Introducing our 2026 Engage Employee Summit Headliner: Fearne Cotton

Fearne Cotton Is Headlining the Engage Employee Summit 2026

We're thrilled to announce that Fearne Cotton — broadcaster, author and one of the UK's most beloved wellbeing voices — will be headlining the Engage Employee Summit 2026. She'll be taking to the main stage on the morning of 21st May at Evolution London, delivering what we know will be one of the standout moments of the year for HR, internal communications and employee engagement professionals. Here's everything you need to know.

Finding Your Happy Place at Work

With her podcast Happy Place amassing over 40 million downloads, regularly topping the UK charts, and featuring guests ranging from Michelle Obama to Elton John, Fearne Cotton has built one of the most trusted wellness communities in the UK — and we're thrilled to have her as our 2026 headliner.

She takes to the main stage on the morning of 21st May, and her keynote — Finding Your Happy Place at Work — couldn't feel more timely. Drawing on her own experiences with burnout, anxiety and rediscovering joy, Fearne will explore what it really means to feel good in the work you do. How the way we lead — ourselves and others — shapes the culture and wellbeing of everyone around us. And why real leadership isn't just about performance, but about showing up with intention and having the courage to be honest about the hard days as well as the good ones.

Two Days. One Vision. 3,000+ Leaders.

Now in its 11th year and expanded to a two-day format for 2026, the Engage Employee Summit is the UK's largest free-to-attend event for HR, internal communications and employee engagement leaders — and this year we're welcoming over 3,000 senior professionals through the doors.

The two days are deliberately structured to take delegates from the present to the future:

• 20th May — The Here & Now explores the realities organisations are navigating right now. Engagement fatigue. Leadership pressures. Talent challenges. Wellbeing, communication and reward strategies in practice. Sessions will spotlight what's working, what's under strain, and how organisations are responding to workforce expectations and rapid change.

• 21st May — The Future of Work looks ahead. AI and workforce redesign. Future skills. Trust and inclusion. The changing value exchange at work. How organisations can adapt, transform and stay relevant in the years ahead — with Fearne Cotton setting the tone from the very first session.

250 Speakers. Seven Stages. Something for Everyone.

With 250 speakers confirmed across the main stage and six specialist topic stages, the breadth of expertise on offer this year is genuinely extraordinary. Delegates will hear from senior leaders at Aviva, Royal Mail, Lloyds Banking Group, British Airways, EasyJet, Heathrow, KFC UK & Ireland, HEINEKEN, ASOS, Santander, the BBC, the NHS and many more.

The six specialist stages cover Organisational Culture & HR Leadership; Talent, Skills & Workforce Evolution; Internal Communications & Employee Voice; Communication & the Connected Workplace; Wellbeing, Diversity & Inclusion; and Reward, Recognition & Future Benefits — with case studies, panel debates and audience Q&As designed to be immediately actionable.

120 Exhibitors — Plus a Startup Innovation Village

The exhibition brings together 120 leading employee engagement and HR solution providers, spanning employee listening, culture, internal comms, wellbeing, DEI, reward and recognition, AI and automation, talent management and workforce analytics. And alongside the main exhibition, a dedicated Startup Innovation Village showcases the next generation of innovators working on the future of employee experience and HR.

The Night Summit

Great events aren't just about the sessions. The Night Summit returns on the evening of 20th May, giving delegates the chance to connect, unwind and recharge ahead of day two.

It's Free. But Places Are Limited.

The Engage Employee Summit is free to attend for qualifying senior HR and employee engagement professionals — all-access, across all stages, keynotes, exhibitions and networking. Registrations are subject to approval and capacity is limited.

If you haven't secured your place yet, now is the time.

👉 Register now