18 May 2026
The Fertility Show took place at Kensington Olympia, London, on 16 and 17 May 2026. Louisa Ghevaert was delighted to attend this busy event, now in its 17th year, which focuses on helping people navigate the fertility sector and pathways to parenthood. It brought together fertility clinics, egg and sperm banks, charities, holistic health and wellness experts and support services across two days to help inform and support those embarking on family building journeys.
Images: Louisa Ghevaert, CEO & Director Louisa Ghevaert Associates, Abigail Case, The Lister Fertility Clinic
Professor Allan Pacey, Deputy Vice President and Deputy Dean of Biology, Medicine and HealthThe University of Manchester
Having attended the first Fertility Show in 2009, it was striking to see how much it has evolved over the last 17 years. Back in 2009, the landscape was different and the launch of the inaugural Fertility Show at Kensington Olympia was a carefully orchestrated event which sought to break new ground. It was quickly embraced and saw ticket sales of 3,000 over 6 – 7 November 2009. There was an undercurrent of nervousness amongst attendees and exhibitors and palpable anxiety about how the event would be perceived. This was followed by mixed and challenging media coverage. The Guardian referred to it as an “Ideal Home Exhibition for making babies” and described unease “at seeing big business tap such an emotive market”. It went on to describe it as “a wild frontier where anything goes; from the medically proven to the downright loopy.”
Now in its 17th year, The Fertility Show is an established annual event which brings together fertility clinics, egg and sperm banks, charities, holistic health and wellness experts and support services across two days to help inform and support those embarking on family building journeys. This year, amongst other things, it was encouraging to see representation for endometriosis, MRKH and increased fertility and health testing options for patients. There are now many different options and pathways to parenthood (including fertility treatment, donor conception, surrogacy, adoption) and it was great to see these represented and discuss upcoming research, AI integration and best practice as well.
Images: Louisa Ghevaert, CEO & Director Louisa Ghevaert Associates, Nina Barnsley, Director at Donor Conception Network
Sarah Taylor-Jones, Chief Executive Officer at Surrogacy UK, Charlotte Bishop, Director at MRKH Connect,
Carla Cressy OBE, Founder & CEO The Endometriosis Foundation
Need a Fertility or Family Lawyer?
Specialist fertility and family law strategies ensure effective approaches to (in)fertility and maximise reproductive health outcomes, as well as proactively manage family building arrangements. They identify and address a range of legal and practical issues across the family building and reproductive life cycle from pre-conception, through pregnancy, birth, family life and end-of-life, including:
- Family building options and associated legal issues due to impaired fertility (including cancer diagnosis, miscarriage, age-related fertility decline, genetic disorders, change in gender, delayed parenthood).
- Complex personal and family situations.
- Legal and practical aspects of fertility preservation (eggs, sperm, embryos).
- Navigating fertility treatment law in the UK.
- DNA and genetic testing and the law.
- Legal and practical aspects of assisted conception with an intra-family donor, known donor, anonymous/identity-release donor, co-parent or ex-partner (e.g. legal parentage, parental rights, financial responsibility).
- Care and upbringing of a child and management of fertility and family law disputes (including legal parentage, birth registration, parental responsibility, adoption, specific issue, contact and residence arrangements).
- 3-person IVF and the law.
- Legal and wider aspects of international surrogacy or a UK surrogacy arrangement.
- Import or export of genetically matched gametes and embryos.
- Posthumous conception law and genetic legacy.
- Expert witness fertility, donor conception and surrogacy law services.
To find out more about family building options and law click here.
To find out more about fertility treatment law in the UK click here.
To find out more about donor conception law in the UK click here.
To find out more about surrogacy law click here.
