What are the dates of the conference?
6-9 April 2027, Pre-Conference Events 5 April 2027. Dates for future conferences can be found here.
Why is the Conference in the United Kingdom?
Since IATEFL started in 1967 there have been a few IATEFL Annual Conferences held in European countries but, due to popular demand, normally this event is held in the UK. We have found that the majority of delegates attending from overseas enjoy coming to the UK to experience UK culture and to practice their English, and in many cases, have found it easier to secure a visa for the UK over other countries.
We do hold other events throughout the year online and around the world, and these are generally led by our Special Interest Groups (SIGs). Sometimes these are stand-alone events but they are often in conjunction with local Teacher Associations or organisations such as the British Council. These can be found on our Events page.
Will I get a certificate of attendance?
All delegates and speakers will be emailed a certificate of attendance after the event. Please note, it may take up to two weeks after the Conference for your certificate to appear. This delay may be longer if you register onsite.
IATEFL intends this event, as with all other IATEFL events, to be a positive, safe experience for all participants (delegates, exhibitors, sponsors, stewards, IATEFL staff and venue staff). In order to support this, IATEFL has developed a clear plan of security protocols for the conference which are intended to prevent and/or deal with any issues which might arise.
IATEFL also develops a detailed safety plan for the event, along with risk assessments, which are reviewed by the venue prior to the running of the event.
Conference venues are changing their rules on delegates being able to bring their luggage with them to the venue. This is to help ensure delegate safety and security during events, and is being introduced throughout the United Kingdom.
The best solution is to check in to your accommodation before coming to the venue on your arrival, and seeing if it possible to leave your luggage there on your last day, for you to pick up after the conference has finished. Most hotels will offer this service.
If this is not possible, then there are a number of companies offering a luggage storage service, usually at a compartitive price, and usually including insurance for your luggage (which is important). Here are some of the companies offering this service in Birmingham:
Login to your IATEFL dashboard (or create an account)
Go to Conference bookings
Click on your registration preference
Complete the booking form
Click Review
Choose pay now or pay later
Click Submit
You must contact conference@iatefl.org to put your change request in writing. Depending on when you make the change, and what the change is, there may be an administrative fee.
Other than for nursing babies, children under the age of 18 are not permitted to attend the IATEFL Conference and Exhibition which is a professional event intended to meet the needs of adult English language teaching professionals. The conference is planned, safeguarded and risk assessed on this basis.
The IATEFL Conference is an event for professionals from the English language teaching sector. The event is not designed, or suitable for children. IATEFL does not offer childcare facilities for delegates, other than for nursing mothers.
If you are planning to travel with an accompanying child please make arrangements with a friend, family member or registered childcare provider in the city to look after your child whilst you attend the conference.
You do not need to pay when making your online booking. When booking you will see the options to pay by credit/debit card or pay later.
If you choose the pay later option you can then make payment in one of the following ways:
1. Login to your account at a later date, select My Payments, and pay online
2. Payment over the phone, call Finance on +44 (0) 1795 594403, please have your Invoice number(s) ready so they can locate your booking.
3. Send a bank transfer to IATEFL, details below.
4. Post a cheque to our Head Office - please write the name(s) and ID number(s) on the back.
5. Pay onsite when you arrive at the conference.
Please note, in the event that delegate numbers need to be restricted priority will be given to bookings that are fully paid.
You can find a copy of your invoice attached to your confirmation email when you book.
You can also find your invoice on your IATEFL Dashboard - go to "My payments" (on the right-hand side, in Account settings).
To request a refund please email conference@iatefl.org.
We refund 50% of your payment if your cancellation is received by us before 24 February 2027.
Cancellations after this date will not be refunded. There is no charge for cancellation of a booking if no payment has been made.
Go to our Speaker Information page to find out more.
Being able to submit a proposal to speak at the IATEFL conference is only possible for IATEFL members.
Some of the reasons for this are:
Submitting a speaker proposal is seen, and clearly promoted, as a clear benefit of being a member of the association. IATEFL is a self-funding, non-profit organisation run for the benefit of its members.
IATEFL sees the conference as a professional development opportunity which it offers as part of its member benefits along with, for example, having an article published in one of its publications or applying to present a webinar.
It is hoped that those who wish to present at the conference are not doing so purely for personal interest, but also as part of a professional community of which they wish to be a part.
IATEFL supports the wider EFL community with respect of the conference in significant ways, by: welcoming non-members to attend, having the Exhibition open (and free of charge) to all, by offering many scholarships to non-members to attend (and for many, to speak at) the conference, and also through live streaming and recording parts of the conference, including all plenaries, and making these available free online.
The cost of joining IATEFL and the subsequent member discount for the conference is purposely kept lower than the cost of attending as a non-member. One reason for this is to provide members with access to the many other year-round benefits of being a member of IATEFL.
IATEFL offers members of over 120 national ‘IATEFL Associate’ teaching associations, reduced cost membership enabling their members a cheaper route to joining IATEFL and consequently being able to apply to speak at the annual conference. Additional charitable initiatives of the Wider Membership Scheme (WMS) and the Wider Individual Membership Scheme (WMIS) make this membership route even more accessible for many.
This policy is regularly reviewed by the IATEFL Board of Trustees, who believe that it continues to be in line with IATEFL’s mission.
You can find out more about scholarships on offer and what each one requires at www.iatefl.org/scholarships
Invitation letters are only for overseas delegates who require an invitation to assist with their travel visa application. When you make an online booking you can request an invitation letter. If you forgot to request one please email us on conference@iatefl.org.
Invitation letters will be sent from December 2026 onwards.