Pop-up 2026 at Warwick Business School
Friday 18 September 2026 · Warwick Business School · 10am–5pm · £135 incl. lunch
A one-day gathering of accounting educators — friendly, practical, and full of ideas you can use on Monday.
Join us at Warwick Business School
on 18 September 2026
Places are limited and tend to go — book while there’s room.
A gathering with a difference that makes a difference
This year we’re delighted to co-host the Pop-up with Warwick Business School — one of the UK’s leading business schools — at their calm, professionally run Scarman conference centre on the Warwick campus.
This event is a genuine cross-section of the profession’s educators: lecturers and schoolteachers, trainers from the firms, and colleagues from the institutes and regulators. The big issues of the moment are on the agenda but always directed towards the practical question of what they mean for you and your learners.
You will leave with new ideas, new connections and renewed energy for the work — and, as ever, plenty of time to catch up with old friends and make a few new ones.
Ideas you can use immediately
Every session is built around evidence-based practice that works in real classrooms. You’ll leave with lots of specific things to try out.
The community in a room
Schools, universities, training firms, institutes and regulators gather together for a day. There’ll be plenty of time to chat over coffee and lunch.
A platform for your own practice
Anyone can choose to deliver a ten-minute lightning talk. It’s a low-stakes, friendly way to share what’s working — we actively encourage first-timers.
Time to actually think
Time away from the busyness of your day, with people who care about the same things you do. People tell us they go back to work inspired and invigorated.
The day at a glance
| 9.15am | Doors open — coffee and pastries on arrival |
| 10.00am | Welcome and opening session |
| 10.30am | Lightning presentations and discussion with breaks |
| 12.30pm | Lunch in the Lakeview Restaurant |
| 1.30pm | Afternoon sessions and workshops with breaks |
| 4.00pm | Closing remarks |
| 4.15pm | Tea, fizz and conversation to finish |
| 5.00pm | Close |
Our venue: Warwick Business School
We gather at “Scarman”, a dedicated conference centre on the University of Warwick campus just outside Coventry. It’s perfect for us: bright, comfortable, spacious, unlimited refreshments and grounds to stretch your legs in at lunchtime. We’ll eat together in the Lakeview Restaurant, and close the day with a cup of tea or a glass of fizz.
- Free on-site parking for everyone driving in.
- Coventry station is a short taxi ride away, with fast trains from across the country.
- Free Wi-Fi, step-free access throughout, and a quiet space if you need one.
Join us the night before
If you fancy it, join us for dinner on the Thursday night and stay over. Scarman’s hotel-style en-suite rooms are on site, so there’s no journey in the morning — breakfast is included. Dinner the night before will be an informal gathering.
Room only
Bed, breakfast and a quiet night on campus before the symposium.
£105 per room, B&B
Room + dinner
The same, plus dinner on the Thursday evening with fellow early arrivals.
£141 per room, dinner, B&B
Accommodation is managed by Warwick Conferences. Clicking this link takes you to their booking site. This is for accommodation and meals only and does not include attendance at the Pop-up.
Meet your hosts
The day is hosted by Accounting Cafe and Warwick Business School — practitioners and educators who care deeply about accounting education.
Paul Jennings
Education & Practice, Accounting Cafe
A chartered accountant, author and educator who advises professional bodies and publishers and teaches across universities in the UK and Germany.
Jodie Lucas
Associate Professor, Warwick Business School
Associate Professor in the Accounting Group at Warwick Business School, teaching financial reporting and accounting technology across its degree programmes.
Stuart Pedley Smith
Strategy & Partnerships, Accounting Cafe
An educational strategist with thirty years in professional education and former Head of Learning at Kaplan, now focused on AI and evidence-based practice.
Darren Sparkes
Associate Professor, Warwick Business School
Associate Professor at Warwick Business School and a Senior Fellow of the HEA, known for award-winning teaching and his “Accounting Bissim+” business simulation used across Europe.
Toby York
Community & Development, Accounting Cafe
A chartered accountant, senior lecturer at Middlesex University who founded Accounting Cafe in 2021.
Who’s in the room
Educators and colleagues from across the community join us each year. Recent Pop-ups have brought together people from:
| Aston University | City St George’s | Financial Reporting Council |
| First Intuition | Henley Business School | ICAS |
| ICAEW | ICS Learn | Leeds University |
| Middlesex University | Norwich Business School | Queen’s University Belfast |
| Rethinking Capital | Royal Holloway | RSM |
| Sayer Vincent | Strathclyde University | Synapse Learning Solutions |
| UCL School of Management | University of Manchester | University of Law |
| University of Leicester | University of Westminster | Wealthvox |
Share your practice
Anyone attending can deliver a lightning presentation: five minutes to share a piece of practice, another five for questions. Slides are optional (five at most). It’s the friendliest room you’ll find for it, and we especially welcome people who’ve never presented before. It’s entirely optional — plenty come simply to listen.
To propose one, send an outline of 200–300 words to hello@accountingcafe.org: your name and institution, a title, the practice you’re sharing, its impact, and the advice you’d give someone adopting it. Our editorial team runs a light-touch review and usually replies within ten working days.
Deadline for proposals: 4 September 2026 · Slides (if used): 11 September 2026
What’s included
£135 per place — everything below included:
- A full day of sessions, talks and discussion
- Lunch in the Lakeview Restaurant
- Refreshments throughout, and tea and fizz to close
- Free parking and Wi-Fi
- The chance to present, if you’d like to
Overnight accommodation is booked separately — see “Join us the night before”.
Questions answered
Do I have to present?
Not at all. Lightning talks are open to anyone but most people come simply to take part. There’s no pressure either way.
How do I get there, and can I park?
Scarman is on the University of Warwick campus near Coventry, with free on-site parking and fast trains to Coventry from London, Birmingham and the North. Full directions are sent with your booking confirmation.
Do I need to stay the night before?
Only if you’d like to. It’s there for anyone who’d rather not face an early start or simply want to join us for the informal dinner — book a room, with or without dinner, in the section above.
Can you cater for dietary needs and access requirements?
Yes. Tell us when you book and we’ll make sure the venue looks after you. Scarman is step-free throughout.
What if I book but then can’t make it?
For the conference fee: if you cancel before 18 August 2026 we will refund you in full. If you cancel before 4 September 2026 we will refund 50% of your booking fee. We will not refund you if you cancel within 14 days of the event.
For dinner and overnight accommodation: room bookings are managed by Warwick Conferences, so please refer to your booking confirmation and contact them directly with your cancellation request.
Join us at Warwick Business School
on 18 September 2026
Places are limited and tend to go — book while there’s room.
Not ready? Register your interest
Leave your name and we’ll send a reminder before places fill up — no commitment.
