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Annual Conference 2025

The Brewery London

16th October

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Agenda

Whether you're looking to unlock new markets, harness innovation, or empower your teams, this one-day event is packed with practical insights, fresh thinking, and real-world tools to help your business thrive

There will be two distinct strands: theatre one, sponsored by Mitsubishi Electric - focuses on the day-to-day of running a business with our sector and theatre two, sponsored by Schneider Electric – focuses on ensuring your employees are equipped with the competence and skills they need to meet current and future challenges.

A new feature called "meet the experts" will be your opportunity to delve deeper into the areas you have questions, and need BESA's help on the answers. Experts will assist with questions on; the Building Safety Act, legal and commercial, employment and education, competence and compliance, Indoor Air Quality plus more.

09:30 AM – 09:45 AM

Welcome to the BESA Annual Conference

Welcome to this year’s BESA Annual Conference. Together, we’ll reflect on the progress we've made, the challenges we're facing, and the exciting opportunities ahead for our industry. This is a chance for us all to come together — to share ideas, build connections, and shape the future of building engineering services 

09:45 AM – 10:30 AM

10:30AM – 11:05 AM

Networking Break

 

11:10 AM – 11:55 AM

Redefining Value: From Lowest Cost to Lasting Impact

The race to the bottom on cost has long undermined innovation, quality, and long-term performance in the built environment. But the tide is turning. 

This session explores how the industry can shift from short-term, price-driven procurement to a model that prioritises outcomes, long-term value, and whole-life performance. What does outcome-based procurement really look like in practice and how do we embed it from design to delivery to operation? 

  • How to make outcome-based procurement achievable and scalable 
  • The role of collaboration, standardisation, and early stakeholder alignment 
  • Proven approaches to unlocking better performance across the asset lifecycle 
  • What clients, contractors, and consultants each need to change to drive real value 

12:05 PM – 12:50 PM

Going for Growth

As the government accelerates investment in construction to drive economic growth, how can firms position themselves to take advantage—especially in an era where building safety, quality, and decarbonisation are not just compliance issues, but powerful business drivers? 

This session explores how forward-thinking companies are aligning with national priorities such as net zero and modern building standards to unlock opportunities in high-growth, resilient sectors—life sciences, healthcare, data centres, pharmaceuticals, research, defence, and public sector infrastructure.  

Hear from industry leaders already thriving in these spaces. They'll share real-world insights into: 

  • How building safety and sustainability can become market differentiators 
  • What it takes to break into ‘recession-proof’ construction sectors 
  • Lessons learned from successful bids and project delivery 
  • Strategies for future-proofing your business in a changing economic landscape 

12:50 PM –14:00 PM

Lunch

An opportunity to grab a refreshment, connect with delegates and meet the exhibitors.

14:05 PM – 14:50 PM

From Wow-Factor to Workhorse: Supercharging Building Engineering Services with AI

AI is no longer just hype – it’s a hands-on tool that can streamline tasks, unlock productivity, and future-proof your organisation. Martin Paver and colleagues will showcase some of the latest AI capabilities in image, video, voice and autonomous agents. They’ll share real examples from apprentices, industry hackathons and practical UK projects, then guide you through a roadmap to help your team explore, train and build capability with AI safely and effectively. Expect fast demos, audience interaction, and a clear plan for turning potential into progress.

15:00 PM – 15:45 PM

Innovation in Water Treatment

Compromised water quality remains one of the sector’s most persistent challenges, impacting efficiency, longevity, and sustainability. This session explores the practicalities of commissioning, the environmental and operational case for chemical-free water treatment (CFWT), and the critical role of water quality across all heating and cooling systems—from district networks to commercial HVAC installations.

Key themes include:

  • Best practices for commissioning and maintenance to safeguard system performance.
  • The sustainability imperative: Reducing chemical reliance without compromising water safety.
  • Real-world applications and lessons learned, with insights from contractors and technical experts.

15:50 PM – 16:15 PM

Beer and Takeaways

Take a moment to reflect on the conference, exchange final thoughts with fellow attendees, and bring the day to a close over a refreshing drink

S&P Ventilation

16:15 PM – 16:45 PM

11:10 AM – 11:55 AM

Building Our Future Workforce

The UK education system is still preparing students for yesterday’s jobs in tomorrow’s world. While employers urgently need tech-savvy, AI-literate, collaborative talent, schools are still grading students on facts they can Google in half a second.

This punchy session reveals how businesses can help close the widening skills gap before it's too late. From shaping the curriculum to mentoring students and championing soft skills, employers have a powerful role to play. If you're tired of waiting for change—be part of it.

12:05 PM – 12:50 PM

Fixing a Collective Competence Failure

 A practical response to the barriers to progress being created by the need to embed a new ‘safety first’ culture in the wake of the final Grenfell Tower public inquire report. Why are so many planning applications being rejected (lack of detail/lack of rigour?) and how can we improve our submissions? NB: 80% of Gateway Two submissions are for refurbishment work and this has caught BSR by surprise. These are relatively minor works but reflect the huge backlog of maintenance work on HRBs. 

12:50 PM – 14:00 PM

Lunch

An opportunity to grab a refreshment, connect with delegates and meet the exhibitors.

14:05 PM – 14:50 PM

Keynote & Workshop

The construction supply chain can drive economic growth and deliver homes and infrastructure more efficiently. Build UK unites the industry to improve productivity, resilience, and collaboration. Every BESA member can help transform the sector—join Suzannah to learn how we can shape a better future together.

15:00 PM – 15:45 PM

The Building as a System

To achieve decarbonisation, safety and better energy performance construction will have to start seeing the building and its design process as a ‘system’. Architects, M&E specialists, Contractors and built environment champions will explain how to improve collaboration on future projects 

Theatre One

09:00 AM – 09:20 AM

09:20 AM – 10:30 AM

10:30 AM - 11:10 AM

11:10 AM – 11:55 AM

12:05 PM – 12:50 PM

12:50 PM – 14:00 PM

14:05 PM – 14:50 PM

15:05 PM – 15:45 PM

15:50 PM – 16:15 PM

16:15 PM - 16:45 PM

Theatre Two

09:00 AM – 09:20 AM

09:20 AM – 10:30 AM

10:30 AM – 11:10 AM

11:10 AM – 11:55 AM

12:05 PM – 12:50 PM

12:50 PM – 14:00 PM

14:05 PM – 14:50 PM

15:00 PM – 15:45 PM

15:50 PM - 16:15 PM

16:15 PM - 16:45 PM

Meet the Speakers

Get to know the experts, leaders, and changemakers shaping this year’s BESA Annual Conference. From industry veterans to fresh voices, our speakers bring a wealth of experience, insight, and passion to the discussions that matter most. Whether they're challenging the status quo, sharing practical solutions, or inspiring new thinking, each speaker plays a vital role in driving the conversation forward.

Explore their profiles below and discover the people behind the ideas.

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Chris Newman

Mitsubishi Electric 

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Chris Oldham

City of London 

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Chris Parsloe

CSCA

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David Flynn

Kope-ai

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David Wilson

Multiplex Construction Europe

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Jill Nicholls

BESA

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Mark Enzer

Mott Macdonald

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Martin Paver

Projecting Success 

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Neil Burdess

The Commissioning Specialists Association

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Nick Mead

Laing O'Rourke

Paul McSoley

Paul McSoley

PMCS Tech Consult 

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Rebecca Taylor

Skanska

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Russel Jones

Mitsubishi Electric 

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Suzannah Nichol

Build UK 

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Tom Absalom

JCA

Wayne McKiernan

Wayne McKiernan

Ackroyd Lowrie

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Will Pit

Laing O'Rourke

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Andy Francis

Welplan

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Noble Francis

CPA

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Lilly Gallafent

Cast-consultancy