Join the national conversation around the education estate!
Education Estates® 2026 took place on 20–21 October 2026 at Manchester Central, comprising a multi-stream conference, an exhibition showcasing innovative solutions and an awards ceremony celebrating excellence in the sector. The event focuses on educational infrastructure: the funding, design, build, maintenance and management of schools, colleges and universities.
Education Estates® is the UK’s leading event for education infrastructure. Delivered in partnership with the Department for Education, it brings together the organisations shaping and delivering learning environments across the UK.
From 2027, Education Estates® will move to Excel London. The same event. A new location.
Register you interest below to keep up to date with Education Estates®
Key dates and future announcements can be viewed in the timeline below. Or get involved!
2026 Statistics
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Keep Up to Date with Education Estates®
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Education Estates® In Focus
18 March 2027
The Spring Conversation around the Education Estate
Education Estates® in Focus takes place on 18 March 2027 in the Platinum Suite at ExCeL London. It is a must-attend event for anyone navigating these three critical areas and looking for practical ideas, strategic thinking and meaningful discussion.
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Education Estates®
5-6 October 2027Join the national conversation around the education estate
Education Estates® is the UK’s leading event for education infrastructure. Delivered in partnership with the Department for Education, it brings together the organisations shaping and delivering learning environments across the UK. -
Education Estates® Awards
5 October 2027
Celebrating Excellence & Achievement in Education
The Awards celebrate those who are shaping the future of learning environments through innovation, development, and outstanding achievements.
Hear what people think...
A delightful event of knowledge sharing, with fantastic talks balanced by a good selection of product & services exhibits, all expertly brought together by the excellent STEP CONNECT2 team in the amazing Manchester conference venue.
Education Estates® is my top choice of any educational event. As an Estates & Facilities Manager working in the Education Sector, it is solely focused on the requirements of my specific role. The organised sessions are plentiful and relevant and the speakers are all highly knowledgeable and have demonstrable experience in their respective fields. I always come away having gained invaluable knowledge and plenty of new contacts - would highly recommend this event.
We left with a lot of qualified leads and immediate meetings in the diary. In the last day alone, new connections have already turned into real opportunities to expand our reach. We are now lining up trials with national installers and presenting to a major academy trust about detection and air quality.
It was an inspiring few days connecting with educators, designers, and innovators who share our vision for healthier, happier learning environments.
Education Estates®, is always a brilliant opportunity to meet new people, reconnect with old friends, and have meaningful conversations about how we continue to improve and invest in the school estate — and do so sustainably. This year was exceptional!
The Education Estates® event in Manchester was a real information overload, in the best way! It was fantastic to connect with fellow estates professionals and hear directly from DfE officials on the hot topics shaping our sector.
I’ve been attending Education Estates for more than five years and bringing my team along too. It’s great CPD with opportunities to hear the latest thinking from DfE and to learn from all areas of those who manage, work in, design and plan education estates. It’s always equal parts inspiring and exhausting (in a good way), trying to cram in as much as possible, catch up with contacts from elsewhere in the country, talk with some great contractors that we’ve worked with on various projects over the years and explore the huge marketplace of suppliers. The team comes away brimming with ideas (and goodies) that we share on the train journey home as well as in the ensuing weeks and months.
We’re really delighted that EBDOG will be part of the event too this year providing a chance for more face to face engagement with estates colleagues in other local authorities who are dealing with the same challenges as us














