CILT(UK) Annual Conference & Awards 2026
About this Event
Annual Conference
Join us for CILT(UK)'s Conference 2026 at East Midlands Conference Centre - Nottingham Venues.
The Leadership Journey of the Day
Leadership & Direction (Morning)
Leaders today face complex and competing pressures — from regulation and growth to purpose and responsibility.
The morning sessions set the tone by exploring how senior leaders define direction, make decisions at the top, and lead with clarity in uncertain environments.
Key questions:
•What does effective leadership look like now?•How do leaders balance growth, responsibility and resilience?•How do leaders set direction when the landscape keeps shifting?
Leadership Skills & Capability (Midday)
Great leadership is built, not assumed.
This stream focuses on the skills, behaviours and capabilities leaders need to develop in their organisations — from talent and culture to future-ready workforces.
Key questions:
•How do leaders build strong leadership pipelines?•What skills matter most for the next generation of leaders?•How do leaders create cultures that enable performance and growth?
Leadership Through Change & Transformation (Afternoon)
Change is no longer episodic — it’s constant.
The final sessions explore how leaders navigate disruption, transformation and uncertainty, and how they turn strategy into action at scale.
Key questions:
•How do leaders remain effective in volatile environments?•How do leaders drive transformation without losing momentum or people?•What distinguishes leaders who thrive through change?
Awards for Excellence
As evening falls, we will celebrate the achievements of individuals and organisations making a lasting impact in the profession. The prestigious awards ceremony will be an evening of recognition, fine dining, entertainment, and networking with the best in the industry.
Join us for a day that combines knowledge, connections, and celebration—all in one exceptional event.
Haven’t attended before? Browse our 2025 Event photos.
With thanks to our headline sponsor: Toyota Automated Logistics
CPD will be at the heart of your day.
4.5 Experiential CPD hours against:
- LE1.1 Leadership, Development, Organisational Culture and Change Management
- DT2.1 Technology, Automation and Innovation
- EQ2.1 Risk Identification, Reduction and Safety Management
- SUS1.1 Social, Economic and Environmental Resilience
- SC1.1 Supply Chain Networks, Design and Optimisation
Conference
🕑: 08:30 AM - 09:15 AM
Registration
Info: Meet the Exhibitors
🕑: 09:15 AM - 09:20 AM
Opening Welcome
Info: Hosted by CILT(UK) and Next Gen
🕑: 09:20 AM - 09:40 AM
Headline - 2035 - Building fluid Supply Chains That Learn, Adapt & Perform
Host: James Osborn, Toyota Automated Logistics
Info: For decades, supply chains have been engineered around efficiency - driving down cost, increasing speed and optimising every process. Those priorities remain important, but they are no longer enough by themselves.
The next decade will be defined by uncertainty. Geopolitical instability, changing consumer expectations, labour shortages, AI and rapid technological innovation are fundamentally changing the environment in which supply chains operate. The winners will not be those with the most automation or lowest cost per order. It will be those that can learn faster, adapt more quickly and make better decisions every day.
This keynote explores what that future looks like and the characteristics that will define the supply chains of 2035. It will examine how AI, automation and data are reshaping operations, why people remain central to success, and why adaptability is becoming the new measure of operational excellence. In an increasingly unpredictable world the ability to continuo
🕑: 09:40 AM - 10:10 AM
Unlocking Human Potential: The Leadership Shift
Host: Katy Leeson, Former MD of Steven Bartlett's Social Chain
Info: A transformative keynote from a leader who scaled a business to £300 million by believing fiercely in the power of people. “Unlocking Human Potential” invites audiences to rethink what’s possible when confidence, culture, and humanity sit at the heart of growth. Expect a powerful reminder that when leaders lift their people, performance follows—and extraordinary results become inevitable.
🕑: 10:10 AM - 10:35 AM
Beyond Automation: How People, Technology & Leadership Drive High-Performance
Info: Sustainable growth is about more than technology alone. It comes from leaders who successfully combine digital innovation, operational excellence and empowered people to create high-performing supply chains. Drawing on real-world experience of leading transformation across complex logistics operations, this keynote explores how organisations can unlock productivity, empower people and turn digital investment into sustainable growth
🕑: 10:35 AM - 11:10 AM
Mindset Matters: The Leadership Shift Unlocking Productivity
Host: Vicki Hooper, Unipart
Info: A strategic deep dive into how mindset transformation — from the C‑suite to the warehouse floor — is becoming the competitive advantage behind growth and productivity gains.
🕑: 11:10 AM - 11:30 AM
Networking Break
Info:
🕑: 11:30 AM - 11:55 AM
Panel: Leading Through the Unknown
Host: Craig.Lynskey, Baringa
Info: “Leading Through the Unknown: Navigating complexity and rapid change in supply chain and transport”. Making confident decisions with incomplete and fast-changing information
*Balancing long-term strategic direction with short-term shocks and resilience needs
*Leading teams through ambiguity while maintaining momentum, morale and clarity
*Staying focused when economic volatility, regulation and customer expectations all move at once
🕑: 11:55 AM - 12:20 PM
Panel: Future Ready Supply Chains
Host: Paul Farr, CEVA Logistics
Info: This senior‑level panel brings together leaders from across transport, logistics, supply chain and infrastructure to explore how organisations are fundamentally rethinking the way they design, operate and lead their supply chains. With technology accelerating, sustainability commitments intensifying and customer expectations rising, the rules of the game have changed — and so must the strategies, operating models and decisions that underpin the industry.
🕑: 12:20 PM - 12:45 PM
The Leadership Standard: Building Trust, Talent, & High‑Performance Operations
Host: Ian Keilty, Whistl
Info: A compelling call to action on what leadership and professionalism must look like as logistics and transport evolve at pace. Drawing on deep operational experience, he highlights the behaviours, standards, and mindset that drive trust, performance, and credibility in a complex, fast‑moving sector. This keynote challenges leaders to raise the bar, lead with clarity and integrity, and shape an industry defined by excellence.
🕑: 12:45 PM - 01:45 PM
Networking Lunch
Info: .
🕑: 01:45 PM - 02:30 PM
Interactive Debate-The Next 100Years: Which Leadership Skills Will Matter most
Host: Kelly Hobson, Shape Tomorrow
Info: Join us for a fast-paced Pecha Kucha-style debate exploring the leadership skill that will matter most for supply chain and transport professionals over the next 100 years. Each speaker will champion a different leadership position, from strategic foresight and resilience to emotional intelligence, systems thinking and data literacy, in a lively discussion about the future of our sector.
🕑: 02:30 PM - 03:00 PM
Winning the Talent Race: Bridging Leadership and the Next Generation
Host: Tara Matthews, Rail Delivery Group
Info: Are senior leaders and the next generation aligned on what the future workforce really needs?As competition for talent intensifies, organisations must rethink how they attract, develop and retain the people who will shape the future of transport, logistics and supply chains. Bringing together senior leaders and rising professionals, this panel explores how leadership, culture, career development and evolving workforce expectations can come together to build engaged, future-ready teams. Through a combination of strategic insight and lived experience, the discussion will uncover what it really takes to win the talent race in a rapidly changing world.
🕑: 03:00 PM - 03:15 PM
Refreshment Break
Info:
🕑: 03:15 PM - 03:45 PM
Powering Britain's Future:How Logistics is Enabling the UK's Energy Transition
Host: Tim MacDonald, SSE Plc
Info: As the UK invests in cleaner energy and modern infrastructure, logistics has become a critical enabler of national resilience. This keynote explores how strategic partnerships, predictive technologies and intelligent supply chains are helping deliver the materials, equipment and operational support needed to power the UK's energy transition. Drawing on real-world collaboration between SSE and DHL Supply Chain, the session demonstrates how logistics is evolving from a support function into a strategic driver of infrastructure, sustainability and long-term economic growth.
🕑: 03:45 PM - 04:20 PM
Foundations for the Future: Investing in the Infrastructure
Host: Josh Finch, TT Club
Info: Reliable, resilient infrastructure underpins every successful supply chain. As demand grows, technology accelerates and the transition to a more sustainable economy gathers pace, strategic investment has become one of the defining leadership challenges facing transport and logistics. This panel brings together leaders from infrastructure, transport and supply chain to explore where investment is most needed, how organisations can collaborate more effectively, and what it will take to build the networks that support future economic growth.
🕑: 04:20 PM - 04:25 PM
Closing Remarks and Event Close
🕑: 04:30 PM - 05:00 PM
AGM
🕑: 06:30 PM - 07:15 PM
Awards Reception Drinks
Awards
🕑: 06:30 PM - 07:15 PM
Arrival Drinks
🕑: 07:30 PM - 07:30 PM
Guests seated for dinner
🕑: 07:30 PM - 10:00 PM
Awards presentation (Confirmed timing breakdown tbc)
🕑: 10:00 PM - 12:30 AM
Evening Entertainment
🕑: 12:30 AM
Guests Depart
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
GBP 234.00 to GBP 627.60
