The third annual conference of the Academy of Professional Dialogue was held online for the first time, and in the Academy’s Online Conference Centre specially created for the occasion. By holding sessions for four hours each day for five consecutive days, many more could be present than in previous conferences.

This year’s conference theme was Shaping the Profession. Dialogue as a profession is beginning to assume the form needed to encourage and enable different sectors to work more dialogically. We had substantial evidence of progress in this regard through the conference papers shared with participants beforehand and considered together at the conference. They featured Professional Dialogue work in Education (primary, secondary and adult), Corrections (UK and USA), Social Services (homelessness and care homes for the elderly and those with special needs) and Thinking (including what it takes to create a profession).