One of Europe’s largest sales and marketing conferences has returned to The Glasshouse

25 June 2026

More than 1,500 entrepreneurs and small business owners from across the UK and all over the world took part in one of Europe’s largest sales and marketing conferences at The Glasshouse International Centre for Music on Tuesday 16 June.

ATOMICON, which has taken place at The Glasshouse since 2020, is a hybrid event that helps small businesses improve their sales and marketing. Launched in 2019 by Andrew & Pete, founders of one of the UK’s largest small business communities, ATOMIC, the one day event included a series of keynotes from influential business leaders. It also featured more than 20 breakout sessions with leading entrepreneurs covering topics including podcasting, marketing strategy, content creation and artificial intelligence.

Chris Laws, Head of Operations, Events & Hires at The Glasshouse, said: “ATOMICON has gained a well-earned reputation as being one of the most fun, inclusive and engaging business events in the UK. When the organisers were looking for a venue they wanted somewhere that captured the energy and excitement of the conference. The Glasshouse has been home to ATOMICON for the past six years and it’s been fantastic to help bring the event to life.

“Because we have such unique and adaptable spaces, the conference organisers have been able to work with us to create something completely bespoke. I think that’s why the event is so popular, it’s unlike any business event you’ve been to. The energy in the building is incredible.”

Celebrating its sixth conference at The Glasshouse, this year’s ATOMICON was the biggest to date. Some of the high profile names taking to the stage in Sage One included Shawn Kanungo, a globally recognised innovation strategist and bestselling author; Ann Handley, a pioneer of modern marketing and best-selling author; Suman Randhawa, an award-winning Sales and Messaging Consultant, author and CCO at ATOMIC; and entrepreneur, creator, and founder of Candy Kittens and Jampot Productions, Jamie Laing.

Some of the breakout session speakers included graphic designer and brand strategist, Liz Mosley; founder of Asian Women Mean Business, Rupinder Kaur; YouTube specialist and creative director, Saf Mohamed; and TEDx speaker, trainer, podcaster and online business owner, Teresa Heath-Wareing.

Andrew Pickering, co-founder of ATOMIC and co-host of ATOMICON, said: “We welcome attendees from all over the world to ATOMICON each year, and we always get comments about The Glasshouse. It’s been the perfect venue to host a multi-track event with personality, as soon as people see the venue they know they are in for a great day.”

As well as the main conference at The Glasshouse, ATOMICON also delivers a special fringe programme that includes an entire day of workshops, meet-ups and networking parties before the main event. In keeping with the event’s focus on accessibility and inclusivity, meet-ups include special events for solo attendees, female founders, and neurodivergent members.

The main event at The Glasshouse spreads across the entire venue, including the 1,620-seat auditorium Sage One, intimate 330-seat stage Sage Two and event spaces Northern Rock Foundation Hall and the Barbour Room. The event also makes full use of the high-ceilinged concourse area for a dynamic exhibition and catering with its panoramic views across the Newcastle skyline.

Opened in 2004, The Glasshouse is a home for live music and one of the country’s leading conference and events venues. The Glasshouse has hosted some of the world’s biggest conferences and events, glamorous awards dinners and more intimate small-scale gatherings.

More than 400,000 delegates have been through its doors since 2004, with organisations including MS Life, Greggs, British Engines, NHS and TEDx all hosting events at The Glasshouse. Leading travel trade association UKinbound will bring its Annual Convention to the venue in February 2027.

As an independent venue and registered charity, conferences and events held at The Glasshouse directly support the venue’s live music and education programmes, which improves the lives of people and communities across the North East. To date, more than £10.6 million from conferences and events has been reinvested in the charity.

The Glasshouse remains the only large-scale conference and events venue on the iconic NewcastleGateshead quayside, making it one of the most dramatic conference spaces in the world.

To find out more, visit theglasshouseicm.org/conference-events

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