Cambridge Speechwriters' & Business Communicators' Conference 2026

You’re invited to the 25th UK Speechwriters’ Guild/European Speechwriter Network Conference, Adjusting to the AI World

Why attend?

This conference is for anyone wanting to learn from leading lights in the world of speechwriting.

And for people eager to share their experience with their peers.

Corporate, Government and financial cultures need imagination to communicate.

That’s why they hire talented writers to connect with the wider public.

If you have to script speeches, Tweets, blogs, op-eds, video scripts or presentations within your organisation, you’ll know how hard it can be.

We’ve had speakers who have written for President Obama, David Cameron and Angela Merkel.

We’ve heard from people working at BP, the Bundesbank and the European Commission.

The European Speechwriter Network has pioneered a format where we listen to top speechwriters, leaders and experts talk about their work.

The present President of Finland came to share his views on speechwriting with us.

Our conferences expand your confidence, expertise and insight.

You’ll get instruction, ideas and inspiration from our speakers and trainers.

We welcome advanced writers, beginners and those interested in developing skills for the future.

We can learn to flourish within challenging environments. In fact, we’ll discuss the new opportunities that will emerge for writers in the era of AI.

We hear from our counterparts in foreign Governments, corporations and related professions

In a globalised world, our most valuable expertise is effective communication in English with multinational audiences.

That’s why we put on a multinational conference.

From the moment you arrive in Cambridge, you’ll be invited to eat, drink and talk with your fellow delegates.

We stay in touch after the conference. Over the past 16 years we’ve built a community that keeps coming back.

Who should attend?

Previous conferences in Brussels, Amsterdam, Paris, Helsinki and Berlin have attracted writers from the White House, four Prime Ministers’ offices, the European Commission, NATO, Airbus, BMW, IBM, the CBI, Orange, Deloitte, the United Nations, the European Investment Bank, Coca Cola as well as the Dutch, Danish and British civil service.

While the conference is predominantly in English, the techniques will be transferable to other languages.

The benefits

• Acquire techniques used in the White House and European institutions
• Get insights into rhetoric from top writers
• Listen to outstanding writers tell their stories
• Have your own work analysed in interactive sessions with top trainers
• Meet fellow professionals from the Europe and the rest of the world

The pre-conference training on Wednesday 25 March will be run by Terry Szuplat.

Terry is the author of the national bestseller Say It Well: Find Your Voice, Speak Your Mind, Inspire Any Audience. He was one of President Barack Obama’s longest-serving White House speechwriters. From 2013 to 2017 he was the deputy director of the White House Speechwriting Office.

The speakers at the conference will include:

John Yorke

John is the author of Into the Woods – the highly acclaimed book about how and why we tell stories.

Professor David Wiles

David is Emeritus Professor of Drama at the University of Exeter. He is the author of Democracy, Theatre and Performance which examines the importance of public speaking in the function of a democracy.

Paul Saville

Paul works for bp. He is a six-times winner of a Cicero Award run by the Professional Speechwriter Association in America.

Justine Bashford

Justine is currently working in the Private Office of the Secretary-General of the Council of Europe.

Walt Van der Linden

Walt is a Dutch speechwriter. He was the personal speechwriter to Pieter Omtzigt, leader of the New Social Contract party, during a time when Omtzigt was considered the most influential political figure in the country.

John Zimmer

John has worked at the United Nations, the International Organisation for Migration and the World Health Organisation.

Kristine Dahl

Kristine has worked exclusively with language and rhetoric — as a speechwriter and communications advisor to more than ten different Norwegian government ministers.

Guy Doza

Guy is an author, TEDx speaker, and Public Affairs Consultant.

Helle Snelligen

Helle is a special advisor at the Central Bank in Norway.

Leonoor Russell

Leonoor is a former NATO speechwriter and strategic communication advisor.

Accommodation is available in St Catherine’s College, Cambridge.

The conference includes the Speechwriters’ Banquet – a three-course meal in St Catherine’s Dining Hall. Delegates compete to win the Fred Metcalf Memorial Trophy for After-Dinner Speaking.

Cancellation Policy

If you can’t make any of our conferences, we’ll do our best to transfer your payment to a future conference. It’s not in our interests to disappoint you in any way.

Bookings will not be accepted unless accompanied by payment and cancellations must be received no later than one month (28 days) before the conference if a full refund is to be given.

Cancellations received within 2 to 4 weeks of the first date of conference will be refunded 50%. No refunds will be given for cancellations made within 14 days.

However, we prefer to discuss transferring your ticket to a future conference in the event that you can’t attend due to unforeseen circumstances.

Get to Cambridge

Air

London Stansted Airport

This is the closest major airport, about 25 miles from Cambridge (40 minutes by car). It is well served by airlines flying from European destinations. For flight information try the BAA Stansted website or contact the airlines directly (budget airlines easyJet and Ryanair operate direct flights to Stansted from many European airports).

London Heathrow Airport
Many airlines fly to London Heathrow. The easiest way to get to Cambridge is to take a direct coach service. The coach runs at least once per hour, see the National Express website and takes at least 2.5 hours to reach Cambridge (often much longer, depending on traffic jams).

Train

There are regular train services from London to Cambridge departing from London King’s Cross or London Liverpool Street. For timetable, fares and to plan your train journey from London to Cambridge, see the National Rail website. If you are travelling from Europe, you can catch the Eurostar and King’s Cross station is a short walk from St Pancras.

By Coach

National Express operates coaches from London to Cambridge.

Accommodation

Our accommodation will be in St Catharine’s College.

Students

There are a limited number of places available at a discount to people in full-time education who are considering a career in speechwriting. Details on application.

Join our Network

Membership of the UK Speechwriters’ Guild or European Speechwriter Network entitles you to a £50 discount on the conference fee.

You can follow the European Speechwriter Network on Twitter

You can apply to join our Linkedin group, European Speechwriter Network

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