Dear Member
Well, what a great event the 2025 AGTO Showcase was and now we have to top it with our 2026 event – a tall order but we are rising to the challenge!
We return to a weekend format: Friday 27th February to Sunday 1st March 2026, giving three days of activity and three days of ideas and inspiration to help you plan your trips and holidays.
Our destination is Leicester and our venue is the four-star Holiday Inn Leicester located just a short walk from the city centre. The hotel features all the amenities you would expect from the Holiday Inn brand.
Leicester, a vibrant city in the heart of England, is well-known for its rich history, cultural diversity, and innovative spirit. Yet, beyond its Roman ruins and impressive curry houses, Leicester hides a treasure trove of quirky and humorous facts that give the city its unique character. You’ll learn more about these quirks at the Showcase.
Holiday Inn Leicester is located near the Highcross shopping centre and is a five minute walk from attractions such as the King Richard III Visitor Centre and Leicester Cathedral.
Travelling to the hotel is simple. It’s either a 10- minute taxi ride from Leicester railway station, 15 minutes from the M1 at junction 21. There is an NCP car park next to the hotel.
The Showcase format remains as previous years, starting with a short Welcome address on the Friday afternoon followed by an evening drinks reception, networking and dinner.
Saturday morning will deliver the Partner Showcase, where delegates can peruse the stands giving everyone the opportunity to get inspiration for new trips and outings chatting to our Partners. This will be followed by our FAM trips, organised with the valuable assistance and generosity of Visit Leicester and the attractions of Leicester.
The evening provides another opportunity to enjoy each other’s company with a drinks reception followed by our glamorous Gala Dinner, entertainment and dancing.
The full itinerary is over the page. Please visit the AGTO Showcase page on the AGTO website for further details and the booking form.
The AGTO Showcase is a wonderful opportunity and one of the top benefits of membership, not only to find inspiration for your groups but also to meet other GTOs and suppliers in a relaxed unhurried environment. IT REALLY IS AN EVENT NOT TO BE MISSED
I’m really looking forward to welcoming you, with “ay up me duck” (Leicester phrase for hello) to the 2026 AGTO Showcase and chatting to you in Leicester next February
Best Wishes
Wendy Hartley-Scarff F Inst TT
AGTO CEO
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Itinerary
Friday 27th February
Delegates travel to the Holiday Inn Leicester Hotel
2.00pm Check in to Hotel from this time
4.00pm Welcome to the 2026 AGTO Showcase- Leicestershire Suite
4.05pm Presentations – Full programme to be confirmed
7.00pm Networking Drinks Reception- Leicestershire Suite
Foyer
7.30pm Welcome informal dinner in Leicestershire Suite Dress
code: Smart Casual
Saturday 28th February
8.00am Breakfast in the Main Restaurant
9.30am- Partner Exhibition- Leicestershire Suite
11.30am
12.00pm Coaches depart for Fam trips (Return 5.00pm)
Trip A – Cathedral & Richard III
Trip B – Jewry Wall Museum
Trip C – Great Central Railway
7.00pm Networking Drinks Reception- Leicestershire Suite Foyer
7.45pm Gala Dinner & Entertainment- Leicestershire Suite – Dress code: IMPRESSIVE! more details to follow
Sunday 1st March
8.00am Breakfast in the Main Restaurant
9.15am Regional Meetings
10.30am AGTO Showcase summary & close
12:00pm Optional Fam trip – GTOs only
Trip D – Belvoir Castle Tour
Fam trip options
Saturday 28th February 2026 12:30pm-4:30pm
King Richard III Visitor Centre
The discovery of King Richard III remains in a Leicester car park, made international headlines, solving a 500-year-old mystery. In August 2012, archaeologists from the University of Leicester began an excavation on the site. Astoundingly, within hours, they uncovered a human skeleton in the very first trench, setting the stage for one of history’s most compelling archaeological finds.
This King Richard III Visitor Centre is must-see Leicester attraction, offering a unique opportunity to delve into the life and reign of one of England’s most enigmatic monarchs. With interactive exhibits and archaeological finds, the centre truly brings the past to life.
Leicester Cathedral
Leicester Cathedral lies at the heart of Leicester’s Old Town and is the final resting place of King Richard III, whose televised reinterment service, led by the Archbishop of Canterbury, attracted over 600 million viewers. Explore over 900 years of history in this peaceful and beautiful building, situated within the tranquil Cathedral Gardens – a quiet space in the heart of the city, made up of areas of lawn, flower beds, seating, and public art.
Leicester Guildhall
A timber-framed landmark originally built in 1390 as a meeting and banquet hall. Over 600 years, it was extended and hosted events that reflected English history, from celebrations of the Spanish Armada defeat to thanksgiving dinners after the Battle of Naseby and a performance, said to be delivered by a certain William Shakespeare. After narrowly escaping demolition in 1876, the Guildhall was saved, renovated, and reopened as a museum in 1926.
Jewry Wall Museum
Opened in summer 2025 following a multimillion-pound transformation, step back in time at Leicester’s exciting new attraction, where one of the UK’s largest surviving Roman bath house sites has been stunningly transformed into a modern museum. See over 100 fascinating Roman artefacts, all unearthed locally, and brought to life through cutting-edge digital technology, immersive films, and interactive displays.
With impressive architectural design, featuring glass walls that offer incredible views of the ancient ruins and witness vivid depictions of Roman citizens, helping to paint a clear picture of daily life nearly 2,000 years ago.
Roman Trail Walking Tour
Explore Roman Leicester on a walking tour through the city’s modern streets! Discover the sites of key Roman buildings and learn about their fascinating history, including those that have been lost, found, and sometimes lost again. Keep an eye out for Heritage Panels along the way, which offer more details on different periods of Leicester’s past. The tour will be a light stroll for half a mile and provide a feel for the bustling, diverse Roman city that once thrived beneath today’s vibrant streets.
Step back in time with a journey on the UK’s only double track, main line heritage railway, where fully restored steam and diesel locomotives bring the golden age of rail travel back to life. Running for over eight miles through the scenic Leicestershire countryside, the Great Central Railway is a working museum, complete with historic stations, signal boxes, and heritage carriages.
Visitors can explore beautifully recreated period stations all set within different time periods; 1950s Loughborough Central, a wartime 1940s Quorn & Woodhouse, the gaslit splendour of 1912 Rothley and the 1960s Leicester North. Enjoy a behind-the-scenes look at the engineering workshops, carriage sheds, and museum displays, all celebrating the legacy of the railways that once powered Britain.
The line is famous for its preserved double-track layout, allowing full-size express steam trains to pass in motion – a unique experience in the UK. From railway enthusiasts to families and film fans (thanks to its appearances in productions such as Enigma, The Hours, Shadowlands and The Crown), the Great Central Railway offers an unforgettable heritage experience.
Sunday 1st March 2026 12:00pm-4:00pm
Belvoir Castle Tour
Often stepping in for Windsor Castle on screen, Belvoir Castle provides a regal backdrop,
gracing numerous films and TV series, including The Crown, The Da Vinci Code, Victoria and Abdul, and The Young Victoria.
Afternoon tea originated at Belvoir Castle in the mid-1840s, popularised by Anna Maria Russell, the 7th Duchess of Bedford. She started the ritual to alleviate a ‘sinking feeling’ in the late afternoon, requesting tea and snacks before dinner. Revisit the steps of Anna Maria Russell with your own afternoon tea experience before taking in the stunning Regency architecture and surrounding gardens, dating back to the Norman invasion. Belvoir boasts stunning, panoramic views across several English counties. Its stately terraces, battlemented walls, and turrets have been iconic features of the Vale of Belvoir since the 1830s.
Next to the castle, visitors will discover The Belvoir Retail Village, an exclusive rural shopping experience. Developed from a former sawmill and wheelwright’s shop, the Village celebrates the best of local food and country living, featuring stylish fashion, accessories, and the latest homewares.
*Please note that all Fam Visits include a light lunch.