Big conversations: the ScaffEx26 conference showreel is here
The ScaffEx26 conference was built around a single test: would delegates go home with something they could use on Monday morning?
Across two days at Manchester Central, eight sessions hosted by journalist Sophie Long worked through the questions the industry argues about rather than the ones it has already settled. The professional showreel is now in, and it captures the tone of the room better than any write-up can.
Day one: the commercial reality
The programme opened with Thriving in Uncertainty, a Question Time-style debate on the pressures running through the supply chain. Richard Beresford of the National Federation of Builders, Danny Dwyer of PHD Access, Chris Abbey of Altrad UK and Rob Wright of Lindum Group took on fair payment, contract terms, workforce pressures and the contractor-client relationship, joined by the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade. It was designed to invite disagreement rather than sidestep it, and it did.
What Nobody Tells You About Starting Your Own Scaffolding Firm followed, with James Brierley of Rose System Scaffolding, Lee Marley, and KAS Scaffolding directors Shane Wood and Adam Millgate giving candid accounts of cash flow, culture and the things they wish someone had told them earlier.
The afternoon turned to The Talent Crisis, asking how firms bring young people in without losing the value of the experienced hands already on the books. Danny Clarke of CITB, Donna Mulvihill of Altrad UK, Clive Dickin of NASC and CISRS, Ashley Smith of R.A.S Scaffolding and Dan Wilson of MAR Scaffolding looked at what is actually working, including recruiting from groups the industry has tended to overlook.
Day one closed with a project showcase, taking delegates behind the scenes on the Manchester Town Hall restoration and 25 Canada Square at Canary Wharf. The emphasis throughout was on transferable lessons rather than a victory lap.
Day two: risk and innovation
Hiding in Plain Sight covered the hazards that get underestimated on site, including fire, dust exposure and contamination, with former HSE inspector Matt Greenly and Alice Thomson of 4-Rail Services setting out why they deserve closer attention.
The session most likely to divide the room was Would You Trust a Scaffolder Trained on a Computer? Martin Addison of Video Arts Group and Joanne Walker of the CWIC Scaffolding Academy were among those examining how blended learning and immersive technology are reshaping skills development, and whether they complement practical experience or dilute it.
The conference closed with Dawn of a New Era, a ninety-minute session on innovation in temporary roofing.
Watch the showreel
