Construction leaders from across the North of England will unite this autumn at the Constructing Excellence North Conference 2026, taking place on Thursday 17 September at Aspire, Leeds.
Under the theme “The North’s Blueprint: Delivering Action Together”, the event will bring members of the Constructing Excellence regional networks across Yorkshire & Humber, the North West and the North East for a day focused on collaboration, shared priorities and a unified approach to shaping the future of the built environment.
The conference is designed to strengthen cross-regional working throughout the North, bringing together clients, contractors, consultants, SMEs, innovators and industry leaders to align thinking on the challenges and opportunities facing the construction sector as a whole.
A key focus will be how the North can work effectively as a connected region, turning shared ambition into practical delivery across procurement, infrastructure, housing, sustainability and major project delivery.
Constructing Excellence is a national industry movement dedicated to improving the performance of the built environment through collaboration, best practice and innovation. Its regional networks connect organisations across the supply chain to share knowledge, drive continuous improvement and support better outcomes for projects, communities and the wider industry.
Caroline Key, co-chair for Constructing Excellence Yorkshire and Humber Club, said: “The North has a real opportunity to lead the way in how the built environment collaborates, innovates and delivers at scale. This conference is about bringing together the full breadth of expertise across our regions to focus on shared challenges and turn them into practical, deliverable solutions.
“By working more closely across boundaries, we can strengthen outcomes, improve consistency and ensure the North is better connected in how it plans and delivers future growth.”
Confirmed speakers include Lucy Howard, UK major bids lead at Turner & Townsend, Alison Nicholl, head of Constructing Excellence, Jane Turner, construction lead at NEPO, Mike Raven, client engagement lead at YORhub, professor David Glew, director of the Leeds Sustainability Institute and head of efficiency and policy, Andrea Leigh, senior associate, Trowers & Hamlins LLP, Ross Markwell, director of business development at Esh Group, Phil Morrison, partner, Tyr Law, Stephanie Parker, senior advisor, Catapult and Kieron McGaughey, consultant solicitor and procurement law trainer .
The programme will include interactive sessions and workshops designed to challenge traditional thinking and demonstrate practical approaches to improving outcomes across the sector.
A key session will feature a “Value vs. Cost” Lego simulation workshop, using role-based team exercises to explore how competing priorities can impact project delivery. Delegates will take on different instructions—such as delivering at lowest cost, highest quality, or maximum speed—before collaborating on a single outcome without shared objectives. The session will highlight how misaligned priorities can undermine wider goals such as carbon reduction and how the Value Toolkit can be used to align outcomes from the outset of a project. The session will be led by Kathryn Gardner, director at Avison Young and Constructing Excellence North East Value Group Chair
Another session will focus on SME and Tier 1 collaboration, examining how procurement processes can be streamlined to reduce administrative burdens on smaller firms working within frameworks. Kieran McGaughey, consultant solicitor and procurement law trainer, will deliver an update on the latest developments in procurement legislation, followed by a panel discussion exploring whether new legislation is delivering meaningful benefits for SMEs, how contracting authorities are adapting and where further opportunities exist to improve delivery and engagement across the supply chain.
Sessions will also explore future approaches to procurement, including new legislation, frameworks and public sector delivery models, alongside retrofit and net zero, focusing on low-carbon delivery and sustainable infrastructure across the region.
Discussions will highlight major projects across the North, showcasing investment, development pipelines and infrastructure priorities, alongside collaboration across the supply chain and how stronger partnerships can improve outcomes and delivery performance.
Interactive workshops will provide a space for practical discussion and shared learning, while an innovation showcase will highlight SME excellence and Constructing Excellence award-winning approaches already delivering impact across the built environment.
Sponsorship opportunities are available for organisations wishing to support and engage with the event.
Headline sponsor of the conference is YORhub with confirmed event partners including Blazetrap, Bradley O’Mahoney and Tyr Law.
Further details on speakers and event partners will be announced in due course.
For more information or to register interest in attending, please contact: admin@ceyhclub.co.uk.