The Arboricultural Association’s staff team and Board of Trustees have announced there will not be an ARB Show in 2026.
The association said the decision was taken after extensoive consultation with stakeholders and visitors to the event and as part of the strategic plan for the next 12 months.
The association’s statement explained: “Firstly, we have long wanted to fully review ARB Show and find a way to refresh this key event in our calendar. We have had a lot of feedback from exhibitors and attendees over the years making various suggestions. This includes ideas like moving to a biennial schedule, seeking to achieve a better geographical spread of events, and reconsidering the purpose and function of Trade Shows in the modern world. We believe that taking a year off ARB Show will allow us to properly explore these ideas.
“Secondly, in the first half of 2026 we will be moving into the most intensive part of our Systems Project, completely changing our CRM and CMS systems and our website to create a much better user experience. This is a substantial investment and will require a vast amount of staff resource at exactly the time we would usually be focusing on ARB Show preparations, and we feel we must prioritise this once-in-a-decade project to ensure it is delivered to the highest standard.
“We appreciate that some members will be disappointed not to see ARB Show running next year. However, we firmly believe this decision puts us in the strongest position for the future. Our intention is that by not holding an ARB Show in 2026 we will be in a better position to successfully deliver the Systems Project, and will also have the time and capacity to pursue other high-impact work. This includes attending and supporting a wider range of external and regional events – particularly those with a focus on contracting – and continuing to develop more training courses.
“ARB Show remains an important and much-loved part of the Association’s work, and this step is about ensuring it continues to be something people genuinely look forward to. As members, your views will be invaluable as we shape what comes next, and there will be opportunities to feed into that process.
“Thank you for your ongoing support of the Association and of ARB Show over the years. We look forward to sharing more as we move forward.”
