Professional speaker and generational communication expert Alastair Greener will welcome delegates at a major UK speaking conference in Leeds this April, as part of his role as President of the Professional Speaking Association (PSA) UK & Ireland.

The PSA’s spring conference, IMPACT! 2026, takes place on Saturday April 18 at The Studio in Leeds and brings together speakers, trainers, coaches and communication professionals from across the UK. Alastair has been involved in shaping the event and will open the day.

The conference comes shortly after Alastair returned from Australia, where he represented the UK at the Global Speakers Summit in Cairns. The event brought together more than 360 speakers from 17 international speaking associations.

“It was incredible to be in a room where everyone was able to learn from the very best in our industry,” he said. “But what stood out was the impact professional speakers can still have on their audiences, even in a world where technology is changing so fast. The need to be able to connect has never been so important.”

That insight has helped shape the focus of this year’s Leeds event. The theme, The Art of Connection, sits at the centre of Alastair’s presidency and reflects a growing need for clearer, more effective communication.

During his time in Cairns, Alastair connected with speakers from across the world and saw how the industry continues to evolve, particularly as audiences become more diverse and expectations shift. One standout moment was seeing Nienke Bloem deliver a mainstage session. She will now join the speaker line-up at IMPACT! in Leeds later this month.

Alastair, who is the author of the book “Generationally Speaking: how to bridge the gap and communicate with confidence” said the Leeds conference will focus on practical ways to connect with audiences, clients and communities.

“You can have a brilliant message, but if people don’t feel it or relate to it, it won’t stick,” he said. “Connection is what makes the difference between being heard and being remembered.”

With professionals now communicating across platforms, generations and cultures, he believes the ability to connect clearly is becoming more important than ever.

“If people leave thinking differently about how they engage with others, then the day has done its job,” Alastair said.

To find out more about Alastair Greener and his work in generational communication, including his book and podcast, visit www.generationallyspeaking.co.uk