Friday 30th January 2026 saw Manchester host The ON IT Conference, the city’s first ever ChemSex conference. The event took place in the basement bar of The Eagle, in the Gay Village. The Eagle has a proud reputation as a sex-positive, inclusive space with a real focus on the importance of consent. It was perhaps an unconventional location for a conference, but ideal for ON IT – a harm reduction campaign which places emphasis on lived-experience, and a no-nonsense, non-judgemental approach to delivering its messages.
From the outset, the organising team were clear that the event should forego the usual conference staples of PowerPoint presentations and stuffy conference rooms. ChemSex is an emotive topic, that has real-life implications on people’s lives. ChemSex participants were approached, adult content creators were asked for their views and experience, people living with HIV, and with the consequences of consent-removal had to drive the conversation; alongside professionals and service providers.
The four ‘pillars’ of ON IT are ‘sex’, ‘chems’, ‘HIV’, and ‘consent’. Each of these pillars were the subject of the four panels throughout the day. Taking cues from ‘The Graham Norton Show’, the ON IT team made the decision to have all participants on the sofa, with a presenter driving the conversation and encouraging participation from attendees. Challenging, but respectful conversations were at the core of the day. We’ll be sharing videos of each of the panels soon.
The team are overwhelmed at the positive response to the conference. We wanted to share just a small number of comments we’ve had since the conference:
- “How much more enriching an experience is when you make it entertaining as well as informative. I have been to lots of similar conferences, where there are funny and engaging speakers but the format doesn’t allow them to express this properly. This conference was a great combination of laughter and entertainment (spearheaded by the fabulous Cheddar Gorgeous), heart felt and passionate testimonies from panelists with lived experience, and brilliant insight from experts and professionals. The way that Cheddar was able to shift from funny to serious with ease, but also the other hosts as well. I think the tone was perfect and it made for a really entertaining experience, as well as being insightful and informative for those with less knowledge of the subjects. I think you learn more when you’re laughing.”
- “This conference addressed some serious subjects with care, integrity and clear intent. I found each session really informative and carefully balanced. The inclusion of lived experience was particularly powerful and clearly integral to the event. It grounded the learning, challenged assumptions, and reinforced the real impact of the issues discussed. Overall this was an excellent conference it was informative, human and impactful, and set a high standard for how these subjects should be explored in professional settings.”
- “I think for me, the balance of Zach and Kath was on-point. Having two completely different perspectives on an emotive topic talking so candidly and respectfully was refreshing. The openness from people about their HIV status or their chems use was brilliant and it’s what’s needed. Things weren’t either guarded or corporate and it felt like the conversation was genuine.”
- “Overall this was a brilliant conference, and I would like to see the format replicated. Having Cheddar Gorgeous host was inspired, but the other hosts were also brilliant. I loved how open and interactive it was. Best of all were the conversations and insights shared during the chems session. From my perspective, most of the important and interesting elements of the chems issue are lost when it is discussed in public, in the media and even at similar conferences. And within minutes of the chems session, so much of what I feel very strongly about in relation to this issue was being said, in a very clever and articulate way. So that was the highlight for me. I really hope that you guys are able to join forces with the southerners. I think next we should be aiming for a National Chemsex Conference, which brings together orgs and best practice from across the UK, with a hybrid format – hopefully hosted by Cheddar!”
The ON IT team would like to thank everyone who took part, and made the day so successful. Particular thanks go to Cheddar Gorgeous, Jide Macauley and George Proctor for being flawless hosts. And to Dr. Cath White, Zach Elliot, Dr. Andrew Tomkins, Paul Holt, Shazza Fierce, Maurice Nagington, Des Davis, Peter Channon, Gayna Williams, Janet Potter, Lee Horne and Misty Chance for being amazing participants, and for sharing some hugely personal experiences. The team would also like to thank they guys at The Eagle for being the perfect hosts. It couldn’t have happened without them.
The conversation doesn’t stop at the end of the conference. There’s more on the horizon, and the team will be announcing some exciting new plans and events soon.
ON IT is a joint harm reduction campaign from George House Trust and We Are Survivors.
