Family Business UK Annual Conference 2027 

Building for Generations: Creating the conditions for family businesses to thrive 

9 to 11 June 2027, Edinburgh 

Join family business owners, leaders and future leaders from across the UK for three days of honest conversations, practical insight and valuable connections. 

The 2027 Family Business UK Annual Conference will bring together people who understand the opportunities, responsibilities and challenges that come with building a family business for generations. 

You can expect inspiring speakers, interactive workshops, real family business case studies and plenty of time to talk openly with others facing many of the same questions as you. 

Creating a family business that thrives across generations takes more than a long-term plan.

It means building a resilient and successful business. Preparing family and non-family leaders for the future. Making good decisions about ownership, governance and growth. Having difficult conversations before they become urgent. And creating the conditions in which both the family and the business can flourish.

The 2027 Family Business UK Annual Conference will create space to explore these questions honestly, alongside people who understand them first-hand.

Our speakers will share the good, the bad and the ugly of family business life. Our workshops will combine lived experience with practical ideas you can take back to your own family and business.

You will leave with new perspectives, stronger connections and the reassurance that, whatever challenges you are navigating, you are not alone.

Why attend? 

Hear from people who have been there 

Our speakers are family business owners and leaders with real experiences to share. They will speak openly about what has worked, what has not and what they have learned along the way. 

Recent FBUK Conference speakers have included Sir John Timpson CBE, James Reed and Ross and Jonathan Warburton, alongside leaders from some of the UK’s best-known family businesses.  

Take part, rather than simply listen 

Our workshops are practical and interactive. They provide an opportunity to explore the issues that matter to you, hear different perspectives and learn directly from other family businesses. 

Find sessions relevant to you 

The programme will include sessions for different roles, interests and stages of the family business journey, including dedicated opportunities for Now Gen and Next Gen family members, owners, non-family leaders and non-executive directors. 

Make valuable connections 

Some of the most important conversations happen outside the formal programme. Following feedback from previous attendees, we are building even more networking time into the 2027 conference. 

Across the visits, welcome reception, conference sessions, dinner and networking lunch, there will be plenty of time to renew existing relationships and build new ones. 

Be part of a trusted community 

This is a conference created specifically for family businesses. It provides a trusted environment where people can speak openly, compare experiences and discuss issues that can be difficult to explore elsewhere. 

What will we explore? 

Through keynote talks, family business case studies and interactive workshops, we will explore questions such as: 

• How can family businesses remain resilient, relevant and ready for change? 

• What does responsible, sustainable growth look like for a family-owned business? 

• How can families prepare the next generation before leadership or ownership roles change? 

• What helps family and non-family leaders work effectively together? 

• How can families build capable owners, rather than simply create heirs? 

• What governance structures work for the way families really operate? 

• How can families approach succession and other difficult conversations? 

• How can a business fund growth while protecting control and independence? 

• What do family business leaders need to understand about AI and new technology? 

• How can family businesses attract, develop and retain outstanding people? 

• How can values, purpose and legacy become a source of long-term strength? 

• What conditions do family businesses need from the wider economic and political environment to thrive? 

The programme will include sessions relevant to family businesses of different sizes, sectors, generations and ownership structures. 

Who should attend? 

The conference is for people who own, lead, govern or are part of a family business, including: 

• Family business owners 

• Now Gen family members 

• Next Gen family members 

• Chairs and non-executive directors 

• Chief executives and senior leaders 

• Non-family executives working within family businesses 

• Those preparing for future leadership, ownership or governance roles 

You do not need to be a Family Business UK member to attend. 

To protect the distinctive and open nature of the event, the conference is not open to advisers to family businesses. 

“An unrivalled gathering of thoughtful, ambitious, productive and connected family business owners.”

Alex Scott, Applerigg

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“I would recommend FBUK to any medium sized or large family business. They are the only organisation specifically working for the family business sector. The annual conference is a great opportunity to meet with other like-minded companies, share best practice and hear from some leading companies about their stories.” 

Charles Hodgson, Hodgson Sealants Group Ltd