New dedicated areas for roofing and Net Zero have been announced for the UK's largest built environment event, UK Construction Week (UKCW), with an impressive line-up of expert speakers dissecting their respective sectors’ most important topics across three days of debate and discussion.

Responding to visitor and exhibitor demand, UKCW (NEC, October 1-3) has welcomed a new co-located Roofing, Cladding & Insulation Expo, which showcases over 50 exhibitors, the latest solutions, and engage in thought leadership and celebrate the roofing, cladding and insulation industry. Speakers include representatives from Tata Steel Building Systems, Vector Leak Consultants and Wates Construction.

The new expo will connect tier one contractors, suppliers and the wider industry and aims to foster collaboration, exchange innovations and cultivate unparalleled business prospects. Confirmed key partners include the NFRC, Raise the Roof and National Federation of Builders.

Ubbink UK, Harvey Roofing Products, Impervious Waterproofing are just some of the newly announced exhibitors that will be joining already confirmed names including SIG, Easy-Trim, Etex, Danosa, Elevate, Don & Low, SWISSPEARL, G&B, BRIMENT, CROMAR, CEDRAL and Rubberseal.

Speaker session highlights include:

Digital Transformation (October 1st, 10.15am) - Aman Chahal, CEO, Tapered Plus, outlines how tech will shape the future of the industry.

• Building a Safer Future: Transforming Roofing, Cladding, and Insulation Industries through Industry-Wide Standards and Competence Testing (October 2nd, 11.15am) - Roofing Today’s Claire Griffiths chats to Neville Grunwald (Director of Facades & Roofs, Wates Construction) about the culture shift taking place across the Roofing, Cladding and Insulations since the introduction of the Building Safety Act.

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• The competency investment formula: How training pays back! (October 3rd, 12.15pm) - Ruth Scarrott, NFRC Head of Careers, will outline a strategic approach to elevate workforce competencies, from enhancing safety practices to boosting productivity and customer satisfaction.

Ruth Scarrott commented: "I am thrilled to be part of UK Construction Week Birmingham 2024 and to represent NFRC in these critical discussions. The Roofing, Cladding & Insulation Expo provides an invaluable platform to address the pressing issues in our industry, from improving competency standards to promoting diversity and inclusion.

"I look forward to engaging with fellow industry leaders and driving forward the conversation on how we can collectively achieve Net Zero and support the next generation of roofing professionals."

With a focus on strengthening sustainability in the construction industry, the Net Zero Hub, sponsored by Reconomy, will also make its debut appearance at the October show. The new area will be partnering with National Retrofit Hub, a non-profit collaborative organisation working with the industry to enable the delivery of housing retrofit across the UK, who will be programming panel discussions across the three days.

• Talks at the Net Zero Hub include:

• Turning the Tide: Innovative Solutions to the UK's Water Scarcity Challenge (October 1st, 10.15am) - Dr Neil Sewell, Lead - Water Reuse at SDS, discusses pioneering effective water recycling and harvesting solutions, such as the Intellistorm® system, implemented in key projects like Barratt Developments' ‘Z House’ and the University of Suffolk's ‘Smart House’.

• A Decade of Success: Collaborative achievements integrating green and blue infrastructure (October 1st, 2.15pm) - Helen Nyul, Biodiversity and Ecology Policy Lead, Barratt Homes, and Beccy Speight, Managing Director, RSPB, Exploring the fruitful 10-year partnership that has transformed Kingsbrook, showcasing their collaborative efforts and achievements.

• Iconic buildings: Sustainable projects of the year (October 3rd, 3.15pm) - A panel including Richard Hawkins, Technical Innovations Manager at SO Modular, and Matt Hayes, Co-founder and Director, Arbor Architects, discuss their pick of the most sustainable construction projects from the last year.

• Also new for UKCW Birmingham is the Net Zero Trail - an exciting new feature designed to showcase the latest innovations and sustainable practices driving the construction industry toward a Net Zero future. The trail will guide visitors through the show to exhibitors who are championing cutting-edge technologies, materials, and methods that are paving the way for environmentally responsible building practices.

To find out more and register for UKCW Birmingham for free, visit ukcw-birmingham-2024.reg.buzz/cabpr.

Please feel free to engage with our team at Construction.co.uk who are delighted to be part of this exciting event. We can also book a meeting with you, simply email stempleton@construction.co.uk to arrange a suitable time.