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UK Construction Week: Net zero and culture change top the agenda
CM Staff
Visitor registration for UK Construction Week Birmingham (UKCW Birmingham) is now live. The three-day show returns to Birmingham’s NEC from 4 to 6 October 2022.
Officially opened by architect and Channel 4 presenter George Clarke, UK Construction Week Birmingham is expecting around 25,000 attendees.
The show will celebrate culture change in construction with a varied programme of debate. Discussions will focus on how the industry can tackle its biggest issues, including quality, fire safety, sustainability, offsite manufacturing, mental health, and improving diversity and inclusion.
Visitors will also be able to find sections dedicated to net zero, building materials, digitalisation, infrastructure, surface & materials, offsite construction, and skills and careers.
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There will be plenty to see, hear and do. More than 6,000 products will be on display from more than 300 exhibitors. They include Balfour Beatty, Vinci, HS2, Tarmac, Forterra, Akzo Nobel, Google, Wavin, Celsa UK, Bosch, Schneider Electric and many more.
This year, the multi award-winning show also welcomes many overseas exhibitors, including from Australia, India, Norway, Turkey and the UAE.
UKCW opens on 4 October
What’s more, details of a packed programme of seminars, CPD talks, and careers presentations have been announced. Seminars will focus on myriad topics, including skills, social value, business, innovation and regulation, major projects, procurement and housing. These are complemented by 20 CPD sessions, covering everything from Supply Chain Resilience to the Building Safety Act.
Programme highlights include:
Day One
Skills
UKCW will look at skills, and on solutions from industry leaders, including Rick Lee, chief people person at Willmott Dixon. He was instrumental in securing the RICS Inclusive Employer Quality Mark for tier one contractors.
Social value
Ann Bentley, global board director at Rider Levett Bucknall, and board member of the Construction Leadership Council, has led the way on bringing about behaviour change and unlocking social value through changes in the construction process. She will give her reflections on the launch of the value toolkit and what it can do for the sector.
Net zero
David Hopkins, chair of Timber Development UK, will host a series of keynote discussions throughout the show. The first day includes a panel looking at the commercial reality of carbon in construction. Finance, construction and the climate challenge also feature.
Day Two
Business, Innovation and Regulation
Including the new Building Safety Act, the ongoing digital revolution, and the challenges facing the supply chain brought about by the pandemic and war in Ukraine.
Economic Outlook
What does the economic outlook for the sector look like? Top economists Professor Noble Francis, economic director at the Construction Products Association, and Tom Hall, chief economist at Barbour ABI, will offer crucial insight for those planning the months ahead.
Many topics within construction will be debated over the three-day event
Day Three
UKCW Question Time with Andy Street
The Mayor of the West Midlands Combined Authority will answer Midlanders’ questions. Topics include housing – such as the Future Homes Strategy and the Housing and Land Board; and transport – including HS2.
Major projects, procurement and housing
Bringing together the solutions from the conference programme to the biggest challenges of the day. These include retrofitting the majority of UK housing stock, creating net infrastructure. There is also a study of the regional opportunities in the West Midlands enabled by HS2 and its satellite projects.
Furthermore, the Careers Centre will offer visitors an array of informative talks aimed at those interested in a career in construction, whether that be graduates, students in further education, or those looking at a career change. Highlights include:
Bridging the UK skills shortage through social mobility – how to hire in a period of unparalleled demand for skills.
Role Models in Construction with Founders4Schools – Role models can inspire a new generation to enter the industry, F4S will explain how industry can play its part
Anglia Ruskin University
Breaking down barriers – exclusive research will be presented with solutions on how women and carers can be attracted into construction
Building People will run a full day on Tuesday, bringing together organisations and initiatives that provide built environment careers support to diverse audiences.
Co-located events at UKCW Birmingham include Timber Expo, Green Living Live (5-6 Oct only), and Grand Designs Live (5-6 Oct only). Ticket Holders will gain free access to all co-located events. There will also be an Institute of Builders Merchants conference on 5 October (paid-for entry).
Timber exhibition
Timber Expo, the UK’s only dedicated timber exhibition, has been running for 10 years. It is attended by architects, local authorities, merchants, developers, housebuilders and contractors. Timber Expo is designed for people who use, specify, design and build with timber, and offers the opportunity to join hundreds of other brands showcasing their latest innovation, products and services.
Timber Expo is backed by and held in collaboration with Timber Development UK, BM Trada, Timber Construction and Timber Trader. It will have a programme of industry leaders, including architects, developers, housebuilders, merchants and more.
They will debate and discuss the sector as we tackle post pandemic supply issues, post-Brexit challenges, the impact of the Ukraine conflict on the timber supply chain and the drive to net zero as we strive to meet COP26 targets.
The exhibitor profile includes structural timber frame, sawmills, merchants, glulam, SIPs, CLT, fixings and fastenings, timber cladding, doors and windows, mouldings, skirtings and flooring products.
Confirmed exhibitors at Timber Expo include Rokamat, Engineered Timber Solutions, Woodolex, the Ghana Forestry Commission and Hanson Plywood.
The November/December 2025 issue of Construction Management magazine is now available to read in digital format.
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