BESA Annual Conference overview

The eighth Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) Annual Conference will take place on Thursday, 17 October at the Brewery in London.

As reported by BESA, the conference aims to inspire a better building engineering services industry for a safe, sustainable, and efficient future.

Registration for the one-day event is now open.

Sponsored by Mitsubishi Electric, the conference is designed to appeal to a broad range of industry professionals, including young engineers, manufacturers, specifiers, and procurers of building services projects.

Young engineers can attend free of charge.

Focus on roles and risks

Presenters and debaters will discuss the ‘four Rs’ of Roles, Responsibilities, Risks, and Rewards.

These sessions will give delegates insights into growing legislative pressures and associated contractual risks while highlighting business opportunities for building services specialists.

This year’s conference will feature more panel discussions and fewer lengthy PowerPoint presentations, in response to feedback from previous delegates.

The programme will cover a wide range of technical topics, with a common thread of competence and compliance in line with increased legislative scrutiny from the Building Safety Act.

Skills and training emphasis

The conference will showcase BESA’s ‘Play it Safe’ awareness campaign, which helps supply chain members identify their roles and responsibilities under the Act.

This will include a detailed legal and commercial update, offering practical guidance on avoiding potential legal pitfalls.

There will also be a significant focus on skills, with sessions aimed at ensuring all BESA members and others in the building services sector have access to appropriate training.

These sessions will cover support and advice for contractors on how to provide evidence of their skills, knowledge, experience, and behaviours (SKEB) in line with new safety and performance standards.

Net zero and emerging technologies

Net Zero will be another key topic, with a focus on ensuring the industry has the right skills and experience to retrofit and refurbish the UK’s existing buildings to meet climate change goals.

Sessions will discuss heat pump technology and the transition towards lower global warming refrigerants, along with safety concerns linked to flammable gases.

Young engineers from BESA’s NextGen Network will play a prominent role, leading several sessions on emerging technologies and industry mentoring.

They will also demonstrate how Artificial Intelligence (AI) can improve productivity and project quality using digital-led building maintenance as an example.

Indoor air quality and offsite fabrication

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) will feature prominently, focusing on retrofitting buildings to address health issues caused by poor ventilation and air filtration, particularly in social housing.

Offsite fabrication of building services modules will be scrutinised, with discussions on its potential to improve productivity and address skills shortages.

The conference will also spotlight the commissioning process, with leading practitioners sharing their experiences and frustrations over the lack of time and resources dedicated to this essential service.

Updates and new standards

Several updates to BESA’s technical guidance will be unveiled, including a new version of the DW145 standard: ‘Guide to Good Practice for the Installation of Fire and Smoke Dampers’.

This update is particularly relevant in the wake of the Grenfell Tower disaster, as scrutiny from insurers and fire officers has increased.

Water efficiency, performance, and management will be on the agenda for the first time, with input from the regulator OFWAT, which will examine the industry’s ability to address water shortages and hygiene issues.

The conference will include an exhibition area and will be followed by the BESA Industry Awards, also sponsored by Mitsubishi Electric.