The Computing Insight UK 2026 exhibition will be open on Thursday 3rd and Friday 4th December at Manchester Central. There is a set-up day on Wednesday 2nd December (between 8am and 5pm) and all exhibits MUST be set-up on this day. We do not allow setting up in the exhibition during the conference on 3rd and 4th December. This is a health and safety requirement of the venue.

How to register:

Step 1 – register your company here.

Select CIUK 2026 Exhibitor as your registration type and you will be directed to the exhibitor registration path.

Register you company as normal. Exhibition staff can be registered in step 2.

Step 2 – register your exhibition staff here.

Select CIUK 2026 Delegate as your registration type and you will be directed to the delegate registration path.

Select the registration type ‘Exhibition Staff’ when prompted.

You should have received a discount code for the free entry of 3 of your staff in your company registration confirmation email. Redeem the discount by entering the code at on the payment page.

We have four different exhibitor packages available – Gold, Silver, Bronze and Standard. Each package includes different options. You can download a copy of the package information sheet from here and you will select your package via the online registration form.

During registration you will also select your stand. A copy of the floor plan is available here for reference . If your preferred stand is not showing as an option on the form when you register then it has already been selected by another company.

Payment of exhibitor fees can be made by credit card at the time you submit your registration or we can send you an invoice. If you choose the invoice option then you MUST upload a purchase order when you register. We cannot issue an invoice without a relevant PO.

Any questions should be directed to the conference mailbox – CIUK@stfc.ac.uk. The main contact for the CIUK exhibition is Georgia Lomas.

We look forward to welcoming you back to Manchester Central in December.

​The CIUK exhibition is covered by our conference Terms and Conditions. These include the cancellation policy for the event that will be adhered to at all times with one exception. By submitting your registration to exhibit you are confirming your acceptance of these Terms and Conditions.

Sterling Event Group​ will be providing AV support for CIUK 2026. They can also provide exhibitors with equipment such as screens, laptops, iPads, PA systems and microphones. Download an order form here​. All completed forms to be returned to Sterling at exhibitions@sterlingeventgroup.co.uk​. If you need equipment not listed on the order form please contact Sterling directly on 0161 436 4444 to discuss your requirements.

As with last year, badge scanner are availbale for hire to all exhibitors. Full details are available here. 

More information coming soon.

Due to the success of previous years we will be, once again, including a pre-CIUK Day Zero on Wednesday 2 December in the programme for CIUK 2026. Events included on Day Zero are included in your registration fees unless indicated otherwise.

The main event on CIUK 2026 Day Zero will be the annual CoSeC Conference. This event will take place in Exchange Room 9-11, upstairs at Manchester Central and will start at 10:00.

Other breakout session information for Day Zero will follow soon.

SUBMIT A TEAM APPLICATION HERE

AT CIUK 2025 WE INTRODUCED A NEW FORMAT FOR THE CLUSTER CHALLENGE… and it worked so well we are keeping it for CIUK 2026!

Over recent years we have seen massive growth in the CIUK cluster challenge. From 3 teams in our first competition to 17 teams last year the challenge is proving to be very popular amongst University students. We have now become victims of our own success and the previous format of the competition was no longer sustainable. So at CIUK 2025 we made some positive changes, one of which was the introduction of an online qualifying round.

This year we are again partnering with three Universities – The University of Edinburgh, UCL and Durham University. These Universities will be hosting a series of online challenges for the teams. Team members will also be required to complete the ARCHER2 driving test before commencing the challenges.

At the conclusion of these online challenges the top 8 teams will qualify to attend CIUK 2026 at Manchester Central in December, with all travel and accommodation costs covered by CIUK. Once at CIUK 2026 the qualified teams will complete a series of in-person challenges working with our partner companies Alces Flight and OCF to crown the overall CIUK 2026 Cluster Challenge Champions 🏆

Our champion team will then go forward to represent CIUK in the online version of the ISC’27 cluster challenge competition in June 2027.

Team applications for this year’s challenge are now open.

Not sure what the cluster challenge is all about? Check out this video from a previous competition… https://youtu.be/uY6dEjFeOMo?si=nEAICZ2Q4zh99GIY.

IMPORTANT DATES

• Deadline for applications 10am on Friday 2 October
• Selected teams confirmed on Monday 5 October
• ARCHER2 Driving Test to be completed before close of play on Friday 9 October
• Challenge materials (x3 – 1x EPCC, 1x Durham, 1x UCL) sent out Friday 9 October
• Challenge 1 – EPCC – MONDAY 12 to FRIDAY 16 OCTOBER
• Challenge 2 – DURHAM – MONDAY 19 to FRIDAY 23 OCTOBER
• Challenge 3 – UCL – MONDAY 26 to FRIDAY 30 OCTOBER
• Team presentations between Monday 2 and Friday 6 November
• Qualified teams confirmed by Wednesday 11 November
• Teams travel to Manchester Wednesday 2 December
• In-Person challenges at Manchester Thursday 3 and Friday 4 December (treasure hunt Thursday am, 1x challenge Thursday pm Alces, 1x challenge Friday am OCF)
• Winning team announced Friday 4 December at 1pm

NOTE: the cluster challenge is limited to undergraduate and postgraduate students from “taught degree courses”. There is also a limit of 2 teams per institution.

In 2019 we lost an incredibly important member of the CIUK Scientific Advisory Committee with the sudden and unexpected passing of Jacky Pallas at the age of just 54. Jacky was head of e-Research at King’s College London and for the previous three years had been an active and vocal member of the CIUK Scientific Advisory Committee, helping to shape the direction our event has taken and pushing through many positive changes, whilst championing diversity and the inclusion of young researchers.

In her memory, and in recognition of her passion for our conference, we introduced an annual award that will highlight the high impact work of an early career researcher and will allow the award winner a slot in the main programme at CIUK.  Researchers will be nominated by their supervisors and we are looking for nominations that highlight the impact of a project that early career researchers have been working on, or have completed.

Applications for the Jacky Pallas Memorial Award will be opening soon.

• Friday 13th November – deadline of submission of abstracts
• w/c Monday 16th November – applications considered by CIUK Programme Committee
• w/c Monday 23rd November – applicants informed of panel decision

A list of CIUK 2026 Digital Research Zone exhibitors will follow soon.