We've decided to get to know a few of the businesses we work with a bit better and today we speak to Louise, the Deputy Chief Executive for IATEFL...

Tell us a little bit about your organisation.

The International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language (IATEFL) is a worldwide membership organisation that supports professionals involved in teaching English as a foreign or second language. Our community includes teachers, trainers, researchers, publishers and academic managers from across the globe. Through conferences, publications, special interest groups and professional development opportunities, we aim to support educators at every stage of their careers and promote best practice in English language teaching internationally.

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Tell us about the event you are running in Brighton.

We are bringing our annual conference to the Brighton Centre and The Grand Hotel in April this year. Our event takes place over 5 days with our Pre-Conference Events (PCE’s) taking place on Monday 20th April and the conference running from Tuesday 21st to Friday 24th April 2026. The event brings together English language teaching professionals from around the world to connect, share ideas and engage in professional development. It has a really vibrant programme including 5 plenary sessions, over 500 talks, poster presentations and workshops from expert speakers designed to support teachers in developing their classroom practice, opportunities for networking, evening social events and an Exhibition showcasing all the latest developments in the field of English language teaching. The conference is open to everyone with an interest in English language teaching, and you don’t need to be an IATEFL member to attend.

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What did the VisitBrighton Convention Bureau help with?

We have been working with VisitBrighton Convention Bureau for a number of years now. Our annual conference has returned to Brighton a number of times, most recently in 2024, and we are also planning for our 2026 conference to take place this April in Brighton. VisitBrighton have always been helpful in supporting our planning, exploring suitable venues and negotiating accommodation for our delegates. Their local knowledge and experience with conferences and professional gatherings made them an ideal partner to help us identify the right space.

Their website has so much practical information on it which is really helpful, whether you are an organiser, delegate or exhibitor. Our team is not based locally so having access to material about local restaurants, hotels, things to do and travel is really valuable for us. Many of the local restaurants and attractions also do discounts for delegates, which our attendees love to take advantage of.

Marketing the destination as well as the academic content of the conference is really important to us and the resources VisitBrighton shares allows us to communicate vital information to our delegates – many of whom may be visiting Brighton for the first time. We want them to come back to this exciting city and to tell their friends and family about it, so working with VisitBrighton means we can highlight some of the best places for them to go.

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Have you organised events before?

Yes. As an international professional association, IATEFL regularly organises conferences, webinars and events for our members. However, every location presents different opportunities and logistical considerations, so local expertise is always incredibly valuable.

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How was your experience with VisitBrighton?

Our experiences with VisitBrighton have always been very good. The team are always responsive, knowledgeable and very supportive.

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What made you choose Brighton?

Brighton is a really welcoming and inclusive city with excellent transport connections and a well-established reputation for hosting conferences and professional events. Its seaside location and lively cultural scene also make it an appealing destination for delegates travelling from across the UK and internationally. There are a large number of English Language schools along the South Coast which make this a great destination for us to attract local attendees but good transport links from London make this a really convenient, sustainable and cost-effective location for international delegates as well.

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Would you come back again?

Absolutely. The city of Brighton is a fantastic place to host events – in fact we have already booked for 2028 and 2030!

Find out more about IATEFL:
Website: www.iatefl.org
Email: info@iatefl.org
Telephone: 01795 591414

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Thank you!