We are pleased to announce our key ambassadors for 2026. Our friends from across the pub and hospitality world that help us evolve and enhance the show each year to ensure we inspire and exceed the needs and expectations of our buyers.

As leaders in the field, they know the challenges of running a modern pub. Through community and collaboration, they're reshaping what the pub experience can be. Now, they're pouring that insight into The Pub Show 2026 to help shape the show, spotlight smart solutions, and spark the conversations that will move the trade forward.

Steve Alton

Steve Alton

CEO, British Institute of Innkeeping

Passionate about pubs, Steve has led the BII since late 2019. He has previously led a range of technology businesses for nearly 30 years and had formerly volunteered as a Trustee of the BII prior to being selected as CEO. He is actively involved across the sector as Director of Best Bar None, a Trustee of Skills and Education Group, a Trustee for the charity Only A Pavement Away and also a member of the Government Hospitality Sector Council.

Emma McClarkin OBE

Emma McClarkin

Chief Executive - British Beer and Pub Association

Emma has been the Chief Executive of the British Beer and Pub Association since 2019 and was awarded an Order of the British Empire (OBE) award for her exceptional services to the hospitality industry.

A passionate beer and pub lover, Emma is the voice for the beer and pub sector leading them through the pandemic, interfacing with Government and stakeholders to secure vital grant support and economic stimulus to aid the recovery of the Sector. Protecting the future of the Great British Pub and our world-renowned brewers.

Prior to joining the BBPA, Emma served as a Member of the European Parliament for the East Midlands for 10 years. As a true beer lover, she also served as Vice President of the European Parliament Beer Club during this time. She has also held posts including Chairman of the Commonwealth Forum and Director of Global Policy for the Sports Integrity Global Alliance and is currently Chair of the Worldwide Brewing Alliance, Chair of the Tourism Alliance Board and a Director of the Ivors Academy.

Adam Handling MBE

Adam Handling

British Chef & Owner - Adam Handling Restaurant Collection

Adam Handling MBE is the Michelin-starred Chef Owner of the Adam Handling Collection, operating venues across the UK, and is fast becoming one of the best-known chefs in the country. Adam is passionate about British food, sustainability, and fighting food waste.

His Cornish gastropub, The Tartan Fox, was added to the Michelin Guide just five months after opening, and in 2025, Adam unveiled Ugly Butterfly 2.0, relocating his acclaimed Cornish restaurant to a stunning new home at The Headland in Newquay – a bold evolution of the original, with a flexible, produce-led menu that reflects his deep connection to the region. Also in 2025, Adam became the first British Michelin-starred chef to open a luxury chocolate shop, just around the corner from Frog in Covent Garden.

Adam has made numerous global television appearances including Saturday Kitchen Live, The One Show, and as a judge on Top Chef, MasterChef, and MasterChef: The Professionals.

Robert Richardson FIH MI

Robert Richardson

CEO - Institute of Hospitality

Robert Richardson FIH MI is the Chief Executive Officer of the award-winning Institute of Hospitality (IoH), the world’s largest professional body of almost 16,000 hospitality professionals worldwide, and a registered charity. IoH is dedicated to driving the recognition of the hospitality profession and uplifting its membership through lifelong learning, mentorship, and network-building.

A long-time member of IoH, Richardson built his career in the hospitality industry. Working his way up through the ranks from hotel floor staff to hotel General Manager, and now as CEO of IoH, he has a deep belief in making the hospitality industry open, inclusive, and accessible to all who seek to join it. In 2021, Robert led the Institute to win the Chartered Governance Institute UK&I “Diversity & Inclusion Strategy of the Year” award in recognition of these efforts.