The Centre for Construction Best Practice (CCBP) will join UK Construction Week Birmingham, taking place at the NEC from 29 September to 1 October 2026, bringing evidence-led research, industry expertise and a focus on better project delivery to the conversations shaping construction’s future.
This year, UK Construction Week Birmingham is centred around The Construction RESET, bringing the industry together to address what needs to change and how that change can be delivered. Built around Building Better, Building Smarter and Building Responsibly, the RESET will focus on the practical action, innovation and collaboration needed to create a stronger, more resilient industry.
That ambition closely aligns with CCBP’s work, bringing together industry, academia and policymakers to help bridge the gap between research and real-world construction delivery.
Through its partnership with UK Construction Week, CCBP will bring that evidence-led approach directly into The Construction RESET Stage programme, focusing on one of construction’s longstanding challenges: when contractors should become involved in a project.
On Thursday 1 October, from 11:30 to 12:15, CCBP will host Early Contractor Involvement: Building Better Projects from Day One, a dedicated Construction RESET session exploring how earlier collaboration between clients and contractors can improve project outcomes, reduce risk and unlock greater value.
The session will explore CCBP’s latest research into Early Contractor Involvement (ECI), examining the relationship between the timing of contractor appointment and project performance, and what needs to change for earlier involvement to become standard practice.
Taking that conversation to The Construction RESET Stage will be Dr Kudirat Ayinia, Lecturer in Construction Management and Programme Lead for the BSc (Hons) Commercial Management and Quantity Surveying programme at Loughborough University; Karen Heigham, Public Sector Director at Wates Construction; Robbie Blackhurst, Chair of the Centre for Construction Best Practice; and Simon Rawlinson, Head of Strategic Research at Arcadis and Chair of CIC.
Bringing together perspectives from academia, contracting, the public sector and strategic industry leadership, the panel will examine where ECI can deliver the greatest benefits, the barriers preventing earlier collaboration and the practical lessons clients, contractors and project teams can take into future projects.
The discussion reflects a wider challenge at the heart of The Construction RESET. Improving construction performance is not simply about introducing new technologies or setting new targets. It also requires the industry to rethink how projects are planned, procured and delivered, ensuring expertise is brought into the process when it can have the greatest impact.
With continued pressure to deliver projects more efficiently, provide greater certainty and achieve better value, translating evidence into practical change has never been more important.
Through its partnership with UK Construction Week, the Centre for Construction Best Practice will be part of The Construction RESET, helping turn the conversation around better project delivery into action.
Register for your free ticket to UK Construction Week Birmingham and join the Centre for Construction Best Practice on The Construction RESET Stage at the NEC from 29 September to 1 October 2026.