Join think tank leaders, funders and policy experts from around the world at OTT Conference 2026, hosted in partnership with the Policy Center for the New South.
The 2026 OTT Conference will be a special edition as we mark its 10th anniversary. We warmly invite you to join the celebration!
On Think Tanks is the leading global source of information, support and community for people working in, with, and funding think tanks.
The OTT Conference is the only global space for think tanks that cuts across disciplines, sectors, regions and ideological preferences.
Join 180+ thinktankers, funders and practitioners as we develop the field together!
OTT Conference 2026: Think tanks and trust
In recent years, the ground beneath public life has shifted. Social and political trust is eroding, consensus has become an outlier, and evidence (once the currency of serious debate) too often appears dismissed, manipulated, or ignored. In such a context, one question arises with urgency: are think tanks still trustworthy and relevant actors?
This is the challenge and the opportunity that will define the 2026 OTT Conference. Trust will not be treated as an abstract ideal, but as a condition that determines whether think tanks can continue to shape the policy world. What is trust? Trust in what or whom, and why does it matter?
Learn more about the 2026 conference theme
Keynote speakers and draft sessions
Keynote speakers
Draft sessions
- Building a trusted think tank brand: an audience-first approach – convened by John Schwartz from Soapbox.
- Stop complaining about the trust deficit and start designing the solution – convened by Margarita Beneke De Sanfeliu from FUSADES.
- Forget core funding: alternative income streams for resilient think tanks – convened by Jorge Morel from IEP.
- Building for the future: student-led think tanks – convened by the European Student Think Tank, Leeds Policy Institute and Student Network for Open Science
- NEW initiative: Women in think tanks – convened by OTT and Mawazo Institute.
- How can think tanks mobilise domestic funding by promoting policy regimes that promote domestic philanthropy and more public funding for policy research? – convened by OTT drawing on a new project with WINGS.
- Universities and think tanks: strategic alliances for knowledge, impact, and sustainability – convened by Florencia Rubiolo from Insight 21.
- Hackathon: co-developing the 2026 State of the Sector Report – convened by OTT and the SOS partners.
- Regional think tanks: challenged and opportunities – convened by OTT and participating regional think tanks.
- Think tanks, trust and money – convened by nick Cleveland-Stout from Quincy Institute.
More keynote speakers, sessions and session speakers will be announced soon!
Community building opportunities
In addition to extended breaks and networking sessions the 2026 OTT Conference will include:
- Our now famous “Unpopular Opinion” sing-along.
- A peer assist session for think tanks to present current challenges and opportunities and seek advice from peers.
- An innovations marketplace for think tanks to present and discuss new strategies of tactics aimed at building trust, organisational resilience and impact.
- “F@ck-up Night” to share and reflect on the personal and professional mistakes we all make!
Register to the Conference to find out how to participate!
About the OTT conferences
OTT conferences are designed to create opportunities for both formal and informal interactions, allowing participants to create sessions on topics relevant to them.
The programme includes a public event on the first evening, followed by a lineup of keynote addresses, plenary and parallel sessions.
The programme includes extended coffee and lunch breaks for networking, a marketplace of ideas, and fringe events hosted by participating organisations throughout the week.
We invite all participants to use their time in Rabat to organise meetings and fringe events with other conference-goers. If you would like our support in connecting you with other participants from a specific sector or region, please reach out.
Watch the sessions and read the articles from the OTT 2025 Conference.
Past OTT Conferences have featured over 1,470 attendees from more than 100 countries.
Register your interest
You can express your interest in the 2026 Conference by filling out this form.
Upon submitting your interest, we will contact you to confirm whether we can secure your participation. Should we be able to reserve a place for you, you will receive an Eventbrite link to finalise your attendance.
Please note that the OTT Conference is held in English. There will be no translation facilities. OTT supports regional and local initiatives where discussions are held in languages other than English.
Starting in 2024, we took a step towards securing the long-term viability of our conferences by introducing a nominal registration fee for the OTT Conference. This contribution enables us to foster greater diversity in participation and enhance the sustainability of our conferences.
As always, we aim to make the OTT Conference a valuable experience for you!
In this document, you will find information regarding our registration fees and refund policy. For logistical details on the venue and getting to the conference, check our conference and city guide.
OTT is registered in the United Kingdom. As such, the registration fees for the conference will be collected in GBP.
- Nominal fee (Group A) GBP 225
- Reduced fee (Group B) GBP 125
- UK participants (Group C) GBP 225 + 20% VAT*
If you would like to host a session at the OTT Conference 2026, please read the session proposal guidelines.
