YORhub at Constructing Excellence North conference

More than 200 construction professionals gathered at Aspire in Leeds for the inaugural Constructing Excellence North conference, bringing together clients, consultants, contractors, manufacturers and innovators from across the built environment sector.

Held on 17 September under the theme “The North Blueprint: Delivering Action Together”, the event focused on sharing learning, innovation and best practice from across the North of England and beyond.

YORhub was proud to support the conference as lead event partner, with representatives from more than a dozen YORhub contractors and consultants attending alongside public and private sector delegates from across the region.

The conference was opened and hosted by Alison Nicholl, Head of Constructing Excellence, and featured more than 20 speakers covering some of the most significant opportunities and challenges facing the construction industry.

Highlights included an overview of the state of the industry in the North from Lucy Howard, Co-chair of Constructing Excellence and UK Major Bids Lead at Turner & Townsend, and a project showcase from Rob Auld, Construction Director at McLaren Property, who presented on the landmark York Central development.

YORhub’s Mike Raven chaired the conference’s first panel discussion, exploring the delivery of net zero across the built environment. Joining him were Steve Batty of Equans, Professor Dave Glew of the Leeds Sustainability Institute, Steph Parker of Energy Systems Catapult and Peter Dodd of VINCI Building, who shared perspectives on the practical steps needed to accelerate decarbonisation.

Delegates also took part in an interactive session led by Kathryn Gardner of Avison Young, who brought the Value Toolkit to life through a Lego-based exercise that encouraged collaboration and discussion among attendees.

Following lunch, procurement specialist and trainer Kieran McGaughey examined the impact of recent procurement reforms before chairing a panel discussion asking: “Is the Procurement Act working?” The panel featured Ross Markwell of Esh Construction, Andrea Leigh of Trowers & Hamlins and Jane Turner of NEPO, who explored the opportunities and challenges emerging from the new procurement landscape.

The afternoon continued with a series of award-winning project showcases, including the Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease in Leeds, Pilgrim’s Quarter in Newcastle and Liverpool’s Hill Dickinson Stadium. Presentations highlighted examples of collaboration, innovation and project excellence from across the region.

The conference concluded with a powerful session focused on mental health and wellbeing. Liam Colebrook of Cover3 shared his personal experiences of mental health challenges within the industry before joining a panel discussion on breaking the silence around wellbeing in construction. The session also featured Stuart Young of the Department for Business and Trade, Henrietta Frater of The Crown Estate and Mates in Mind, and Johnny Lawless of Minds Matter UK.

YORcivil Framework Manager, Stef Wright commented on the success of the event, saying: “I came away feeling both inspired and reflective. The project spotlights on York Central and the Rob Burrow Centre were fascinating examples of how our industry can deliver projects that have a real and lasting impact on communities. What stayed with me most, however, were the discussions around mental health. Liam Colebrook’s personal story was incredibly powerful, honest and moving, and served as a reminder of how important it is that we continue to have open conversations and support one another. It was a thought-provoking day that balanced technical excellence with the human side of our industry, and I was grateful to be part of it.”

Rachael Grimes, YORbuild Framework Manager agreed, saying: “It was a fantastic event with a great range of speakers covering many different topics.”

The conference illustrated the value of bringing together organisations from across the construction sector to share knowledge, foster collaboration and explore practical solutions to some of the industry’s most pressing challenges, from net zero delivery and procurement reform to social value and mental health. As lead event partner, YORhub was pleased to support an event that reflected its commitment to continuous improvement, collaboration and excellence across the built environment.

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