Case Study: The Two Trust Conference 2025

Through our partnership, we believe in the power of collaboration to drive meaningful change. This belief came to life through our proud involvement in the Two Trust Conference 2025, a landmark event uniting The Societas Trust and The New Guild Trust for a full day of professional development, connection, and inspiration.

Held at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Stoke-on-Trent on April 11th, the conference welcomed over 460 staff and governors from across both trusts – a testament to the shared commitment to excellence in education.

A vision realised through partnership

The Societas Trust and The New Guild Trust are equally passionate about putting children at the centre of everything they do. This event was born from their shared vision of strengthening professional practice across settings, while also celebrating the dedication and impact of staff through various levels – from classroom to leadership, from administration to governance.

We worked closely with both trusts from concept to delivery, managing every aspect of the project to ensure it reflected their values and aspirations.

A rich and diverse learning experience

The conference featured a line-up of nationally recognised keynote speakers who brought energy, insight, and practical takeaways to the day:

Kriss Akabusi MBE lit up the room with his high-energy session on “Winning Hearts and Minds in a VUCA World,” weaving personal storytelling with leadership wisdom.

Amy Baxter, SEND leader at Greenwood Academies Trust, led a powerful keynote on “Inclusion by Design,” urging schools to embed inclusivity at their core.

Will Ord delivered an interactive and thought-provoking session on metacognition and unlocking independent learning.

In the afternoon, a series of role-specific workshops provided targeted professional development – ranging from early years neurodiversity and SEND governance, to leadership and high-performance team communication.

Our role: Behind the scenes, driving impact

We pride ourselves on trusted partners in creating purposeful, professional, and high-impact experiences. From the outset, we collaborated closely with leaders from The Societas Trust and The New Guild Trust to understand their vision, values, and desired outcomes for the event.

We provided full project management, guiding the process from initial concept to on-the-day delivery. This included shaping a well-rounded agenda, coordinating timelines, and securing high-quality keynote speakers and workshop leaders to ensure a rich and diverse professional development experience for all attendees.

Alongside programming, we managed all venue logistics – sourcing, booking, and coordinating the space to support a seamless experience for over 460 delegates. Our team also designed and delivered all branded communications and marketing materials, including the digital brochure. This allowed trust leaders to stay focused on engaging with their teams, while we ensured every detail behind the scenes ran smoothly and professionally.

Feedback from the Trusts

Jon Lovatt, CEO of Societas Trust said, “I’m so proud of our Two Trust Conference at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel on Festival Park, and for the support of the dedicated team at Inspiring Leaders who helped to plan it all and made it go so well on the day! Also, to all the amazing speakers who shared their expertise and experiences of inclusion and how exceptional practice can make such a positive difference for our young people, especially those with complex needs.”

Karen Peters, CEO of New Guild Trust said, “The team at Inspiring Leaders made sure every element of our Two Trust Conference a success, from their forward planning to the smallest detail for the conference venue, to their artwork for our Trust banners, to the professional and welcoming support all of our staff and the speakers received during the event. It was a pleasure to work alongside them – thank you.”

The power of collaboration

The Two Trust Conference served as a powerful demonstration of what can be achieved when multi-academy trusts work together with a shared vision. More than just a professional development event, it was a strategic investment in people – creating the space for deep reflection, shared learning, and meaningful collaboration. It highlighted how collective leadership across trusts can strengthen educational practice and drive system-wide improvement.