BESA Annual Conference to Focus on Future of Building Engineering Services

The eighth Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) Annual Conference will be held on Thursday, 17 October at the Brewery in London. Sponsored by Mitsubishi Electric, the event aims to ‘Inspire a better building engineering services industry for a safe, sustainable, and efficient future’.

Key Highlights

• Wide Audience: The conference, which offers free registration for young engineers, is designed to appeal to industry professionals, young engineers, manufacturers, and specifiers of building services projects.
• Four Rs Theme: Presenters will discuss Roles, Responsibilities, Risks, and Rewards, addressing legislative pressures and business opportunities for building services specialists. 
• Practical Focus: Responding to past feedback, this year’s conference will feature more panel discussions and fewer extended PowerPoint presentations, emphasizing practical sessions with clear takeaways.
• Legislation and Safety: With a focus on competence and compliance in line with the Building Safety Act, the conference will feature BESA’s ‘Play it Safe’ campaign, providing guidance on legal risks and responsibilities under the Act.
• Skills Emphasis: The conference will also focus on skills development, with sessions on training, recruitment support, and strategies to address skills shortages. A dedicated ‘Skills Zone’ will showcase training services and recruitment guidance.
• Net Zero Agenda: Sessions on retrofitting and refurbishing buildings to meet climate change goals will emphasize the need for breadth in skills and experience within the industry.
• Technical Updates: Highlights include discussions on heat pump technology, low global warming refrigerants, and heat interface units (HIUs) performance, including a new quality assurance scheme for heat networks.
• Young Engineers Leading the Way: Represented by BESA’s NextGen Network, young engineers will lead sessions on emerging technologies, industry mentoring, and the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on productivity and project quality.

Registration for the one-day event is now open. This year's conference promises a comprehensive look at the future of building engineering services, addressing safety, skills, and sustainability in the industry.