Valencia, Community and What Comes Next
This May, 150 International House directors, speakers and sponsors came together in the beautiful city of Valencia for the 2026 IH Directors’ Conference, and what a few days it was.
Hosted by Españolé IH Valencia from 3rd–6th May, this year’s conference was shaped around the themes that matter most to our community: people, collaboration and innovation. At its heart, this event exists for and because of the network, a dedicated space for directors to step back from the day-to-day, share what they know, and think bigger together.
The Perfect Setting
Things kicked off with a walking tour of Valencia, taking in the extraordinary architecture of the Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències. There’s something fitting about starting an innovation-focused conference surrounded by buildings that are themselves a testament to bold, imaginative thinking. That evening, delegates gathered in the stunning Palacio de la Exposición for the welcome evening: old friends catching up, new members being welcomed into the fold. The enthusiastic energy in the room set the tone for everything that followed.
Three Days of Learning and Inspiration
Over the following three days, sessions and workshops were designed to do two things: challenge how delegates think and provide practical tools to take home. The goal was simple; for everyone to leave with pages of notes and a longer contact list than they arrived with.
Sessions shone a spotlight on some of the outstanding work happening across the network, with schools sharing their approaches to revenue generation, sales, branding and business development. The breadth of knowledge and experience in that room was remarkable, and the generosity with which directors shared it was even more so.
Two workshop highlights stood out in particular. On day one, Professor Felipe Quintana Navarro spoke about the Lean Thinking Methodology, a genuinely eye-opening session on identifying inefficiencies and finding smarter, more streamlined ways of working. On day two, Rob Dixon from Dixon AI guided the room through the strategic possibilities of artificial intelligence: how to upskill teams, simplify operations, and create the headspace needed to focus on growth. Both sessions were practical, immediately relevant and sparked a huge amount of conversation.
Celebrating Excellence Across the Network
One of the most meaningful aspects of getting so many IH people in the same room is the chance to recognise the extraordinary work being done by schools and students across the world.
The 2026 IH Mihai Laurențiu Gânj Award for Innovation in Language Teaching and Language School Management was presented at the conference. IH Naples took home the Language Teaching award for their Future Skills Integration Programme, while IH Galway Cultural Institute won the Language School Management award for their impressive Digital Student Hub. Both projects are wonderful examples of the innovation and ambition that runs through this network.
The winners of the 2026 IH Unpublished Competition were also announced: a group of students from IH Yangon and IH Mandalay whose work tapped into the world of rap music and raw storytelling. It’s the kind of creative, culturally relevant approach to language learning that reminds us all why this competition exists.
And the 2026 IH Global Debating Challenge produced some outstanding competitors:
Teen category (14–17)
- Khin Si Si Zan — IH Yangon
- Su Pyae Yadanar — IH Mandalay
- Benedetta Magistrelli — IH Sarzana – La Spezia
Adult category (18+)
- Kyal Sin Htet — IH Mandalay
- Hanna Lisowska — IH Bydgoszcz
- Claudio Garcia — IH Bridge Mills Galway Language Centre
Huge congratulations to every one of them, as their prize they will enjoy a two-week course with another IH school in the network.
Giving Back
On the evening of day two, the annual IHWO Foundation Auction and Raffle took place at Españolé IH Valencia, a school so beautiful that more than a few delegates compared it to a museum. Directors threw themselves into the spirit of the evening and together raised nearly €7,000, split between two wonderful causes: Soñar Despierto, a Valencia-based nonprofit supporting children and teenagers in foster care and residential centres, and World Central Kitchen, which provides fresh meals on the frontlines of crises around the world.
Closing on a High
The conference sessions closed with a truly inspiring talk from Spanish Olympic gold medallist Theresa Zabell, who spoke about the responsibility of today’s leaders to go beyond personal achievement and contribute to something larger than themselves. It was the perfect note to end on.
As Emma Hoyle, Managing Director of IH World Organisation, reflected: “We ended the conference on a high, feeling inspired, connected and above all excited for the future. What this conference reminded me most is just how strong the International House network is when we come together to share ideas, experience and support, and it left me feeling incredibly positive about the future of our community.”
The conference wrapped up in style with a Gala Dinner on Valencia’s waterfront at the iconic Veles e Vents venue. As the sky turned pink and orange over the water, delegates celebrated not just a fantastic few days, but the connections and friendships that make this network so special. The night ended, as it always does, on the dancefloor.
A huge thank you to the sponsors whose support made the event possible: Flywire, Trinity College London, Cambridge University Press & Assessment, CEMDESK, National Geographic Learning, Difusión, Oxford University Press, Schoolworks, BEBC, LanguageCert, Platty and ProfileTree.
Now, as directors head back to their schools and cities with heads full of ideas, the whole community is already looking ahead to 2027.
Cape Town, we’re coming for you!
