The CMN Conference 2027 is designed to inspire, challenge and equip FE marketing professionals with practical ideas they can immediately take back to their colleges.
When? Monday 1 February 2027, 9am-4.30pm
Where? Eastside Rooms, Birmingham City Centre
You’ll hear from a line-up of engaging keynote speakers sharing insight, experience and fresh thinking to energise your strategy and spark new approaches.
Across the event, choose from 16 sessions covering the most relevant and talked-about topics in FE marketing, from recruitment and brand to digital performance, insight and engagement.
New for 2027…
- Product/Service Demos – meet the people behind the technology, see platforms in action, and ask the questions you can’t ask in a sales email.
- Hot Topic Panel Discussions – collaborative conversations on the issues everyone is currently tackling, not just listening but contributing
- College-run Sessions – more workshops than ever hosted by college marketers
You’ll also be able to explore the Exhibitor Hall, where carefully selected partners showcase innovative tools, platforms and services designed specifically to support college marketing teams.
The programme blends inspiration, practical learning, and honest sector collaboration, ensuring you leave with ideas, confidence and a stronger network.
Proudly Supported by our 2027 Headline Partner
For the first time in CMN history, we are proud to introduce a Headline Partner for the CMN Conference 2027.
As our events continue to grow in scale, influence and ambition, Prospectus+ join us in celebrating and championing excellence within Further Education marketing. This partnership marks a significant new chapter for CMN as we celebrate our 40th anniversary year in 2027.
How to Book
To book your tickets, click on the button below.
Ticket Prices:
CMN Members Early Discount – £225pp
CMN Members Standard Rate – £265pp
Non CMN Members – £445
Prices are excluding VAT. Member Early Discount Available until 31.09.25
Accommodation
The Aloft Hotel is joined to the Eastside Rooms. We have secured special rates for the event:
Single Occupancy – £121 per person per night, B&B (+VAT)
Double Occupancy (twin room) – £135 for two people per night, B&B (+VAT)
These rates are only available through the CMN.
To book your accommodation at the Aloft Hotel via the CMN, please use the button link below:
Alternatively, there are other hotels nearby, which you can book direct:
Clayton Hotel – 0.5 miles from Eastside Rooms
Premier Inn Birmingham City Centre Exchange Square – 0.5 miles from Eastside Rooms
Travelodge Birmingham Central Moor Street – 0.7 miles from Eastside Rooms
Travel & Parking
Travelling by train: Birmingham New Street Grand Central Station is only 0.9 miles from the venue. Check it out on Google Maps
Travelling by car: Millennium Car Park is the nearest car park – Howe Street, B4 7AP.
Open every day, 6am to midnight. (Car park is locked at midnight but vehicles may be left overnight – charges still apply. Total cost will be calculated at time of exit). Pay on exit – cash, debit or credit card.
Up to 12 hrs – £8. Up to 24 hrs – £11.50.
Please be aware of Birmingham’s clean air zone.
Keynote Speakers
The event is at the planning stage so we will be announcing the keynote speakers in the summer. Watch this space for more details!
Event Partners
Exhibitors:
AJB Media helps colleges connect with prospective students through strategic media planning and buying. With expertise across TV, radio, outdoor, transport, digital and social media advertising, the team delivers targeted campaigns designed to reach the right audiences, maximise budgets and support student recruitment objectives.
Bluestorm are a full-service marketing agency, specialising in supporting colleges across the UK in every facet of their marketing. From expertly web development that engages and informs prospective students to dynamic student recruitment strategies, targeted keep-warm initiatives, eye-catching prospectus designs, and beyond, we’re dedicated to enhancing your institution’s presence.
Cloud Design Box is a Microsoft 365 specialist, helping colleges and other organisations transform SharePoint and Teams into modern digital workplaces. Their solutions improve internal communications, streamline collaboration, automate processes and create engaging online environments that make it easier for staff and students to connect and access the information they need.
Gray Manning takes the stress out of marketing for both leadership and marketing teams. We take a simple yet effective approach that supports you to create the right marketing strategy.
LDA is an award-winning creative agency specialising in strategy, research, content, creative, digital and technology. With over 25 years’ experience, they work with education providers and public sector organisations to better understand their audiences and deliver insight-led campaigns, brand development and digital experiences.
From audience research and positioning through to website design and development, LDA helps colleges create meaningful connections with prospective students and stakeholders, supporting recruitment, engagement and long-term brand growth.
Pathways is a suite of career tools that help students see the link between your courses and careers. It brings high quality careers information into your website and shows prospective students and their parents possible career options after studying on your courses.
Pathways is an affordable solution, set up is easy, it requires no extra work from your IT team and helps fulfil Gatsby Benchmarks and Ofsted’s careers criteria.
Prospectus Plus is a digital tool that provides a sustainable and personalised solution for creating prospectuses. We prioritise sustainability by offering an eco-friendly alternative to paper prospectuses.
Users can create a personalised copy of your prospectus, showing the most relevant content to their needs and interests all in one place. And in turn, creating a higher conversion rate.
Our built-in analytics enables you to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of your prospectus. This helps you to optimise their prospectus design and content to improve overall performance. Prospectus Plus is revolutionising the way educational institutions approach prospectus creation, offering a comprehensive solution that delivers measurable results.
Ribbonfish is a specialist Salesforce Education Cloud consultancy helping colleges and education providers improve recruitment, admissions, engagement and learner support through connected education solutions. From strategy and roadmap planning to implementation and optimisation, we work with organisations to streamline processes, unlock insights and create more personalised student experiences.
With deep education-sector expertise and a practical, outcomes-focused approach, Ribbonfish helps institutions make better use of data, automation and AI to improve efficiency, strengthen engagement and support learner success.
Sorted DM – your one-stop-shop for all campaign and marketing needs under one roof. From initial concept to final delivery, our experienced team is with you every step of the way. We handle everything: print production, design and creative, packaging, enclosing, fulfilment, storage, postage, wrapping, returns management, and full campaign production. Whether you’re launching a new product, growing your customer base, or driving engagement, we make direct mail simple, efficient, and effective. Let us help you deliver impactful campaigns that get results.
Transform how you manage student relationships with Student CRM‘s intuitive, cost-effective CRM designed specifically for educational providers.
Whether you’re a small, medium, or specialist institution, our SaaS solution creates a single source of truth, streamlines communication, enhances engagement, simplifies data management and centralises all your marketing and recruitment needs—without the complexity (price and consultant need) of an enterprise system!
With quick implementation (<28 Days) and ongoing product updates, our CRM helps you hit the ground running with simple, easy-to-use, sector-specific technology loved by our partners & users.
Visit our stand to see how we can support your institution’s goals with a tool built specifically for your needs.
Workshop Hosts:
As we’re compiling the programme, we’re proud to bring you the hosts for these sessions:
Partner with the CMN
If you feel your business would benefit from attending the CMN conference and networking with further education marketing professionals from across the UK, there are various partner options available. Please email emma@m-network.org for more information.