Building the Best Start Together - The Baby Week National Conference 2026

Building the Best Start Together - The Baby Week National Conference 2026 comes to Nottingham Council House on Wednesday 18 November, running from 9:00 am to 3:30 pm. It's hosted by Baby Week Charity and sits inside Baby Week 2026, which runs from 14 to 20 November. This year's theme is Chat, Play, Read with Me: Together We Build the Best Start, and it's built around the idea that simple, everyday moments — sharing stories and songs, playful experiences and meaningful conversations — have a powerful impact on children's development, wellbeing and future outcomes.

The day brings together professionals, leaders, practitioners, policymakers, academics and community partners from across early years, health, education, local government and voluntary organisations. You'll find leading speakers and resource stalls alongside networking time, so it's as much about the people you meet as the sessions you hear. The theme aligns with the Best Start in Life agenda, the National Year of Reading and a focus on speech, language and communication, and the campaign encourages families to play together, chat every day and share stories, books and songs under the reminder that #LittleMomentsMatter.

Baby Week itself grew from Leeds in 2016 into a national movement that now spans 25 regions across the UK. The conference is a hybrid day, with a live stream via Microsoft Teams for those who can't make it in person. It's free to attend, though in-person tickets are limited, so it's worth getting yours sorted early if you're planning to be there in the flesh. The venue is The Council House, Old Market Square, Nottingham, NG1 2DT, and the whole thing runs from 9:00 am to 3:30 pm on Wednesday 18 November.