By Alan Perestrello, Managing Director, Hart Square
Technology in the charity and membership sectors has never been more interesting, complicated, exciting, daunting or impactful. All at the same time.
We have seen periods of rapid technology change in the NFP sector before. There have been waves of change, usually all acronyms: CMS, CRM, ERP, LMS, iPaaS, SaaS. Each one arrived with the same promises of opportunity and the same challenges.
Seize the opportunity and deliver more: more engagement, more donations, more impact. Fail to seize it and the opportunity passes. Or you get it wrong and waste precious time, reputation, resources and budget.
You already know everything is changing again. TechSmart 2026 is about exploring what meaningful change looks like when it is done well and giving you the tools to make it happen in your own organisation.
This year’s theme is “Delivering Change in Changing Times”. The 2026 programme addresses the challenge from two angles.
- Our plenary sessions look at where things stand now and where they are heading: AI, emerging technology, the funding landscape, the questions your board should be asking.
- Our stream sessions bring you real stories from organisations who have already navigated significant change: what they tried, what worked, what they would do differently.
Conferences do not deliver change. People do.
I think event marketing typically tends to get this backwards. It leads with the agenda, the venue, the catering. All of that matters, but the thing leaves you thinking about it again and again after the event where the people you met at the event. The ideas you exchange, the key take aways, the relationships you made or re-discovered.
What changes how you think is sitting across from someone who has already made the decision you are contemplating and hearing them say what worked, what did not, and what they would do differently. TechSmart was built on that kind of exchange.
The 2026 programme runs across three streams: Strategy and Change, Tech Innovation, and Data and Governance. There is something for everyone and we encourage movement between the streams to make sure you get the most from the day.
The people matter as much as the programme
Last year, 83% of delegates said they would recommend TechSmart to a colleague and 79% said they would come back. People come back because the room is full of others doing the same job, under the same pressures, facing the same set of choices.
"Hearing directly from organisations who have faced the same challenges was invaluable. The sessions were practical, honest and inspiring."
TechSmart delegate, 2025
The providers sponsoring and exhibiting service this sector specifically, and a proper conversation with someone who understands your constraints is worth more than a brochure. Whether you are actively choosing a new system or just building an understanding of what exists, those conversations save you time and give you ideas about how technology impacts your own journey.
Listening to feedback
Sessions have been extended from 30 minutes to 40, to allow for more discussion and engagement. That extra ten minutes matters more than you might think. It is the difference between a speaker delivering a message and a meaningful exchange between the audience and the speaker.
Central venue with history and a future
This year TechSmart moves to One Great George Street, Westminster, the home of the Institution of Civil Engineers. It is an impressive building and an easy one to get to from anywhere in the country for the day, one that sets the ambition of the event, demonstrates the importance of civil institutions, and pays due respect to the delegates attending.
The venue is larger, more spacious and grander than last year. An abundance of natural light, chandeliers and paintings of historic leaders mixed with the latest in technology and innovation; a reminder that change and innovation has in the past also managed change in challenging times.
Join us on 16 September
TechSmart has always been about bringing senior leaders from charities and membership organisations together for a day of shared experiences and honest reflection. This year, with so much in motion, that shared experience matters more than ever.
Come to hear what is possible, learn from people who have done it, and leave with a clearer sense of what good looks like and how to get there.
Early bird rates offer a 20% discount on standard tickets until 31 July.
