UK Pavilion Planning Day: Turning Ideas into a Shared Direction
The UK Pavilion planning day in Glasgow marked a key moment in shaping the Pavilion's shared direction for the IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition 2026. It brought together voices from the UK Pavilion community and partners to align on what the Pavilion should stand for and how it should contribute meaningfully within the wider Congress programme.
The day was designed to move beyond early concepts and agree the foundations: The Pavilion's purpose, the type of experience it should create, and the themes that will guide its content.
Setting the Wider Context
Glasgow 2026 is shaping up to be a landmark event. The technical programme received an overwhelming volume of submissions, forty per cent from the UK alone. Twelve technical tours are approved and in development. Four UK-led Thematic Forums will each have a dedicated day and the Glasgow Summit on 5th October will focus on closing the financial gap for SDG 6 feeding into the UN Water Conference in December.
The UK Pavilion sits at the heart of this - the largest stand on the exhibition floor, with eighty per cent of spaces already booked or in active discussion.
The Pavilion Themes
Three themes were confirmed as the organising framework for what visitors will see, hear and take away - not as top-down decisions, but as a natural reflection of what the sector cares about most.
(1) A Systems Thinking Approach - See the whole system.
Exploring how a holistic, whole-system view reveals shared risks, unlocks cross-sector opportunities and drives joined-up, resilient solutions.
(2) Innovation & Tools - What is changing the system. Showcasing the technologies and digital tools transforming the UK water sector - practical innovation accelerating resilience, optimising the water cycle and supporting long-term sustainability.
(3) People, Skills & Collaboration - Who is transforming the system. Championing the skills and partnerships driving the sector forward and the lasting benefits that collaboration delivers for society and the environment.
Together, these three themes form the backbone of the UK Pavilion guiding design decisions, content development and the overall visitor experience.
Passion for the Water Profession
Underpinning all three themes is the Pavilion’s exhibition theme: Passion for the Water Profession and the planning day made it clear just how deeply this resonates across the sector.
We invited everyone in the room to pause and reflect on why they work in water: What they are proud of, what they would change, and what gives them hope for the future. What followed was open, honest and at times, deeply moving. Pride in public service. A shared sense of responsibility as stewards of vital, long‑term infrastructure with an acute awareness of the urgency and scale of the challenges ahead.
For Nandini from Skewb, newer to the sector, the conversation struck a particular chord: “As someone coming into this industry, what inspires me is seeing how deeply people care about driving real change at a grassroots level. The work here connects directly to people’s lives and to society and that matters enormously.”
Women in Water
The Women in Water session led by Skewber Gill Edwards was one of the standout discussions of the day. The programme at Glasgow 2026 is built around action, resilience and prosperity - with a firm emphasis on sustained outcomes rather than one-off activity.
Priorities include championing gender balance across Congress representation; enabling networking and relationship-building before and during the event; and ensuring every woman attending has a positive, supported and inclusive experience. A Women's Hub is confirmed within the exhibition, as is a dedicated reception and event at the UK Pavilion on Congress Tuesday. A 'Resilient by Nature' webinar drew 145 participants worldwide - the momentum is already building.
The broader conversation reinforced what the Pavilion stands for: inclusion is not a parallel strand. It is woven into everything.
A Shared Direction
The Glasgow planning day provided clarity and confidence. Three core principles ran through every discussion showcasing the UK as a leader in the water sector through a unified narrative; inspiring meaningful actions and collaborations through networking and events and celebrating the people and the passion that drive the sector forward.
Glasgow 2026 is an opportunity for the UK water sector to contribute meaningfully to a global conversation - not just through what it knows, but through who it is and what it genuinely stands for and that spirit was unmistakable in the room in Glasgow. The ambition now is clear: to carry it forward with authenticity and intent, and to bring it to life on the exhibition floor in October - creating a Pavilion that resonates long after the Congress has closed.
Register for a Delegates Pass at the IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition in Glasgow this October. Tickets are currently still available at the Early Bird rate: Registration – IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition