – will take place on the evening of 20 May, giving delegates the chance to connect, unwind and recharge ahead of another exciting day.
The Engage Employee Summit remains free to attend for qualifying senior HR and employee engagement professionals, offering an all-access pass to all stages, keynotes, exhibitions, roundtables and networking opportunities. Registrations are subject to approval and are not open to suppliers or vendors.
With demand high and capacity limited, senior professionals yet to secure their place are encouraged to register now at www.EngageEmployee.com.
ENDS