CECE Congress 2026 will bring more than 150 senior figures from Europe’s construction equipment industry to IET Savoy Place in London from 27 to 29 October. With the UK hosting the biennial Congress during Phil Layton’s presidency of CECE, CEA (Construction Equipment Association) is leading delivery of the event on behalf of the Committee for European Construction Equipment.
Ahead of the Congress, the CEA sat down with the JCB executive to talk about what is on the agenda, who delegates will hear from and why he believes anyone serious about the sector should be in London.
For anyone unfamiliar with it, what is the CECE Congress and why does it matter now?
“The CECE Congress is one of the few occasions when the European construction equipment industry can step back from immediate business pressures and look properly at the forces shaping its future.
“Manufacturers are dealing with economic uncertainty, changing regulation, skills shortages, technology investment, global competition and a rapidly shifting political landscape. Those issues affect every business, but they cannot be solved company by company or country by country.
“The Congress brings together industry leaders, policy voices, technical experts and people from outside our sector who can challenge how we think. It is a place for the industry to test ideas, understand the wider picture and make better decisions about what comes next.”
Why is London the right host city for 2026?
“London gives the Congress the right setting because this is an international industry facing international issues.
“The UK remains an important manufacturing, engineering and construction equipment market, and hosting the Congress here is an opportunity to bring European colleagues together at a time when the UK-EU relationship, trade, regulation and industrial competitiveness remain very much on the agenda.
“It also sends the right message. Europe’s construction equipment industry is strongest when it is outward-looking, connected and prepared to work together. London is a major global meeting point, and it gives us a strong platform for a Congress focused on the future of European industry.”
This year’s theme is Create • Innovate • Inspire. What does that mean in practice?
“For me, it is about what businesses must do to remain competitive.
“Create is about finding better ways to solve problems, develop people and build value. Innovation rarely begins with technology alone; it starts with ideas, curiosity and the confidence to challenge established ways of working.
“Innovate is about turning those ideas into industrial advantage. That means more productive factories, more capable machinery, stronger supply chains, better use of data and technology that delivers a genuine return.
“Inspire is about people. Our sector needs engineers, technicians, digital specialists, operators and leaders. We need to make a much stronger case for the careers and opportunities this industry can offer.”
The theme runs through the programme. Jason Bevan, former Head of Creative Development and Vice President of European Marketing at Warner Bros. Pictures, will explore creativity, innovation and how organisations respond to change, including the growing role of artificial intelligence. The Inspire strand continues with a dedicated panel on skills, education and attracting new talent into the sector.
The programme brings in voices from well beyond construction equipment. Who will delegates actually hear from?
“The Congress will tackle the issues businesses are already dealing with: geopolitical volatility, the outlook for European manufacturing, industrial competitiveness, technology, leadership, skills and market conditions.
“These are not distant policy discussions. They shape investment decisions, product development, supply chains, recruitment and the confidence businesses have to plan ahead.
“The programme is designed to bring together different perspectives, including economists, manufacturing leaders, industry figures and voices from outside construction equipment. That matters because our industry cannot keep looking at the same challenges through the same lens.”
Those perspectives have names. Joe Nellis, Emeritus Professor of Global Economy, will examine the global and European economic outlook, while Lieutenant Colonel Stewart Hill, a former British Army officer whose career was cut short by a life-changing injury sustained on operations in Afghanistan, will close the first day with a keynote on resilience and leadership.
Sessions will be moderated by Riccardo Viaggi, Secretary General of CECE.
What should delegates expect to take away?
“Delegates should come away with a sharper understanding of the environment their business is operating in, new ideas they can apply, and contacts that will remain valuable long after the Congress ends.
“No business should be setting its strategy based on headlines, assumptions or a narrow view of its own market. The Congress gives people direct access to informed perspectives on the issues influencing our sector across Europe.
“It also creates the space for conversations that do not happen in the normal working week: honest discussions between manufacturers, associations, suppliers, policy experts and industry partners. Those discussions can influence how businesses think, collaborate and move forward.”
Those conversations will continue outside the conference sessions. A Welcome Reception at IET Savoy Place opens the Congress, while the Gala Dinner will take delegates onto the Thames for an evening cruise through central London.
Viki Bell, CEO of the CEA, said: “The Congress is as much about the conversations around the sessions as it is the content itself. Bringing senior people from across Europe together creates a valuable environment for discussion, connection and shared thinking. The Gala Dinner on the Thames will be a highlight — a chance to see London from the river while spending proper time with industry colleagues.”
Finally, why should the industry not miss CECE Congress 2026?
“Because the decisions shaping our industry are being made now.
“Businesses are having to respond to changing markets, regulation, global competition, technology, skills and investment pressures, often at the same time. Standing still is not an option, and neither is looking at those issues in isolation.
“CECE Congress 2026 puts manufacturers, association leaders, economists, technical experts and policy voices from across Europe in the same room. It is the place to hear what is affecting the sector, compare experience and help shape how the industry moves forward.
“For anyone serious about construction equipment, London is the place to be in October.”
CECE Congress 2026 takes place from 27 to 29 October at IET Savoy Place, London. It is open to CEA members and non-members, with tickets available for the full programme.
CECE Congress 27-29 October 2026 booking
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CECE Congress 2026 at a glance
When: 27–29 October 2026
Where: IET Savoy Place, London
Host: CEA (Construction Equipment Association), on behalf of CECE
Who: 150+ delegates from across Europe, including manufacturers, suppliers, associations and policy leaders
Theme: Create • Innovate • Inspire
Speakers: Joe Nellis, Jason Bevan, Lt Col Stewart Hill and a skills and talent panel, with sessions moderated by Riccardo Viaggi, Secretary General of CECE
Networking: Welcome Reception at IET Savoy Place and Gala Dinner cruise on the Thames
Book: CECE Congress 27-29 October 2026 booking
