Information for delegates
We're excited about returning to the ICC, a venue at the heart of the city of Birmingham. Here's the detail to help you prepare your visit, including the conference app, travel, accommodation and instructions for those joining online.
We also have details you'll need on the days you attend, including venue accessibility, registration, prayer room and quiet spaces, plus notes on how we aim to make this event more environmentally sustainable.
Preparing your visit
- Conference app
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Enhance your conference experience by downloading the official conference app before you arrive. Please note the programme is fully digital. To view the platform on your browser please visit https://crowdcomms.com/rcpch26/login
What you can do on the app
- Access the conference programme, including the agenda and session locations
- Create a personalised schedule of sessions you want to attend
- View the exhibition floor plan
- Stay informed with important notifications
- Browse the ePoster Gallery
- Connect and network with fellow attendees, speakers, and sponsors
- Manage your personal profile
- And much more!
Download the CrowdComms app to your mobile device
Search for "CrowdComms" in the App Store (for Apple devices) or Google Play Store (for Android devices).
If you are viewing this website on a desktop and have your mobile device handy, you can also download the app by scanning this QR code:
Open the app and enter event code
- Type rcpch26 and click Enter
Log in with your email address and create a password
- Enter your email address, click confirm and create a password
- You are now ready to use the RCPCH Conference 2026 app!
If you are a speaker
Please add your headshot and bio to your profile. Select the icon in the top right corner of the screen and then 'edit profile'.
- 30th birthday conference dinner
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Tuesday 12 May 2026, 19:00-23:59 | Hall 4
As day two of the conference draws to a close, why not unwind at our conference dinner. In 2026, we turn 30 years old as a Royal College and so we're delighted to offer tickets at a reduced price of £45. This includes a drinks reception, a delicious three‑course meal and entertainment! And because it’s our big birthday, you can expect a few surprises along the way…
- Travel to the venue
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We are encouraging all attendees to choose the most sustainable method of transport to travel to the conference. Read about the forms of transport that have the smallest carbon footprint.
You can see detailed information about getting to the ICC on its website.
By train - There are three nearby train stations, all in Birmingham city centre and all just a short walk from the ICC. New Street station is the closest.
By car - Birmingham is close to the M6, M5 and M42 motorways. The closest parking lot is at Utilita Arena Birmingham (King Edward’s Road, B1 2AA) - you can make a mobile payment on Arrival via ParkJockey, quoting location code 5020.
The ICC and nearby car parks are within the Birmingham Clean Air Zone. Daily charges apply to vehicles entering the zone that do not comply with the zone's criteria. Find out more and check if your car is Clean Air Zone compliant
By plane - Birmingham Airport is the only UK airport with a train station connected to the terminal, which means it takes just a ten-minute train ride to get into Birmingham New Street. If you’d prefer to jump in a taxi, you’ll find a rank directly outside the airport.
- Accommodation
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We have reserved rooms at competitive rates in several hotels near the venue.
Book your room(s) on Reservation Highway
If you have any questions or would like assistance with your booking please contact the Reservation Highway team at 01423 525577 or admin@reservation-highway.co.uk.
- CPD/Attendance certificates
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As of 1st September 2016, the Revalidation and CPD team of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health no longer allocates a number CPD credits to courses or events. The removal of credits associated with events allows delegates to record the educational benefit of the activity through written reflection, in contrast to quantifying the significance based on the time duration of the course. This is in accordance with changes made to the CPD Scheme guidelines published in April 2016.
Detailed information and scheme guidance can be found on the RCPCH website: https://www.rcpch.ac.uk/resources/cpd-scheme-guidance-paediatricians
When recording the activity, delegates should focus on the reflection and detail the following:
- What did you learn?
- What effect has/will the learning had/have on your current practice?
- What further learning or action, if any, is needed as a result of the original learning activity?
Those wishing to record CPD points/credits to accompany their written reflection, should use the universal principal of 1 hour of learning is equal to 1 CPD point/credit.
Certificates will be emailed to attendees within four weeks of the conference following the completion of the conference feedback survey.
- Crèche
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A complimentary crèche is available for children up to 5 years old& throughout the conference. To reserve the crèche, please complete our expression of interest form.
- Joining instructions and booking confirmation
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You should receive your booking confirmation the same day that you complete your registration.
Please save rcpch@wonderly.agency as a safe sender and check your junk mail if you haven’t received it. Please email rcpch@wonderly.agency if you would like your confirmation email to be resent.
You should receive your e-ticket 1-2 weeks before the conference. Please email rcpch@wonderly.agency if you have not received your e-ticket by 6 May (check your spam folder first).
- Livestream and content
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We are livestreaming and recording a number of sessions, including all the plenary sessions again this year. The livestream will be available via the app and then on demand on the app within 24 hours of the original session.
- Social media
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Social Media Info We will be posting on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn stories live across the conference. Please share your delegate experiences and stories using #RCPCH26
Delegates can find us on all these platforms by searching RCPCH. - Nearby attractions
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If you are enjoying a long stay, you can discover Birmingham's amazing visitor attractions, places to eat and cultural activities and more as you plan your visit to the city on the Visit Birmingham website.
- Event code of conduct
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We strive for all RCPCH events to be welcoming, respectful and inclusive experiences, where we value the participation of all attendees. We celebrate the diversity of all our attendees, exhibitors, and staff and will not tolerate discriminatory behaviour by or towards anyone taking part in our events. By attending a RCPCH event, you’re agreeing to respect and be kind to everyone present, regardless of their gender, race, religion, age, sexual orientation, disability or any other aspect of what they look like, where they come from or who they are.
- Visa invitation letter
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If you have a conference pass in your name, you can request a visa invitation letter upon full payment.
On the day
- Accessibility
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Accessible toilets are located outside each of the conference halls. Unisex, wheelchair accessible toilets are available on both level 2 and 3 of the Mall.
Toilets are available on both level 2 (next to Castle Fine Arts) and level 3 (next to Starbucks).
If you require baby-changing facilities, head to the toilets on level 2. Should the toilets require a radar key to gain entry, please speak to the cloakroom staff (for level 3 toilet and when it is open) or security can assist.
- Cash point
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There is a cash point located just off The Mall, near Londis.
- Arrival, badge collection and registration opening times
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Access to the RCPCH Conference is through the foyer on Level 3. On arrival, please go to the self-service kiosks located outside Hall 3 at the top of the escalator. There is a lift available to the left of the escalators which venue staff will be available to operate. Staff will also be on hand to help direct attendees.
To avoid delays, please have your barcode ready when you arrive. If you have not received your barcode please contact rcpch@wonderly.agency.
Please keep your badge safe at all times. If you lose your badge or the details are incorrect, please visit the Registration Queries Desk in the foyer outside Hall 3.
All conference attendees are required to wear their badges at all times when in the building. The ICC security team will not allow access to certain areas without these badges. Please keep your badge safe at all times, if you lose your badge please visit the Registration Desk in the main foyer outside Hall 3 for a replacement. If the details on your badge are incorrect, please see the Registration Team in the main foyer.
Please note that badge sharing is not permitted for security reasons.
Speakers
Speakers will need to collect their badges from the main registration desks. After collecting their badges, they should proceed to the Speakers Room (Media Suite), to check in and upload their presentations with the ICC technical team.
Registration opening times
Due to high attendance, please arrive early to collect your badge and avoid delays, especially on the first day.
If you're arriving in Birmingham on Sunday 10 May, you can pre-collect your badge between 15:00 - 18:00 to save time.
- Sunday 10 May: 15:00-18:00 (early badge collection - beat the queues!)
- Monday 11 May : 07:45-19:30
- Tuesday 12 May: 07:45-18:15
- Wednesday 13 May: 08.00-14:00
Please note you must be registered for the conference before arriving onsite.
"The Pharmaceutical Area” of the exhibition
To ensure compliance with UK pharmaceutical industry regulations (ABPI Code of Practice) and protect patients from the promotion of prescription-only medicines, the exhibition is divided into separate areas. Event registrants are required to confirm during the registration process if their professional activities involve the prescription of, or influence over, prescription-only medicines, and only those attendees will be permitted to enter the Pharmaceutical Area of the exhibition. Entry is only permitted to attendees wearing a badge with a pink strip. Please keep your badge visible so our team can help guide you to the appropriate areas and ensure the event remains fully compliant with industry standards. If you believe your professional status entitles you to access these areas but you do not have a pink strip on your badge, please visit the help desk in the registration area for verification.
- Delegate badge scanning
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Your delegate badge may, with your permission, be scanned by sponsors and exhibitors at exhibition stands and sponsored sessions. By allowing your badge to be scanned at this session/at exhibition stands, you consent to your details being collected by sponsors or exhibitors for future marketing and communication purposes. This overrides any communication preferences provided at the time of registration.
If you do not wish to be contacted by our sponsors and exhibitors you have the right to not have your badge scanned when visiting exhibition stands or attending sponsored sessions.
If you allow your badge to be scanned, you agree for those sponsors and exhibitors to contact you about their products and services, some of which may be promotional in nature. You can withdraw your consent at any time by contacting the sponsor.
- Wi-Fi
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Free Wi-Fi is available in all halls, rooms and foyer areas throughout the ICC.
Network name: RCPCHAC2026
Password: RCPCHAC26!
- First aid
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There is a First Aid Room located off The Mall. Any first aid requirements will be dealt with the ICC security team. If first aid is required, please ask a member of the ICC Hosting team or RCPCH Event Team to contact security.
- Lunch and refreshments
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Lunch and refreshments, which are included in the delegate fee, are served in the main exhibition area.
There are retailers located in The Mall. Any items purchased from these outlets are not included in your delegate fee.
There are hydration stations located outside the main halls we are using. Help us be more sustainable by bringing your own refillable water bottle!
- Prayer room
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The Prayer Room is located on Level 3, along the main corridor as you enter via the Brindley Place Level 3 entrance. It is just past Starbucks.
There will be a section on the Hall 3 balcony that has been allocated as a quiet and wellbeing space for all delegates, this will be signposted. There will also be a section with tables and chairs on the balcony where delegates can take virtual meetings and work when needed.
- Breastfeeding and nursing room
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The backstage rooms in Hall 1 are available for delegates to use throughout each day. Please ask any member of the registration team for directions.
- Lost property
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Delegates are requested to hand any items of lost property to the main registration desk. If you have lost an item, then please provide your contact details to us and we will let you know if someone hands it in. Additionally, you can check with the ICC security team, any items they find are handed in to the ICC information desk on The Mall.
- Pens and paper
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All the event material will be hosted on the conference app and in line with our sustainability commitments we will not be providing pens and pads for delegates.
Note taking facilities are available via the conference app.
- Phones and device charging
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There is a charging facility on The Mall near the cloakroom. This is provided by the ICC and there are fees to access the service.
- Printing and photocopying
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There is a print facility on The Mall, next to the cloakroom. This is provided by the ICC and there are charges to use the service.
Delegates are reminded that we are aiming for a paperless event so please consider our need to pint carefully.
- Seating
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There is seating in the exhibition area and in the main foyer. Delegates are welcome to sit in lecture theatres when they are not in use but please do not take food into these rooms.
- Smoking and e-cigarettes
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If you wish to smoke you may do so outside of the venue in the designated smoking areas. Using e-cigs or vaping is not permitted inside the venue.
- Telephone
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The ICC does not have any payphones. If the query is urgent, please see a member of the RCPCH Events team on the main registration desk.
- Toilets
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Toilets are available throughout the venue. Please ask a member of the ICC Steward team for the nearest ones.
- Temperature control
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Please inform ICC room hosts or the RCPCH Events team if rooms are too hot or too cold.
Environmental sustainability considerations
Here is some of what we are doing for Conference 2026:
- Paper
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We operate a paper-light conference. No materials are printed specifically for use at conference. Any College materials you see in print were printed for other purposes and are present at conference for the purpose of being used and shared (as opposed to sitting in a cupboard!).
We will not be providing printed programmes. We encourage delegates to browse the programme and download the conference app.
Delegate badges will be made of paper (FSC certified). Where possible, we will reuse conference lanyards.
Staff are encouraged to use digital alternatives to display their work on the RCPCH conference stand. We'll have QR codes so that you can access, download and take away key resources in a digital format. Resources associated with specific sessions will be made available in the conference app.
We have gone fully digital with our posters this year, there will be no printed posters on site but delegates can access and download them from the conference app.
We work with sponsors and exhibitors to use sustainable materials and minimise what they, or delegates, dispose of while at the conference.
- Plastics
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We have asked the conference venue to work with us to ensure there is no or extremely limited use of single-use plastic throughout the venue. Water will be available to delegates in glass bottles, and crockery will be used serve hot drinks.
We are also minimising use of plastic in our exhibition hall and have asked our exhibitors to take the same approach. Any new items produced by the College for conference this year are eco-friendly where possible, including PVC-free roller banners and sustainable t-shirts.
We are also asking delegates to remember to bring a reusable water bottle and coffee cup with them to the venue to support us in our mission to avoid single-use items.
- Catering
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We have worked closely with the in house catering company, to carefully select each item on the lunch menu with our carbon footprint in mind (while maintaining a tasty and balanced diet). Our commitment is to ensure that the food served at conference will be locally sourced and seasonal.
There will be a selection of meat and plant based meals available. We have chosen locally sourced meat with the lowest carbon footprint.
QR codes will be available at all food stations and will outline allergen and footprint details.
- Travel
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All conference delegates are encouraged to travel by public transport and avoid flying where there is a reasonable alternative method of transport. Read about the forms of transport that have the smallest carbon footprint.
We have also taken a different approach with our conference courier, and our couriered items are sharing the journey from London with other organisations’ items, meaning we haven’t put an extra vehicle on the road.
Once again we will offer a select number of sessions as part of a virtual programme. This means that members of the paediatric community from around the world are no longer required to travel to join us and can access small parts of the conference virtually. This will significantly reduce the footprint of our event while still providing access to our exciting programme of activities.
All social events such as the conference dinner are located at or near to the conference venue and delegates can walk between them.
- Recycling and waste disposal
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We are working with the venue to make sure there are recycling points across the venue for different types of waste.
We encourage delegates to take the time to find the right bin for any waste. If you can’t find the right type of bin, a member of the catering team can direct you.
- What we hope you can do as a Conference delegate
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- Walk, cycle, use public transport or car-share to travel to the venue to reduce your carbon footprint.
- If you need to fly, consider carbon-offsetting your flight.
- When exploring the venue's city, walk, use public transport or cycle instead of taking taxis where possible.
- Calculate your carbon footprint using the WWF environmental footprint calculator.
- Deposit your lanyard and badge in the reuse boxes provided at conference registration.
- Bring a reusable water bottle and use the onsite water fountains.
- Follow the waste separation instructions at the venue.
- If you can, take the stairs instead of lifts to reduce energy usage.
- When using toilet facilities, please use water wisely and remember not to leave taps running.
- Deposit all waste in bins or at the recycling points provided and use foot and cycle paths on and around the campus responsibly.
- Consider whether you need or will make use of any promotional items offered in the exhibition, if you don’t need it, don’t take it!
- Further resources
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We are fully committed to sustainability as an organisation and you can read more about what we’ve done in our journey towards achieving net zero so far, as well as the great work of the Climate Change Working Group.
https://www.theicc.co.uk/about-us/sustainability/ for venue info
If you have any questions or suggestions, please get in touch with us on ccwg@rcpch.ac.uk.
Contact us
If you have any questions, submit a request on RCPCH Help Centre and we'll get back to you.