What’s changing at Therapy Show this year

Every year after Therapy Show we do the same thing: we listen. Not just to the highlights, but to the criticism too. The emails, the corridor conversations, the “can I be honest?” messages on LinkedIn. Some of it is easy to hear, some of it less so - but all of it matters if the show is going to keep improving rather than standing still.

So, for this year’s Therapy Show, we’ve made some deliberate changes. Not for the sake of novelty, but in direct response to feedback from clinicians, educators, business owners and students who actually attend every year.

CPD that actually means something

We heard concerns about CPD being vague, inconsistent, or disconnected from learning outcomes. This year we’ve worked much harder to ensure sessions are explicitly CPD-relevant, with clearer learning objectives and stronger educational grounding.

The aim isn’t just to offer CPD hours, but CPD that feels worthwhile - whether you’re a newly qualified therapist or 20 years into practice.

The advisory board – and accountability

Another area we took seriously was feedback around representation, balance and transparency. The advisory board exists to challenge us, not rubber-stamp decisions. This year it has been reshaped with greater diversity of background, discipline and perspective, and with a clearer remit: to help shape content quality, speaker selection and strategic direction.

Importantly, we’re also being more open about who is involved and what their role actually is. Watch this space as we unveil our new group next month!

Being clear that practical is a priority

One thing that came through strongly is that Therapy Show’s real strength is practical, usable learning. Not abstract theory. Not performance for performance’s sake. Content that clinicians can take straight back into practice.

We’re leaning into that more explicitly this year. Practical application is now a defining feature of the programme, not an add-on. That’s influenced speaker selection, session formats, and how content is distributed across the show.

Theatres with purpose

Linked to this, we’ve worked hard to make the role of each theatre clearer. Rather than broad, overlapping streams, theatres now have sharper identities and expectations - whether clinical, business, performance or professional development.

This helps attendees make better decisions about where to spend their time, reduces frustration, and reinforces what Therapy Show is actually for. It also allows us to better balance practical sessions with discussion and higher-level thinking, rather than trying to make every session do everything.

This also means fewer “filler” talks. Every session now has a clearer reason for being on the programme, aligned with the real challenges clinicians are dealing with day to day.

Prioritising the experience

Finally, we’re placing renewed emphasis on the experience as a whole. Therapy Show shouldn’t feel like a conveyor belt of talks. It should be a place to learn, reflect, reconnect and enjoy being part of the profession.

That’s why we’re thinking more holistically - about pacing, atmosphere, interaction and enjoyment - not just what happens on stage.

We’ve placed particular emphasis on operational feedback with a commitment to improve directional signage (navigating such a big event can be difficult!), session timing, seating and entry to theatres and clarity on printed materials around the programme.

These changes aren’t about reinventing the show. They’re about doing what we said we would do: listening carefully, being honest about what works and what doesn’t, and continually improving something that exists to serve the profession.