Women in Business Forum 2026

Now in its third year, the Women in Business Forum brings together women from across industries for a half-day dedicated to something that's often in short supply: time to think about what's next.

So whether you’re building a business, preparing for a bigger leadership role, navigating a new field, or working out whether the career you've built is still the one you want, this year’s Forum gives you the space and support to work on your next move, on your own terms.

Who Is The WIBF2026 For?

One of the strengths of the Forum is that everyone comes with something slightly different in mind - for example, you could be:

Starting ... a business, a new role, a new skill.

Growing ... your confidence, influence, or a client base.

Changing ... your career direction, leadership style, priorities.

Leading ... people, projects, organisations (or more likely, all three).

Rebuilding ... momentum after maternity leave, confidence after redundancy, or balance after years of saying yes to everything.

What You Can Expect:

This year, we've built the programme around a simple idea: bring the challenge, decision or ambition you're currently working on, and the Forum will provide the structure and conversation to help you move it forward.

We'll begin the day with an honest in-conversation featuring two accomplished business leaders, sharing the decisions, setbacks and moments that shaped their careers (including the parts that rarely make it onto LinkedIn). Their stories will set the scene for the conversations that follow, as you move into three expert-guided workshops.

Throughout these interactive activities, you'll have the opportunity to explore your own challenge alongside women approaching very different situations - sharing experiences, testing ideas and hearing perspectives that might never have crossed your path otherwise.

We'll then round off the Forum over lunch, giving you the chance to continue the conversation: revisit the idea you didn't quite finish exploring, swap details with a new connection, or simply compare notes before heading back to the day-to-day.

Join Suna Marfé, Executive Director at South Thames Colleges Group, in conversation with Lucy Kane, Owner and co-founder, Time & Leisure Magazine, for an inspiring and thought-provoking session.

Through personal stories, honest reflections and practical insights, Suna will share her remarkable journey, from arriving in the UK from Bosnia and Herzegovina during the war, to building a successful career as a senior leader, entrepreneur and advocate for lifelong learning.

Suna will explore how embracing individuality, recognising personal strengths, building resilience and continuously developing new skills have shaped her career. Attendees will leave with actionable takeaways to support their own professional growth, greater confidence in their unique potential and a renewed focus on the skills and mindset that can help them thrive in their careers and beyond.

Alongside the main conversation, this year's WIB Forum brings together breakout workshops, led by three facilitators, each with a different background and area of expertise, ready to share honest, practical strategies grounded in real experience. Come with a challenge you are working through - you will have the chance to dig into it, gain fresh perspective, and share with other women in business facing similar hurdles.

In today's fast paced world, we are still striving for perfection, whether personally or professionally. Platforms such as Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok regularly push rose tinted stories, with the truth somewhat hidden. We are all guilty of saying, "Yes, I'm fine" when actually there are most probably a myriad of anxieties at the forefront of our mind. In the professional world, it is also increasingly common to focus on "what went wrong" rather than celebrating success.
In this workshop, we will focus on success and failure. We will work on recent successful outcomes which may have been diminished by plans for improvement, how to reframe these as a success story, defining how to share this success to highlight your talents and value.
Katie Lovatt will draw on her own experience working with both small and large corporations where she has run workshops and events to make this an interactive forum in which participants can consider their own strengths and highlight these to boost their own visibility.

Whether you're negotiating a client contract, pricing your services, or asking for a pay rise, how you value yourself shapes how others value you. This workshop tackles the well-documented pattern of women under-negotiating and under-pricing relative to their male peers - and gives you the tools to change that. Drawing on her extensive experience in HR and workplace culture, Sandra Porter will share a practical framework for negotiating with clarity and confidence.
In just 30 minutes, you will uncover:
• How to price your services and negotiate salary without second-guessing your worth
• Practical scripts and strategies for high-stakes conversations
• Ways to reframe negotiation as a strength, not a confrontation

Motivation isn't just about pushing harder — for women balancing the demands of leadership, business and everything in between, it's about finding what genuinely sustains you. This workshop explores how to stay motivated without running on empty, and why joy at work isn't a luxury but a driver of real, lasting performance. Drawing on her experience in communication and leadership, Jude Faultless will share practical, honest strategies for building resilience and reconnecting with what energises you.
In this session, you will learn:
• How to recognise and interrupt the patterns that lead to depletion, not just burnout
• Practical ways to boost motivation and build resilience without relying on sheer willpower
• Simple tools to bring more joy and purpose into your everyday work

Why are we organising this event?

The importance of women in business in the UK cannot be overstated. Despite facing numerous challenges, women in business continue to break barriers and redefine leadership. From driving economic growth and innovation to enhancing corporate performance and fostering social equality, the contributions of women are vital.

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We strive to host inclusive, accessible events that enable all individuals, including individuals with disabilities, to engage fully. To request an accommodation or for inquiries about accessibility, please contact the Kingston Chamber of Commerce team at [email protected].

Don't miss out on this valuable event! Spaces for our Women in Business events are high in demand and limited, so do book early to avoid disappointment.

Cancellation policy: In the event you need to cancel your reservation, please cancel within 48 hours in order to receive a refund.

Info: The first part of the gathering is dedicated to networking, where you can mingle and engage in conversations with new and familiar contacts. Our team will be on-site to help you with introductions.

Info: An inspiring "In Conversation" feature with a headline guest speaker

Info: Time and space designed to spark genuine, lasting connections

Info: A seasonal lunch to close the day, with a Celebratory Glass of Prosecco to toast the women in the room

Event venue & nearby stays

DoubleTree by Hilton, 1 Skerne Road, Kingston upon Thames, United Kingdom

Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.

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