The Construction Plant-hire Association (CPA) has announced the speaker line-up for its 10th annual Conference, taking place on Thursday 21st May 2026 at One Great George Street, London.
This year’s event introduces a bold new theme: ‘Unlocking the Nation’s Growth Plans’. Hosted by industry content creator Peter Haddock, the one-day event will bring together leading voices from across construction, plant-hire and policy to address key issues including infrastructure delivery, skills, communications and decarbonisation.
Spartan Solutions is the Headline Sponsor for the event, with JCB Insurance Services as Associate Sponsor. Exhibitors will also include ACOP Group, Compass Business Finance, Instagrid, NOCN Group, Parksafe Group, Point of Rental/Record360, Prolectric Services, The CESAR Scheme powered by DATATAG, VUE Group and more. Plant Planet joins as the official Media Partner.Conference delegate tickets are now available at £199 + VAT, providing full access to the CPA Conference 2026, a three-course sit down networking lunch, and the exhibition. The Conference programme features four high-impact sessions:
• Half-Built Britain: Unlocking the Nation’s Infrastructure Growth Plans - Led by Oxford Economics, this session will explore the findings of the CPA’s latest report, highlighting the opportunities and challenges facing the UK’s construction and infrastructure sector. Oxford Economics will be joined by several senior industry figures, namely CPA Policy Director Chris Cassley, Charlesbye’s Cameron Brown, Patrick Flannery of Flannery Plant Hire, Peter Gibbs of Ainscough Crane Hire, Chris Matthew of Plantforce and Mark Hoad of Sunbelt Rentals.
• Building Skills for the Workforce - Award-winning Plant Operator Molly Gill of Flannery Plant Hire will share her inspiring career journey. After leaving her role as a Nursery Assistant, Molly joined the Operator Skills Hub with no prior construction experience and rapidly progressed through training to become the Young Plant Operative of the Year at the CPA Stars of the Future Awards 2025. She will be joined by Aaron Davis, Safety and Skills Director at Flannery Plant Hire, Rob Lynch of L Lynch Plant Hire & Haulage and Paul Skitt of Business Skills & Support to discuss skills development and workforce pathways in the plant-hire sector.
• Effective Communications in a Crowded Space - Lee Cain, founder of strategic advisory firm Charlesbye and former Downing Street Director of Communications under Prime Minister Boris Johnson, will reveal how to cut through today’s crowded media landscape. Drawing on his experience at the heart of government, Lee will share strategies for maximising impact and driving clear, influential messaging in a noisy industry.
• Decarbonisation and Preparing for the Future - Luis Bassett, CPA’s Decarbonisation and Sustainability Manager, will lead a forward-looking session on the plant-hire sector’s transition to low-carbon operations. The discussion will cover equipment adoption, financing, telematics, carbon reporting and ESG compliance, with practical insights for navigating one of the industry’s fastest-moving challenges. Luis will be joined by Chris Sleight from Off-Highway Research, ESG PRO’s Joe Gallagher, Steve Moody of Construction Plant Finance and Charles Bénard of Hiboo.
Speaking ahead of the CPA Conference 2026, CPA CEO Steve Mulholland said: “The combination of a new venue, updated format and a strong speaker line-up positions this as a key date in the industry calendar, and delegate tickets are already selling quickly. The Conference comes at a critical time for the sector, with our latest Oxford Economics report providing a strong platform for discussion on how industry and government can work together to unlock growth. We’re looking forward to welcoming everyone to One Great George Street.”
Tickets for this popular annual event cost £199 + VAT, including full access to the conference and a three-course networking lunch. To book online visit https://cpa.uk.net/events/2026-cpa-conference/