UK businesses looking for new markets, investment & international growth opportunities will have the chance to connect with global entrepreneurs, investors & business leaders at the UEA Annual Summit & Gala 2026 in London on Friday 16th October 2026.
Where will your next growth come from?
For ambitious entrepreneurs & business leaders, this is one of the most important questions to ask.
Will it come from entering a new market? Raising investment? Finding the right strategic partner? Expanding internationally? Adopting new technology? Or perhaps making connections with people who can open doors that would otherwise remain closed?
These are some of the questions that will be explored at the UEA Annual Summit & Gala 2026 taking place on Friday 16 October 2026 in Mayfair, London (exact venue to be announced soon).
Organised by the United Excellence Alliance (UEA), the event is designed to bring together entrepreneurs, investors, family offices, corporate leaders, innovators & other influential figures to explore the opportunities shaping the next generation of global business growth.
The central theme of the 2026 UEA Annual Summit & Gala is:
Where Will Your Next Growth Come From?
It is a particularly relevant question at a time when businesses are facing rapid technological change, shifting international markets & an increasingly competitive investment environment.
According to the organisers, the event will focus on 3 key themes:
- New Markets
- New Capital
- New Partnerships
The daytime summit will feature keynote speeches, panel discussions, leadership insights & conversations covering areas including investment, artificial intelligence, robotics, future mobility, international expansion, branding & cross-border business.
The organisers are expecting 300 entrepreneurs, investors, business leaders, family offices, corporate executives, innovators & influential figures to attend. Will you be there with them?
7 pillars shaping the UEA Annual Summit
The programme is built around 7 interconnected pillars that reflect some of the major opportunities & challenges facing businesses today:
1. Wealth – Building Sustainable Prosperity
Exploring how businesses, investors & leaders can create sustainable long-term value & prosperity.
2. Technology – Driving the Next Global Economy
Artificial intelligence, robotics, digital transformation & emerging technologies are increasingly reshaping industries & creating new commercial opportunities.
3. Mobility – Transforming Global Industries
The future of mobility is creating opportunities across automotive, transport, infrastructure, technology & investment.
4. Brands – Building Global Brands
For ambitious businesses, building a brand that can travel across markets can be an important part of successful international growth.
5. Capital – Investing in the Future
Access to finance remains critical for businesses looking to innovate, expand & scale. The summit will explore areas including venture capital, private equity, family offices & cross-border investment.
6. Partnership – Connecting Nations
Strategic partnerships can provide businesses with access to new markets, customers, expertise & investment.
7. Influence – Shaping the World Through Culture
The event will also explore the relationship between business, media, culture, communication & international influence.
Together, these themes create a broad picture of where future business growth could come from.
Sir Vince Cable among the speakers
One of the speakers announced for the 2026 event is Sir Vince Cable, former UK Secretary of State for Business, Innovation & Skills and a leading commentator on economics, international trade & global business.
Sir Vince Cable is expected to take part in a closing conversation exploring the changing global economy, the emergence of new markets & what these developments could mean for businesses, investors & international partnerships.
His participation is particularly relevant to the summit’s central question about where the next generation of business growth will come from.
Other impressive speakers include:
- Jeff Mostyn (Business Leader, Author & Philanthropist, Former Chairman of AFC Bournemouth)
- John McLean OBE (Co-Founder & Chair of the China UK Business Development Centre, Former Chair of the Institute of Directors City of London & UK-China Trade & Investment Expert)
- Sunil Chopra (Former Mayor of the London Borough of Southwark, Former Senior Local Councillor & Leader in Public Affairs & International Community Engagement)
- Greg Beitchman (Founder & Managing Partner of Attention Economics, Former Vice President at CNN International, Former Global Head of Multimedia Content at Reuters & International Media & Strategic Partnerships Expert)
- Juncheng Liang (Partner at New Horizon Capital Management UK, Former Chief Executive Officer of Ruyi Culture under China Ruyi, International Investor & Corporate Strategy Expert)
- Lin Yue (Head of Business & Strategic Partnership, Lloyds Banking Group)
- Farid Moeinifar (Principal, Cooper Family Office)
- Matt Sutton (Chief Operating Officer of TrafficGuard, Technology Business Leader, Entrepreneur, Investment Adviser & Digital Growth Expert)
- Thierry Delrieu (French Investor, Cross-Border Entrepreneur, Former Professional Athlete & International Banker)
- Lawrence Bennett (UK Country Manager at WorldFirst, Fintech Leader, Cross-Border Payments & Global Business Growth Expert)
- Stephen Bowman (Chief Product Officer at MetaSim Learning Solutions, Founding Member of British Classical Crossover Group Blake, Award-Winning Musician & Technology Entrepreneur)
- Eric Guo (Founder & Managing Director of SPARK EPoS & Robotics, Technology Entrepreneur & Expert in Smart Hospitality, Catering & Robotics Solutions)
- Laurel Zhang (Partner Solicitor & Head of China & Southeast Asia Group at Sherrards Solicitors LLP)
- Raffaele Tang (Commercial Manager of Burnley FC)
From business summit to black-tie gala
The UEA event isn’t just a daytime business conference. The evening programme will become a black-tie Gala, featuring a three-course dinner, networking & awards ceremony.
The organisers say the Gala will include the announcement of the UEA Global 100 alongside 16 annual awards recognising outstanding companies, individuals & leadership.
This creates a different networking opportunity to a conventional business conference, bringing together people from business, investment, technology, international trade, culture & other sectors in a more informal social environment.
Who is the UEA Annual Summit & Gala for?
The event is likely to be particularly relevant to:
- Entrepreneurs, founders & business owners
- Scaleup businesses looking for their next stage of growth
- Investors & family offices
- Venture capital & private equity professionals
- Corporate executives & international business leaders
- Technology & AI companies
- Businesses exploring international expansion
- Professional advisers & cross-border specialists
- Government, trade & institutional representatives
- Leaders in media, culture, education & the creative industries
For UK businesses, one of the unique aspects is the event’s international focus, particularly its emphasis on making connections between the UK, China, the Commonwealth & The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia & the United Arab Emirates).
How can it help businesses find their next growth opportunity?
For many businesses, growth isn’t necessarily about doing more of the same thing.
It could involve entering a new geographical market, finding an international distributor, securing investment, forming a strategic partnership or meeting someone with the expertise & connections needed to unlock the next stage of development.
That’s where events such as the UEA Annual Summit & Gala can potentially play an important role.
The value isn’t necessarily just in the presentations on stage.
It can be in who you meet during the day, who you sit next to at dinner & which conversations continue after the event.
For founders & business leaders who are actively looking for investment, international partnerships or new markets, those connections can sometimes be more valuable than a traditional conference presentation.
UEA Annual Summit & Gala 2026 event details
Event: UEA Annual Summit & Gala 2026
Theme: Where Will Your Next Growth Come From?
Date: Friday 16th October 2026
Location: Mayfair, London (exact venue to be announced soon)
Format: Business Summit followed by Black-Tie Gala & Awards
Focus: New Markets, New Capital & New Partnerships
Tickets are currently available through Eventbrite, with different ticket options available for the Summit & Gala experience (all listed below):
So, where will your next growth come from?
For any entrepreneur or business leader, it’s worth asking this question.
Perhaps the answer is a new customer?
Perhaps it’s a new product?
Perhaps it’s investment?
Perhaps it’s international expansion?
Or perhaps it’s a conversation with the right person at exactly the right time?
The UEA Annual Summit & Gala 2026 is designed around that question – bringing together people, capital, ideas & potential partnerships with the aim of creating new opportunities for international business growth.