There is something incredibly special about getting the whole Boogie Beat team together in one room.
We are spread right across the UK, so although our franchisees are in regular contact through our online meetings, training sessions and support calls, we generally only get the opportunity to all be together in person once a year – at our annual Boogie Beat franchise conference.
And this year’s Boogie Beat Music & Movement Franchise Conference 2026 was certainly one to remember!
Once again, we headed to the lovely Casa Hotel in Yateley, which has become such a special venue for our conference. It was a day packed with reflection, learning, inspiration, celebration, laughter, dancing and, most importantly, connection.
Starting with our WHY
We began the day by reflecting on how everyone’s businesses have been performing and, before we got too deep into the business side of things, we took some time to reconnect with our WHY.
Why did we choose to run our own business?
Why Boogie Beat?
What were we hoping to escape from or change when we made that decision?
And what is it that keeps us motivated today?
It was really interesting to hear the different reasons our franchisees originally chose Boogie Beat. Some wanted more flexibility around their families, some wanted to leave behind previous careers, others wanted to work with children and make a difference, and for many it was about building a business that fitted around the life they wanted.
A few of our franchisees were happy to share their WHY with the whole team, which was incredibly inspiring.
We then took things one step further – quite literally – with a rather complicated ball of string!
Everyone held onto a piece of string before throwing it across the circle to another team member, answering a question as they went. It might have been “What do you love about Boogie Beat?” or “What is your favourite Boogie Beat story, song or dance”
By the end, we had created a huge web of string connecting everyone.
It was a simple but really powerful visual representation of how we are all connected by Boogie Beat and a shared vision.
And, of course, it was much harder than we thought it would be!
Celebrating our Brilliant Beginners
Then it was time for our first awards of the day – and this year we had two Brilliant Beginner Award winners.
Both absolutely deserved the recognition.
They have both had incredible starts to their businesses, making huge progress in building their customer bases, filling their diaries with workshops and creating fantastic collaborations within their local communities.
A huge congratulations to:
🏆 Kerrie – Boogie Beat Basingstoke
🏆 Caitlin – Boogie Beat Cheltenham
It was wonderful to celebrate how far they have both come in such a short space of time.
We then had a well-earned break, giving everyone time to catch up, browse our merchandise and marketing materials and, of course, have plenty of chats and catch-ups!
Stepping Outside Our Comfort Zones
We were then incredibly lucky to welcome the amazing Jo Ferrone from How Does She Do It?
The main focus of Jo’s session was stepping outside our comfort zones.
And this is something that is so important when running your own business.
Growth doesn’t usually happen when we stay where we feel comfortable.
Sometimes we have to pick up the phone when we’d rather send an email. Walk into a business we’d never normally approach. Put ourselves on camera. Try something new. Say yes to an opportunity that feels slightly scary.
Jo encouraged us to think about where we might be holding ourselves back and what could happen if we were brave enough to take that next step.
She also talked about collaboration over competition, something I feel incredibly strongly about within our franchise network and the wider business community.
There is so much we can achieve when we work together and support one another.
Jo also shared ideas around overcoming overwhelm, and she brought her wonderful energy and positivity to the room. She even shared some of her beautiful poetry with us.
The team absolutely loved her session, and there were lots of takeaways that I know our franchisees will be putting into action.
And the best bit? Jo stayed for lunch with us too, giving everyone even more opportunity to chat with her.
SEND Support – Live with Jodie
After lunch, we had a brilliant live Q&A session with Jodie, our SEND specialist.
Throughout the year, we hold specialist Q&A sessions online, but there was something particularly lovely about being able to do this one face-to-face.
Our franchisees asked some fantastic questions, sharing experiences from their own areas and exploring how we can continue to make Boogie Beat even more inclusive.
Inclusion is such an important part of who we are as a business, so having the opportunity to really explore questions and ideas together was incredibly valuable.
Sharing Successes and Collaborations
We then handed the microphone over to two of our newer franchisees to share some of the collaborations they have been building in their local areas.
Kerrie shared her collaboration with the National Trust, while Caitlin talked about her collaboration with her local library in Cheltenham.
I absolutely love these moments at conference.
It isn’t just about hearing from the people who have been in the business for years. Some of the newest franchisees are already finding innovative ways to build relationships and introduce Boogie Beat to new audiences.
It is a great reminder that there isn’t one single way to grow your Boogie Beat business.
Making Social Media Fun
We were also delighted to welcome Anne-Marie Martin, Chief Executive Officer of the Children’s Activities Association (CAA).
Anne-Marie talked to the team about the CAA, our membership and what being part of the association means for our franchisees.
She also stayed with us afterwards for a brilliant session all about social media and creating engaging content.
We talked about video, how we can make our content more uplifting and engaging, and the different types of content our franchisees can be creating.
There were lots of ideas, lots of laughter and plenty of things that our team can take away and put into action.
And, naturally, we couldn’t have Anne-Marie with us without making a TikTok!
You can see the finished video over on our social media channels – and I’m sure there are a few outtakes that may appear too!
Capturing the Boogie Beat Team
We were also joined by the lovely Verity from Verity Fields Photography, who spent some time photographing the team.
We captured some professional headshots as well as group photographs, giving our franchisees some new images to use within their own businesses.
And, of course, we couldn’t resist another TikTok!
Let’s just say there will definitely be some entertaining out takes from that one…
Looking Ahead to 2027
As well as looking back at what we’ve achieved, conference is always about looking forward.
We shared our vision for Boogie Beat heading into 2027, looking at where we want to go as a business and how we can continue to support our franchisees as they grow.
We also launched 3 new stories for our franchisees and some new props.
It is exciting to think about what the next year could bring.
More Awards and More Reasons to Celebrate
And then it was time for our final awards of the day.
🏆 Achiever of the Year – Polly, Nottingham
Polly has made a really bold decision to focus her business specifically on the workshop side of Boogie Beat.
And the results have been fantastic.
By making that change and focusing on the part of the business she loves, Polly has increased her revenue by 60% and continued to grow her business.
It is such a great example of how our franchise model can adapt to what works for each individual franchisee.
You don’t have to do everything.
You can focus on the parts of Boogie Beat that you enjoy and build your business around them.
And finally…
🏆 Franchisee of the Year – Jodie, Gloucester
Jodie has had an incredible year, growing her area while placing a huge focus on inclusion and ensuring that her Boogie Beat sessions are accessible to as many children and families as possible.
Her passion for inclusion shines through in everything she does, and it was wonderful to see her recognised for her achievements.
And Finally… We Danced!
Of course, no Boogie Beat event would be complete without a dance!
We finished the day with S Club 7’s Reach – and it certainly got everyone moving.
After a full day of learning, sharing, celebrating and connecting, it was the perfect way to finish.
And as I looked around the room at the whole Boogie Beat team dancing together, I couldn’t help but feel incredibly proud.
These are people who have chosen to build their own businesses, who support each other, who share ideas, celebrate one another’s successes and genuinely care about the work they do.
This is what Boogie Beat is all about.
It is about so much more than running children’s music and movement sessions.
It is about community, connection, confidence, flexibility, creativity and building a business that works for you.
And having the opportunity to bring our amazing franchise family together once a year makes me incredibly proud to be the franchisor.
I honestly couldn’t have asked for a better conference.
Here’s to everything we achieved in 2026 – and everything still to come in 2027!
Could you be at our next conference?
If you love the idea of running your own business, working with children, having flexibility around your life and being part of a supportive franchise family, we’d love to hear from you.
Imagine where you could be this time next year – perhaps you’ll be joining us at our next Boogie Beat conference!
Get in touch via the link to find out more about becoming a Boogie Beat franchisee.