2026 Customer Strategy & Planning 
(In-person)

Learn WHY we need to keep “Raising Standards in Customer Operations" 

Tuesday 27th April 2027, Grand Hotel Gosforth Park Newcastle

Specifically designed

Our annual flagship conference for industry professionals

Our flagship Conference, this highly rated event is far more than just a conference. Designed specifically to focus on the hot topics within the industry and thought leadership whilst also delivering practical skills with new ways of thinking that will enhance you as a person.
Outline Agenda

Customer Strategy & Planning

08:30
Registration opens
09:30
Conference Opening Keynote
Introduction to get you ready for a full day of learning and Opening Keynotes from The Forum and our speakers
10:50
Networking
Forum Focus
Your chance to meet with other members and spend time in the Expo area. Refreshments will be served.
Join one of our partners for a 20-minute presentation on a key topic.
11:30
Interactive Discussion
A highly interactive session designed to challenge how we see processes, decisions, and customer journeys. By stepping outside familiar thinking patterns, we’ll uncover the hidden assumptions shaping our operations today.
12:30
Networking Lunch
Forum Focus
Your chance to meet with other members and spend time in the Expo area. Lunch will be served. See the menu for lunch below.
Join one of our partners for a 20-minute presentation on a key topic.nts.
13:00
Networking Lunch
Forum Focus
Your chance to meet with other members and spend time in the Expo area. Lunch will be served. See the menu for lunch below
Join one of our partners for a 20-minute presentation on a key topic.
13:45
Interactive Discus
A highly interactive session designed to challenge how we see processes, decisions, and customer journeys. By stepping outside familiar thinking patterns, we’ll uncover the hidden assumptions shaping our operations today.
14:30
Networking
Your chance to meet with other members and spend time in the Expo area. Refreshments will be served.
15:00
Interactive Discus
A highly interactive session designed to challenge how we see processes, decisions, and customer journeys. By stepping outside familiar thinking patterns, we’ll uncover the hidden assumptions shaping our operations today.
15:30
Endnote
We close the day by connecting insight to intent, capturing the shifts in thinking that matter most. 
Closing with the announcements of prize winners from our Expo partners.
16:15
Conference close
Conference Agenda

Community Conference

08:30
Registration Opens
09:30
Conference Opening Keynote
Introduction to get you ready for a full day of learning and Opening Keynotes from Phil Anderson, The Forum on Reset | Redefining Customer Strategy & Planning, Huw Jones & Keith Barrow from our Gold Sponsor Verint talking about how to understand technology and customer outcomes, Victoria Butcher, Aldermore will help us think about resetting ourselves before resetting organisations and Alex Gold, OVO Energy looking at the Strategic Brain and Operational Heart.
10:50
Networking
Your chance to meet with other members and spend time in the Expo area. Refreshments will be served.
10:50
Forum Focus
Join Olanda Katuruza from Hiya for a focused session on Branded Calling and how verified, identifiable outbound calls are transforming customer communication. As trust becomes critical to engagement, branded calling helps organizations improve answer rates, reduce call hesitation, and build confidence at the moment of contact. We’ll explore why it matters, how it aligns with evolving customer expectations, and practical ways to strengthen voice engagement.
11:30
Redefining Technology
Explore how leading technology providers are shaping the future of Customer Operations, and where their ideas are coming from. This session challenges us to rethink how technology can move from reporting the past to preparing us for what’s next.
12:30
Networking Lunch
Your chance to meet with other members and spend time in the Expo area. Lunch will be served. See the menu for lunch below.
12:30
Forum Focus
Join MJ Johnson from CallMiner to hear a real-life success story on how balancing human touch with automation transforms customer journeys and speeds process improvements.
13:00
Forum Focus
Join QStory to discover how our new Back Office solution makes blended front and back office operations a reality. We’ll explore practical ways to break down silos, automate workload balancing, and proactively use multi-skilled agents to maximise your efficiency.
13:45
Redefining Our Decision System
A highly interactive session designed to challenge how we see processes, decisions, and customer journeys. By stepping outside familiar thinking patterns, we’ll uncover the hidden assumptions shaping our operations today.
14:30
Networking
Your chance to meet with other members and spend time in the Expo area. Refreshments will be served.
15:00
Redefining Customer & Colleague Experience
Building on the day’s insights, this session focuses on how changing expectations demand new standards in culture, capability, and design. Together, we’ll explore what must be reset — and what must be redefined — to create sustainable, human-centred operations for 2026 and beyond.
15:30
Endnote
We close the day by connecting insight to intent, capturing the shifts in thinking that matter most. Because resetting is a decision, but redefining requires action.
Closing with the announcements of prize winners from our Expo partners.
16:15
Conference close

Speakers

Phil Anderson
CEO
The Forum
Alison Conaghan
Customer Operations Specialist
The Forum
Chris Rainsforth
Director of Learning & Innovation
The Forum
Ian Robertson
Customer Operations Specialist
The Forum
Dave Vernon
Director of Membership & Best Practice
The Forum
Donna Whyman
Customer Operations Specialist
The Forum

Venue

Grand Hotel Gosforth Park Newcastle
High Gosforth Park, 
Newcastle, NE3 5HN

Prices & Booking

Places are free to members using member places in line with the level of membership. Extra places for the in-person event can be purchased at £625 +VAT.

All paid for places must be settled before the conference begins. A credit card guarantee can be used to hold a place. All bookings are subject to The Forum's normal terms which can be read here. Cancellation does not automatically mean an invoice is no longer payable.

Register Now

Fill in your details to register for the 2027 Customer Strategy & Planning conferences and Awards celebration.