A conference well worth attending
Whether the politics that shape the infrastructure sector, the road to net zero, or the social impact of investment decisions, there was something for everyone at our annual conference in London
Very positive feedback on the topics covered by our expert speakers among more than 100 GIIA members and stakeholders tells its own story: this was an event well worth attending.
Hosted in partnership with Ashurst and KPMG, we set our sights on bringing the audience thought-provoking content on how to bridge the gap between public and private investment in infrastructure.
GIIA chairman Christopher Frost, pictured above, together with Lea Dubourg-Hrachovec of BCI, kicked off proceedings in conversation with GIIA’s chief executive Jon Phillips on the trends and challenges facing our sector.
Both sides of the political divide were represented, with Lord Harrington of Watford having just chaired and submitted his review of foreign direct investment to the Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, ahead of the Autumn Statement. And shadow cabinet office minister Nick Thomas Symonds MP who, despite a job title that describes him as a Shadow Minister without Portfolio, turned out to be a ‘minister of all portfolios’ in his role of helping to shape a Kier Starmer government, should Labour come to power – including how to attract international investors to the UK.
From our sponsors, Ashurst partner Michael Burns chaired a panel on the countdown to net zero, while KPMG's Richard Threlfall conducted a panel conversation around the importance of the ‘S’ in ESG, and how social value is becoming an increasingly important reputational and political consideration in investment decisions, and asset delivery and management.
In the afternoon, attendees heard from both the National Infrastructure Commission chief executive James Heath and his UK Investment Bank counterpart John Flint, the former providing fascinating insights into the investment challenges facing the UK over the next 20 years, the latter outlining UKIB’s investing strategy as it seeks to support the nascent infrastructure technologies needed to achieve net zero.
Generous networking breaks gave GIIA members and stakeholders plenty of time to build and renew relationships across the industry, with a further drinks reception after the event.
We offer our thanks to our event sponsors, everyone that attended and our speakers for sharing their thought-provoking insights into the challenges and opportunities facing the infrastructure sector.
Look out for our upcoming events schedule here to ensure you take advantage of the next opportunities to hear insights from all sides of the industry. We look forward to continuing these insightful conversations and connections.