Wednesday, 9th September 2026

In September 2026, the IAASF Conference returned to the 17th-century Jacobean Hall at the Redworth Hall Hotel in County Durham, which provided a beautiful and appropriate setting for our conference dedicated to the protection of art, heritage, and cultural venues.

On day one, speakers identified the threats to cultural and heritage venues from economic uncertainty, which included conflict, fire threats, cyber threats and the impact that Martyn’s Law will have on the sector.

In the evening we held the Gala Dinner and the Cultural Protection Awards which celebrates the outstanding individuals and organisations making a difference in the protection of our shared cultural heritage.

On day two, speakers discussed how the risks can be reduced and the operational strategies that can be put in place to enable this. Topics included strategic financial planning, emergency planning and security training.

In between the speakers, delegates were able to visit our exhibitors area where we welcomed Premier, ABLOY, Otego, Steroplast and NEBRC. We would like to share our thanks to these organisations who continue to support the cultural sector and IAASF.

We would like to thank all of the speakers, exhibitors and delegates who were able to join us for this year's conference. Your contributions helped to make the conference a success and generated valuable discussion around the protection of cultural heritage in times of economic uncertainty.