The pressure is on for private housebuilders to deliver on the Government’s 1.5 million new homes target – in spite of rising costs and materials and the implications of tightening design and safety standards. Futurebuild 2026 will be a platform for developers, contractors, specifiers, local authorities and housing associations to tackle these challenges head-on, amplifying the innovation that’s being spurred to support the sector in addressing affordability and sustainability ambitions.
Leading with the theme ‘connect’, a series of new show features at Futurebuild 2026 (3-5 March at Excel London) are being introduced to enhance purposeful collaboration – bringing together thousands of decision makers dedicated to finding viable solutions that can help surmount these ongoing issues.
Connecting decision makers
In 2025, Futurebuild welcomed 9,179 unique specifier visitors, including over 600 VIPs and senior leaders. With 67% involved in purchasing decisions, exhibitors generated an average of 175 qualified leads.
As attendees navigate how to successfully deliver on initiatives including the London Plan, Awaab’s Law, ever stringent safety regulations and the impending construction products reform, the calibre of 2026 exhibitors – combined with a reinvigorated and carefully curated conference and knowledge programme – is paving the way for the next instalment to be Futurebuild’s most inspirational yet.
Supporting cross sector collaboration
The reimagined format and floorplan include a new Local Authority Collaboration hub alongside the National Retrofit Conference. This will be a dedicated area for representatives across the public and private sectors to connect and better understand how the built environment can enhance projects for both people and place. The focus will be on advances being made in the delivery of healthier, more efficient homes – in tandem with the continuing commitment to decarbonisation.
Wider environmental and resource concerns will also be major talking points on Futurebuild’s main conference arena and Buildings stage as industry representatives champion the sector’s growing recycling and reuse momentum – exploring how circularity can be embedded and sharing pioneering examples in action.
Reuse resilience & regeneration
Futurebuild partners including The Circular Economy Task Force, ACAN!, The Circular Economy Institute and Architects Declare are involved in shaping these conversations. They will be alongside the architect, academic and authority on circular economy thinking, Duncan Baker-Brown, who will be a headline key speaker reinforcing that critical resilience will only come by taking a circular economy approach with reuse at its heart.
This theme will also be a major focus in Futurebuild’s central conference arena as industry bodies, government figures and high profile change makers take to the stage to rally for the three fundamentals shaping the future of the built environment: reuse, resilience and regeneration.
Pushing boundaries
Several leading trade bodies including The Sustainable Development Foundation, Association of Sustainable Building Products (ASBP) and The UK’s District Energy Association (UKDEA) are also instrumental in pulling together a provocative and informative knowledge programme agenda.
Futurebuild has invited these well connected networks to execute a series of seminar ‘stage takeovers’. By partnering to deliver content shaped by the industry, for the industry, the event organisers are bringing fresh thinking to the fore with a particular emphasis on dissecting the role of innovation.
Innovation at the heart
Martin Hurn, Futurebuild event director, comments: “As ever, innovation will be central to the discussion but we’ll be flipping the script to explore how we can better use existing knowledge and the need for social transformation, rather than solely exploring novel technical solutions.”
“Futurebuild is where mission meets market. We’re not just a conference or a showcase. We’re a platform for delivery. We connect people, ideas and solutions in ways that accelerate the shift to a net zero, resilient and regenerative future.”
By bringing together the entire supply chain, Futurebuild is uniquely placed to engage representatives ranging from senior specifiers and architects through to major contractors and developers – all actively looking for innovative solutions and ideas to shape their projects.
Connecting ideas & impact
To this end, the Innovation Trail, a curated path showcasing products and systems with measurable sustainability impact, will be spotlighting the biggest breakthroughs, featuring brands including Dimplex, Anzen Walls, The Concrete Centre, 7 Steel UK and ZapCarbon.
The FutureX stage – home of Futurebuild’s innovation content – will also return for 2026 taking on a sharper, digital focus. Dedicated sessions will cover AI, circular tools and data-led design as digital solutions become increasingly essential for monitoring performance, reducing waste and improving project outcomes.
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Article supplied by Futurebuild