UK Cinema Association Annual Conference

The UK Cinema Association is the trade body for UK cinema operators, and its annual conference is where the domestic exhibition sector talks to itself rather than to a global convention audience. The 2026 edition, titled Retention, Reach, Revenue: Growing cinema audiences, ran on 12–13 May 2026 at Vue London Westfield in Shepherd's Bush.

The theme was a fair summary of the agenda: how to get existing cinemagoers to come more often, and how to reach people who rarely come at all. Trade coverage of the 2026 sessions reported discussion of ticket pricing, streamer titles playing in cinemas, and the uneven spread of the release slate across the year.

For a UK independent or small circuit, this is the most efficient two days of the year for hearing what the large circuits, distributors and the trade body are actually worried about — pricing, frequency, the gaps in the calendar — and for meeting peers who run similar sites. Because it sits inside the UK market, the numbers and examples discussed apply directly, which is not always true at CineEurope.

For operators outside the UK it is of limited use unless you are tracking the UK market specifically.

As of 26 September 2026 the UK Cinema Association had not published dates or a venue for its 2027 conference. The event has been held in May; check the association's site in the new year. Delegate fees and booking terms were not published on pages we could verify, so contact the association directly.