The UK’s biggest surrogacy conference returns!
We invite anyone with an interest in surrogacy to attend and find out more information – whether you’re already a SurrogacyUK member, a potential surrogate or known egg donor, or someone looking to complete your family through surrogacy – this one day event is packed full of information about altruistic surrogacy in the UK.
Surrogates & Known Egg Donors
Tickets for surrogates / known egg donors and their partners attending their first SurrogacyUK conference are offered free of charge (excluding those in a team, where we recommend that IPs fund conference attendance). All tickets for surrogates / known egg donors are significantly subsidised, and this year children aged 0 -16 attend for free (a free ticket must be ordered for each child).
Alternatively, we also offer a subsidised childcare provision from 9am – 5.30pm – spaces are limited and are available by selecting the ‘Child with childcare’ ticket type at the time of booking.
To further welcome families of surrogates / known egg donors, this year we’re excited to offer a Gaming Space with the latest consoles – a great place to hang out and meet peers (subject to capacity, minimum age 5 years – all children under 16 must be supervised by an adult at all times whilst visiting the Gaming Space). Of course families are also very welcome to attend any of the open sessions on the agenda that may be of interest to them.
What’s On
This year we will further increase our programme of workshops with a new workshop for parents through surrogacy, exploring the unique experience of parenthood through surrogacy and challenges that may be encountered as you move beyond your surrogacy journey.
Our biggest agenda to date will also see presentations from a variety of external speakers sharing their expertise, and a variety of themed panels featuring members of the SurrogacyUK community sharing their lived experience.
Our Expo Area will be occupied by a range of exhibitors including representatives from a variety of leading law firms and fertility clinics.
Tickets
Tickets for Intended Parent members are discounted as a further benefit of SurrogacyUK membership. We also offer discounted tickets to SurrogacyUK Applicants – please select the ‘Intended Parent Applicant’ ticket type when ordering.
Tickets include all presentations and workshops, access to our Expo Area, breakfast baps upon arrival, refreshments and buffet lunch – plus admittance to our evening function with entertainment.
Details of the conference venue will be shared in your booking confirmation email.
Please note that wristbands will be issued upon arrival at this year’s conference – all attendees must have purchased the appropriate ticket in order to attend this event, and anyone attending without a ticket will be asked to leave.
Already booked your tickets? Here's what to do next!
Share your story!
We’re pleased to share that many SurrogacyUK members have volunteered to to share their experience during our themed panels.
We’re keen to ensure that panels are representative of our membership, and for our panel focussing on longer journeys we’d still love to hear from any Intended Mothers or mothers through surrogacy who have experience of being members for at least 12 months and waiting for an offer of help. Panellists will be supplied with questions in advance so they can prepare if they prefer.
If you can support the conference by sharing your story, please email events@surrogacyuk.org
Book your hotel room!
Attendees of the SurrogacyUK Conference are able to access a guaranteed rate for guest rooms at the conference hotel for both Friday 24th and Saturday 25th April – the rates are £125 per night single occupancy and £135 per night double (or family) occupancy, including breakfast.
We’ve clarified that the hotel have also held a number of accessible rooms which will also be available at this rate.
The booking link for these rooms will be provided in your booking confirmation email – rooms at the guaranteed rate are subject to availability and available on a first-come-first-served basis.
**Due to the dynamic nature of hotel pricing, we encourage attendees to check that cheaper rates aren’t available elsewhere before booking.**
Alternatively there are several other hotels in the local area, at various price points
Make plans for dinner!
The hotel’s restaurant is likely to be very busy on Saturday evening – we highly recommend making a reservation. There are many alternative restaurants in the local area including Nandos, Wagamama and Toby Carvery.
Get involved with fundraising!
At this year’s conference we will be fundraising for our sister charity, the SurrogacyUK Foundation. The Foundation would welcome donations of baked goods for the cake stall and prizes for the raffle (no baby or children’s items, please).
Volunteering on a fundraising stall is a great way to contribute to our community and to meet other conference attendees – we’re looking for volunteers to staff the cake stall and the raffle stall throughout the day. Please contact enquiries@surrogacyukfoundation.org to offer your support!
Proposed Agenda
This year lunch will be available across two hours between 12.00noon – 2.00pm, with the programme continuing throughout – attendees can decide whether to take an early or late lunch depending on the sessions they wish to attend.
Please note this agenda is subject to change – further details around presentations and workshops will be shared with attendees prior to the event.
8.00am – 9.00am
- Registrations, arrival refreshments and breakfast baps served
9.00am – 9.20am
- Welcome and housekeeping
9.30am – 10.30am
- Workshop – First Time Attendee Intended Parents
- Surrogate & Known Egg Donor Peer Networking (facilitated session)
- Workshop – Surrogate & Known Egg Donor Partners
- Workshop – Active Surrogacy Teams
- Panel – IPs Who Have Waited Longer To Form A Team
10.30am – 11.00am Morning Break (refreshments served)
11.00am – 12.00noon
- Workshop – Parents Through Surrogacy
- LGBTQIA+ Intended Parents Session
- Workshop – Surrogate & Known Egg Donor
- Workshop – Intended Mothers
- Workshop – Intended Fathers (IFs on a journey with an IM)
12.00noon – 2.00pm Lunch Service
12.00noon – 2.00pm
- Panel – Sibling Journeys
- Speaker – A Surrogacy Journey Through A Fertility Clinic
- Speaker – Surrogacy – The Bits No One Prepares You For
- When Contact Stops – A Supportive Workshop For Surrogates & Known Egg Donors
- Intended Mothers Peer Networking (self-led)
- Speaker – What Surrogates Are Looking For Research
- Speaker – Strengthening Relationships Through the Surrogacy Journey
2.00pm – 2.50pm
- Panel – Surrogates & Known Egg Donors Lived Experience
- Speaker – The IVF Pathway In Surrogacy
- Speaker – Audrey Ward – The Waiting Room
- Speaker – Recognising Risks In Surrogacy Journeys
3.00pm -3.45pm
- Panel – Law Reform
- Speaker – Optimising Your Chances Of Success – Which Add-ons Should I Choose?
- Speaker – Surrogacy Wills
- Speaker – What Happens When We Grow Up: Lessons from the UK’s Donor Conception History
3.45pm – 4.15pm Afternoon Break (refreshments served)
4.15pm – 5.30pm
- It Worked! & Wrap-Up
Expo Area 8.00am – 6.00pm
Gaming Space 12.00noon – 4.00pm
SurrogacyUK Support Team Drop-In Space 2.00pm – 4.00pm
Evening Function 7.30pm onward