An annual event not to be missed as a dental group owner is the DentalForum UK in Marbella. Set in the Don Carlos Hotel these 2 days were filled with conversations, both catching up with familiar faces and friends from the dental industry and putting faces to the names and contacts I’ve worked with over the last year but not had the opportunity to meet in person.
There’s something special about sitting down with leaders in the dental industry in a non UK location, wither with a coffee over lunch, or a beer at the bar, having a proper chat, and hearing what everyone has been focusing their time on, struggling with, or in the case of dental suppliers, how they can help and support your group. You just can’t replicate that online or through endless emails. Those conversations are often where the best ideas come from.
The 15-minute one-to-one meetings with suppliers, which are always an intense part of these events, were highly productive this year, it’s exciting what’s new and out there in Dentistry. And it’s only going to get better.
Whether the conversations were around recruitment, business growth, AI, new opportunities, or simply sharing ideas, it’s amazing how much can come from taking the time to talk face-to-face.
What really stood out this year was the positive direction the UK dental group and corporate dental sector is moving in. There’s a real appetite for doing things better, not just through investment in AI, technology and smarter ways of working, but by focusing on people too. Recruitment and retention was the key take away. More focus on development of the team, creating better career opportunities, education, and building workplaces where people genuinely enjoy coming to work and get access to the best of what’s out there.
To build the long-term growth, the key focus now seems to be culture, and how we continue delivering great patient care while supporting and focusing on the team.
For me, events like this are a reminder of how small and connected Dentistry is. Everyone group is facing a similar challenge, but there’s also the willingness to share ideas, learn from each other, and keep pushing the profession forward together. It’s not as much of a competition that it seems to be!
A big thank you Open Rooms for such a great event. The hotel was just incredible, the sun shone for the whole event, the evenings were pitched perfectly, and the whole atmosphere both day and night was superb.
Ok, so I’ve fallen behind on emails and come back to even more work, to do’s and follow ups to respond to, however, I’m back with plenty of new ideas, and a renewed appreciation for the UK dental groups and those working within them.
As mentioned above, the one thing that really stood out was the direction many of the UK dental groups and dental corporates are heading. There’s a real focus on investing in the people, the culture, retaining staff, improving patient care, embracing AI and technology, and creating better environments for teams to grow and develop. It’s encouraging to see so much positivity, roll on Marbella 2027!
