Heritage Day: The Heritage Alliance’s Annual Conference
Heritage Day is the Heritage Alliance’s long-running annual conference, which brings the heritage sector together to network, learn, and collaborate.
In addition to panels, presentations, and workshops, it hosts our celebration of the year’s Heritage Heroes, and often provides platform for government ministers to make significant policy announcements regarding heritage and culture. Heritage Day aims to foster new connections across the sector – from charities to government departments, academia, funding bodies, commercial organisations, and more – to inspire fresh thinking and cooperation on shared goals.
Our aim is to provide an opportunity for delegates to come together, exchange ideas, gain skills, and drive positive change.
Heritage Day 2024: The Power of Collaboration
Booking for Heritage Day 2024 is now live! The event is a leading annual sector conference, run by the Heritage Alliance for over 10 years. It offers heritage leaders, staff, and volunteers a unique forum to hear from decision-makers, gain skills, and foster connections. The conference generates sector-wide interest, attracting attendees from charities, government departments, academia, funding bodies, and commercial organisations.
Our theme for 2024 is ‘The Power of Collaboration’, shining a light on how the UK heritage sector thrives through collective action – sharing ideas and capabilities to amplify voices, tackle challenges, spark creativity, and drive impact and innovation. The day will include a full programme of panels, presentations, and workshops for both virtual and in-person attendees. We will announce the winners of our annual Ecclesiastical Heritage Heroes Awards, which recognise the incredible contribution of volunteers the the heritage sector.
This year’s Heritage Day will be held on Thursday 7th March (09:00-19:00), using a hybrid format: hosted in-person at St John’s Church, Waterloo (London), and live-streamed for virtual delegates. Tickets are now on sale via our EventBrite platform. Whether you’re a veteran or first-timer, we encourage you to come along to #HeritageDay2024 and hear about the latest sector developments, resources, and partnerships. Get inspired, informed, and connected to help drive positive change in heritage through collaboration!
Heritage Day 2024 is open to all those with an interest in heritage through the generous support of Ecclesiastical Insurance (our Corporate Partner), Farcroft Restorations Group (our Headline Sponsor), and our Programme Sponsors (Minerva, UK Heritage Pulse, The Architectural Heritage Fund, and Direct Access).
The mixture of industry experts and rising professionals was really amazing.Heritage Day 2023 Attendee
Heritage Day Archive
Heritage Day 2023 brought together leading voices from across our membership and the wider heritage sector in two parts, 1st & 2nd March 2023 (virtual and in person). We brought together keynote speakers - including the Heritage Minister Lord Parkinson, Chair of the National Trust René Olivieri, and our CEO Lizzie Glithero-West - and fostered connection through a series of interactive breakout sessions with sector experts and brought together heritage professionals to network, discuss issues, find solutions and gather valuable insight.
It was also our 20th Anniversary Year, and Heritage Day 2023 concluded with the opportunity for reflection and celebration of the sector’s collective achievements at our dinner that rounded off the event.
At each Heritage Day we announce the winners of our annual Ecclesiastical's Heritage Heroes Awards, which recognise the incredible contribution of volunteers in the heritage sector each year. You can read about the winners and more at our Reflections & Resources page .
Heritage Day 2021 was our first ever virtual Heritage Day, held over two mornings via Zoom. 
Heritage Day 2019, which was postponed due to circumstances around the 2019 election, was held on 26 February 2020 at the stunning Tower of London. Attendees joined our Chair Peter Ainsworth, Nigel Huddleston MP, the new DCMS Minister for Sport, Tourism and Heritage, and Sir Tim Laurence, Chair of English Heritage, along with a list of other eminent speakers.
Heritage Day 2018 was held in London’s Grade-I listed Queen Mary Undercroft at the magnificent Old Royal Naval College [Alliance member], sponsored by Ecclesiastical Insurance Group. The event gathered many of the leaders of the British independent heritage sector, together with Michael Ellis, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Arts, Heritage and Tourism, Chair Loyd Grossman and Hilary McGrady, the new National Trust Director-General, as well as other important speakers.
The Heritage Minister, John Glen, chose The Heritage Alliance’s 2017 Heritage Day to launch his Heritage Statement. The Minister also said ‘ I commend the work of the Heritage Alliance. We are very fortunate to have Loyd, Lizzie and the rest of the team doing the great work that they do for our heritage and for the heritage sector’ read the Minister’s speech’.
The Heritage Alliance’s 2016 Heritage Day was held in London’s spectacular Grade-II* listed Freemason’s Hall, built 1927–1932 as a memorial to the Freemasons who died in the First World War. Our Chairman Loyd Grossman CBE, Lord Ashton of Hyde (DCMS Lords Minister),Dame Helen Ghosh, Director General of the National Trust and others explored the challenges and opportunities facing the heritage sector.
Heritage Day 2015 took place in the magnificent Christ Church, Spitalfields. Lloyd Grossman, Chair of the Alliance’s message was to ‘turn up the volume’, be less reticent and more forceful in making the case. Sir Laurie Magnus, Chairman of Historic England, noted the extraordinarily high levels of participation in heritage in the UK then launched the fourteenth edition of 
Heritage Day 2014 was held at the Glaziers’ Hall. The morning gave members the opportunity to hear and question Deborah Lamb, Head of Government Advice at English Heritage, on the proposals for the new English Heritage model. Sir Philip Mawer, Chairman of the Allchurches Trust gave a presentation on the grant making policy and future strategy of the Trust.