BFI FAN CON
from 7 to 9 September 2026
at Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle.
Early bird tickets are now available!
Explore BFI FAN CON 2026
Cinemas, film festivals, and exhibitors of all kinds from across the UK will gather there for BFI FAN CON to foster new connections, draw inspiration from exciting FAN projects, and develop actionable strategies for reaching and engaging audiences.
The programme will include case studies, workshops and panels from a diverse range of BFI FAN organisations who responded to our Open Call, alongside speakers from the wider cultural sector.
Together, they’ll share fresh, practical ideas spanning data‑driven decision‑making, Green Cinema initiatives, community‑led exhibition, youth engagement, VR and international inspiration. Delegates can explore new approaches to audience care, marketing and AI, as well as sessions that demystify policy and funding. It’s a lively mix of real‑world examples, skills‑building and big‑picture thinking designed to spark new ways of working.
More details about the programme will be announced in the coming weeks.
After the first BFI FAN CON in Belfast, we were thrilled that 99% of those who attended said they would recommend the event to their colleagues. You can read more about what they gained from the experience in the testimonials section.
BFI FAN CON aims to leave you feeling inspired, equipped with fresh ideas, and motivated to collaborate and innovate. If you’re passionate about your work in film exhibition, we hope you’ll join us!
You can save up to £35 with an Early Bird ticket that are available now until Wednesday 27 May – or until they’re all gone!
Who can attend?
BFI FAN CON is for all types of Film Audience Network exhibitors, from small community cinemas and touring collectives right up to large multi-screen independent cinemas and landmark film festivals. The event is for anyone working or volunteering in any film exhibition role at a FAN member organisation, and at any level of their career.
We hope that a wide range of venues, large and small, from all over the UK will send delegates to BFI FAN CON. We’d like to see people who work in many different areas of film exhibition, from audience development, front-of-house, programming, operations, leadership positions, marketing and more.
Freelancers: There is a limited number of Freelancer Tickets available for freelancers who aren’t a FAN member but who are currently working on a project with a FAN member, have worked on a project with a FAN member in the last 12 months, are collaborating on the BFI FAN Spotlight project or are working on a Cross-FAN Champion Area.
If you’re not sure whether you’re eligible to attend, send an email to [email protected] before you book and we’ll be able to help.
Schedule Overview
Monday 7 September
18:00 – Opening reception & a special screening at Tyneside Cinema
Tuesday 8 September
09:00-17:00 – Conference Day 1, Tyneside Cinema
19:00 – Conference Dinner (Location TBC)
Wednesday 9 September
09:00-17:00 – Conference Day 2, Tyneside Cinema
Evening: There will be a group activity for those who are staying in Newcastle a little longer. (Location TBC)
Testimonials
“I enjoyed the wide range of topics addressed, I came away from each session feeling I had learned something new.”
“The networking opportunities exceeded my expectations – I arrived knowing no one and left with a list of potential collaborators, fulfilling my hope to build relationships within the industry.”
“The conference really deepened and broadened my knowledge of the exhibition sector.”
“It is helpful to hear the challenges faced by other similar organisations and how they deal with them – it can sometimes feel like we are working in a vacuum, so it is great to be re-energised and know we are not isolated.”
Accessibility
Tyneside Cinema has step‑free access to all public floors via lift, and all screens and event spaces are wheelchair accessible. You can explore the venue in advance and find detailed access information, including doorway widths, accessible toilet locations, information on their headphone system, on the Tyneside Cinema website, along with a Matterport walk‑through of the building.
A quiet room at Tyneside Cinema will be available throughout the event.
Please let us know if you have any accessibility requirements in your online registration. We will provide live captions for all sessions, and sessions will be recorded and circulated to attendees afterwards (with captions). Transcription and BSL interpretation can be provided for sessions.
Plain text/large print versions of our event schedules are available on request.
If you have any other needs or queries about access, please email us at: [email protected]
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Train: You can search for and book combined train tickets on thetrainline.com.
Bus: There are many coach and bus options, with operators including National Express, Megabus, and FlixBus UK, travelling direct from many areas in the UK. Most services arrive at the central Newcastle Coach Station on Churchill Street, a 15 mins walk away from Tyneside Cinema. The Megabus coach stop is on John Dobson Street is > 3 mins walk.
Ferry: If you are travelling from Northern Ireland, there are regular ferries from Belfast with Stena Line, which also has a twice-daily service to Liverpool, then onwards to Newcastle upon Tyne by train or bus.
Plane: Newcastle International Airport is seven miles from Newcastle City Centre. Domestic routes include Belfast. You can easily get from Newcastle Airport to the city centre by taking a taxi (~25 mins), the metro (~30 mins), or the bus (~40 mins).
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You can find Tyneside Cinema at 10 Pilgrim St, NE1 6QG, right beside Grey’s Monument and subsequent Monument Metro Station.
The nearest train station is Central Station (10 mins walk).
The nearest Metro stops are:
Monument (1 min walk),
Haymarket (5 mins walk)
A direct Metro can be taken from both Newcastle Airport and Newcastle Central Station (though the latter is >10 mins walk).
The nearest Bus stops are:
Outside Tyneside Cinema – Monument Pilgrim Street (1, 30, 31, 10, 11, 37, 38, 28A),
Market Street (1 min walk),
Eldon Square bus station (10 mins walk)
It’s accessible via any bus route to the city centre.
For both bus and Metro information, find out more and plan your route via the Nexus website.
Parking is limited. If you are driving to Tyneside Cinema, the closest multi-storey car park is John Dobson Street.
The closest Blue Badge parking spaces are Heywood’s Court, Eldon Square, and Dean Street. Visit the Newcastle City Council website to find more Blue Badge parking spaces.
Parking in Newcastle City Council multi-storey car parks is free after 7pm. Visit the Newcastle Council website for more information about car parking in Newcastle.
Tyneside Cinema is accessible via both High Friar Lane and Pilgrim Street.
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There are multiple hotels near Tyneside Cinema.
Newly opened, the Hotel Gotham (approx. £200 per night*) is the closest option, directly across the street from Tyneside Cinema.
We’re also pleased to offer a bespoke discount for the Crowne Plaza (15 mins walk) if you book through this link, which gives you access to a reduced rate of £134 per night.
Other options include:
Motel One (5 mins walk, £96 per night*),
Maldron (5 mins, £119 per night*),
Grey Street Hotel (6 mins walk, £64 per night*),
Vermont Hotel (10 mins walk, £114 per night*),
Sandman Signature (10 mins walk, £99 per night*),
EasyHotel (10 mins walk, £49 per night*),
Malmaison (20 mins walk, £122 per night*),
Copthorne (20 mins walk, £123 per night*),
Hampton by Hilton (20 mins walk, £102 per night*),
Premier Inn options (£60-80 per night*), including The Gate (5 mins walk), Quayside (10 mins walk), and Millennium Bridge (20 mins walk),
and Travelodge (£45-70 per night*) options, including Newcastle Central and Quayside (both 15 mins walk).
*Prices are approximate, based on rates available in April and are provided as a guide only.
Practical Information & FAQs
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Your Film Hub may be able to offer bursary support for your attendance. You can find your region’s contact information below:
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The ticket price includes access to all conference sessions, the opening reception and film preview on Monday evening, conference refreshments and lunches on Tuesday/Wednesday, and the Conference Dinner on Tuesday evening.
Travel and accommodation are not included in the conference ticket.
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Sustainability in all forms is a priority for everyone at the ICO. In our office or at any of the national and international events we organise, we implement a range of initiatives to minimise our environmental impact.
As part of our commitment to implement environmentally sustainable initiatives, BFI FAN CON is fully vegetarian and vegan-catered. This is because the ICO aims to reduce meat consumption where possible and to use local catering providers and suppliers that use sustainable practices, such as prioritising local, seasonal, organic, and Fair Trade produce.
We have reduced the amount of printed and promotional materials we produce, providing electronic versions of delegate packs, and purchasing sustainably sourced bamboo lanyards and plastic-free delegate badges that can be recycled.
We encourage attendees to bring their own reusable water bottles and coffee cups to BFI FAN CON.
If you’re interested in learning more about how cinemas can reduce their environmental impact, read our free downloadable resource, created alongside Julie’s Bicycle, and our free online learning guide, which follows on from the resource to show cinemas how to meet the climate crisis head-on. Both of these guides are useful industry standards for how we can take better approaches to minimise our environmental impact.
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The BFI Film Audience Network want the conference to be a welcoming, collegiate and inclusive space for film professionals. We expect people attending and working at BFI FAN CON to maintain this code of conduct. Harassment and bullying have no place at BFI FAN CON.
Examples of inappropriate behaviours that contravene our code of conduct include offensive comments, deliberate intimidation, stalking, following, harassing photography or recording, sustained disruption of events, aggressive behaviour, inappropriate physical contact and unwelcome sexual attention.
If someone behaves inappropriately towards you or you witness something inappropriate, please report it to a member of BFI FAN CON staff or email us. Your complaint will be treated with discretion. We are happy to help and can help report inappropriate behaviour to the authorities where necessary or address the problem ourselves where more appropriate. We reserve the right to refuse entry to anyone who does not comply with our code of conduct.
If you would like to speak to an independent organisation about an issue, the Film and TV Charity have a free and confidential 24-hour helpline available on 0800 054 00 00.
Tickets & Booking Information
Which ticket should I select?
You can select a Small Organisation or Voluntary Run Ticket option if you’re from a BFI FAN member that is a fully voluntary-run organisation or a small organisation with up to 4 employees.
If you’re from a larger organisation with 5 or more employees, please select a Larger Organisation Ticket.
If you’re a freelancer who isn’t, please check your eligibility, select a Freelancer Ticket, and provide information about your eligibility during the registration process.
If for any reason you’re unsure whether you are eligible to attend, please email [email protected] to check before you book so that we can help you.
How many delegates can come from my FAN member organisation?
Capacity at the venue is limited and we want to welcome a wide range of organisations, so we’re asking each organisation to register a maximum of two delegates. Email [email protected] if you’d like to put additional delegates on a waiting list.
What happens when the Early Bird Tickets run out?
A limited number of Early Bird Tickets are available now. Early Bird tickets cost £100 (or £85 for small organisations, voluntary-run organisations or freelancers).
Standard price tickets will be available from Wednesday 27 May (or earlier if Early Bird tickets are sold out) until 5th August. Standard price tickets will cost £120 (or £95 for small organisations, voluntary-run organisations or freelancers).
Last minute tickets will be on sale from Thursday 6 August until the final booking deadline of Thursday 27 August (subject to availability). Last-minute tickets will cost £135 (or £110 for small organisations, voluntary-run organisations or freelancers).
You can save up to £35 by booking early!
What’s included in the ticket price?
The ticket price includes the Opening Reception and Screening on Monday, conference refreshments and lunches on Tuesday and Wednesday and the BFI FAN CON Conference Dinner on Tuesday evening.
The ticket price does not include travel, accommodation, or the optional group activity on Wednesday evening, for which there will be a small additional cost to those taking part.
Funded by
Thanks to our hotel partner
Explore BFI FAN CON 2026