The British Chambers of Commerce’s Global Annual Conference returns at a pivotal moment for the UK economy.
With a theme of Delivering Growth, this year’s event will bring together leading voices from each of the main UK political parties, with business leaders and chamber representatives, to focus on the practical actions needed to unlock growth, raise productivity and restore business confidence.
Why attend?
How the UK delivers sustainable, long‑term economic growth will be the defining challenge of the next decade.
British Businesses are ready to lead that charge, but they need the right conditions to succeed.
Global Annual Conference therefore aims to place business at the heart of the growth debate by bringing evidence, policymakers and experience together.
At GAC 2026 you will:
- Hear directly from senior representatives of every major UK-wide political party on their plans for growth.
- Explore how business can deliver growth through trade, investment and productivity.
- Take part in the policy debate, through engaging breakout sessions with policymakers, experts and business leaders.
- Learn from other business and chamber leaders, already delivering growth on the ground.
- Build powerful connections across the UK’s largest and most influential business network.
our speakers
Shevaun Haviland CBE
Director General, British Chambers of Commerce
Senior cabinet minister
Labour Party
zack polanksi
Leader of the Green Party
rt hon. ed davey mp
Leader of the Liberal Democrats
Rt Hon. Sir Mel Stride MP
Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer
Senior Reform representative
Reform UK
Sophy ridge
Sky News presenter
Michael hayman MBE DL
Chair, British Chambers of Commerce
agenda (subject to change)
- Opening and Economic Context: BCC President, Andy Haldane CBE will open the conference with his take on the UK’s growth challenge and the role of business and policymakers in delivering long‑term prosperity.
- Director General’s Speech: Shevaun Haviland CBE will set out the role of Chambers in delivering growth across the UK and around the world, and will set out the action business needs to see from government.
- Government Keynote: A Senior Cabinet Minister will speak with an extended Q&A hosted by Sky New’s Sophy Ridge, on delivering growth in government and responding to business priorities. [For security purposes, speaker details will be confirmed nearer the time].
- Cross‑Party Political Keynotes: Senior representatives from each of the main UK-wide political parties will set out their economic visions for growth, to be followed by Q&As. Confirmed speakers already include Shadow Chancellor The Rt Hon Sir Mel Stride MP, Leader of the Liberal Democrats, The Rt Hon Sir Ed Davey MP, a senior representative from Reform UK, and Leader of the Green Party, Zack Polanski AM.
- Business Leaders Panel: A panel of senior business leaders will share how their businesses are helping to deliver growth in practice, including through innovation, infrastructure, AI adoption and supply chains.
- Chamber Leaders Panel: A panel of Chamber leaders will talk about how Chambers across the UK and internationally are delivering growth on the ground, sharing practical lessons from different regions and sectors
- Drivers of Growth – Breakout Sessions: Two rounds of breakout sessions will allow delegates to deep‑dive into the practical actions needed to unlock growth in areas of interest, including: AI Adoption, Trade, Supply Chains, Investment and Skills. Each session will bring together senior policymakers, leading experts, the voices of businesses, both large and SME, and Chamber representatives.
who should attend?
Global Annual Conference is regularly attended by over 600 delegates.
The conference targets:
- Business Leaders
- Chamber Leaders
- Senior Policy Makers
tickets and registration
LOCATION
Our Global Annual Conference 2026 will take place at the QEII Centre, London.
Agenda
The following agenda is subject to change.
Welcome to the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) Global Annual Conference 2025.
Baroness Martha Lane Fox CBE, President, The British Chambers of Commerce
In Conversation With: Baroness Martha Lane Fox CBE, President, BCC, and Robert Begbie, CEO, NatWest Commercial & Institutional
Panel Discussion: “Where’s the growth?”
Moderated by Baroness Martha Lane Fox CBE
Panellists:
- Ciarán Quilty, SVP, Intuit
- James Phipps, Managing Director, Cokebusters
- Christoph Brem, Co-Founder, LevelPlane
In Conversation With: Shevaun Haviland CBE, Director General, BCC, and Thomas Woldbye, Chief Executive Officer, Heathrow
Breakout 1 – Global Britain
Reshaping Global Trade: Can the UK diversify its links in key trading markets?
Brought to you by NatWest
Moderator: Chris Heyes, Commercial Director, UK India Business Council (UKIBC)
Panellists:
- Robert Begbie, CEO, NatWest Commercial and Institutional, NatWest
- Gregor Poynton MP, Labour Party Business Champion and Member of the House of Commons Select Committee for Business and Trade
- Professor Jun Du, Director for Centre for Business Prosperity, Aston University
- William Bain, Head of Trade Policy, BCC
Breakout 2 – Digital Revolution
Enabling growth through digitalisation
Brought to you by Intuit
Moderator: Liz McAreavey, Chief Executive of Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce
Panellists:
- Leigh Thomas, Vice President EMEA, Intuit
- Wendy Shearer, Director of Partners & Ecosystems
- Emma Allen,
- Ben Martin, Policy Manager, British Chambers of Commerce
Breakout 3 – People and Work
Boosting access to an employable workforce
Moderator: Corin Crane, Group Chief Executive, Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce
Panellists:
- Stephen Evans, CEO, Learning and Work Institute
- Lisa Massey, HR Director at SOCOTEC UK & Ireland and member of BCC Employment Expert Panel
- Lauren Edwards MP, Chair of the APPG for Education and Skills +
- Jane Gratton, Deputy Director Public Policy, British Chamber of Commerce
Breakout 4 – Green Innovation
Unlocking low carbon technology deployment to drive growth
Brought to you by Heathrow
Moderator: Miranda Barker, Chief Executive of East Lancashire Chamber
Panellists:
- Nigel Milton, Chief Communications & Sustainability Officer, Heathrow
- Martin Baxter, Deputy CEO, IEMA (Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment)
- Stephen Allen, COO of isentra
- Dr Eoin Devane, Head of Carbon Budgets, Climate Change Committee
Breakout 5 – Local Economy of the Future
Devolution: Creating a business environment to support growth
Moderator: Dan Fell, Chief Executive of Doncaster Chamber of Commerce
Panellists:
- Eve Roodhouse, Director of Strategy & Policy, Local Government Association
- Akash Paun, Programme Director – Devolution, Institute for Government
- Rachel Laver, CEO Staffordshire Chamber of Commerce
- Jonny Haseldine, Head of Corporate Governance & Business Environment Policy, British Chambers of Commerce
