The Little Event 2026
Session 1: Thu 29th January, 3:00pm - 6:30pm; & Session 2: Sat 31st January, 10:00am - 2:00pm
Both sessions are GMT (London) time
Online via Zoom (this is a live event and not pre-recorded)
The Little Event is BIG’s training session for people who are new to STEM communication, whether you work in a science centre or museum, volunteer for a festival, are involved in university outreach, or do anything else to engage people with science, technology, engineering and maths. The Little Event is crammed with introductory sessions focusing on developing the different skills that are useful in STEM communication, delivered by experienced science communicators following BIG's usual hands-on approach.
The 2026 Little Event will be online over two days. The days are designed to work together and are booked as a package (i.e. not sold separately). Sessions are delivered live. They are not pre-recorded.
But of course, it isn't just about the sessions, it’s the people you will meet, too. The Little Event presents a great opportunity to meet people from across the world, working in similar roles and sharing experiences. The 2026 programme includes sessions on creative approaches to scicomm, social media and video content, and will include plenty of networking time as well as short comfort breaks.
2026 Schedule:
Day 1 - Thursday, 29 January
2:45pm - 3pm: Arrival and registration for a prompt 3pm start
3.10pm - Networking Breakout Rooms with the BIG Committee
3.30pm - An Overview of the SciComm Sector.
BIG Chair, Hana Ayoob and Freelance Science Communicator, Sarah Cosgriff, will take delegates on a tour of the UK science communication sector, providing a broad overview of everything going on across the country.
4.40pm - Networking Breakout Rooms with the BIG Committee
4.55pm - Networking Breakout Rooms with the BIG Committee
5.25pm - Creative Approaches to SciComm
Khalil Thirlaway, science communicator and creative producer, will guide an interactive session exploring creative approaches to science communication. Through examples and guided activities, this workshop will help you think outside the box, experiment with new formats, and develop ideas that make your science more engaging, original, and impactful.
Day 2 - Saturday 31, January
9:45am - 10am: Arrival and registration for a prompt 10am start
10.05am - Networking Breakout Rooms with the BIG Committee
10.25am - Building Your Personal Brand
Sophia Constantinou, science communicator and TV researcher, will run a quickfire session on how to build a strong personal brand in science communication. This will cover how to network with confidence, communicate your value clearly, and create a standout LinkedIn profile that opens doors. Expect practical advice, real-world examples, and tips you can apply immediately to raise your professional profile.
11.35am - Networking Breakout Rooms with the BIG Committee
11.50am - How Videos can Help Your Science Communication Career.
Join Dr Elizabeth Mills, freelance science communicator and YouTuber (MarineMumbles) to learn how best to use video throughout your scicomm career. With examples of how videos can help your career, practical tips to get the most out of creating videos and a guided activity to reflect and plan how videos will work best for you.
1pm - SciComm Careers Q&A
A selection of speakers and BIG committee members will be on hand to talk about their career journey, and be ready to take your questions.
2pm - Official End of the Little Event
BIG members: £50. Login as a member first to be able to register for the member rate. To login as a member, use the email address you used to join BIG. If you can't remember what this is, please email admin@big.uk.com.
Non-members: £85.
One year's membership is included with your ticket.
