Expo Sunderland line-up revealed

A conference in Sunderland is set to bring together some of the UK’s most influential voices to explore how cities can adapt, grow and thrive in the years ahead.

Expo Sunderland’s Delivering the Future City Conference, taking place on October 14 and 15 at City Hall, will see experts from the built environment, investment, innovation, public policy and academia discuss the challenges and opportunities shaping the cities of tomorrow.

And the line-up for this year’s event has now been revealed.

Speakers include Pat Ritchie CBE, chair of Homes England; Henry Kippin, chief executive of the North East Combined Authority; Tracy Harrison, chief executive of the Northern Housing Consortium; and Capital & Centric co-founder Tim Heatley. 

They will be joined by Samantha McClary, chief executive of the British Council of Offices; Ellen Thinnesen, chief executive of Education Partnership North East; and Graham Thrower, head of the Institute for Economic and Social Inclusion.

Chaired by former BBC home editor Mark Easton, the event, now in its third year, will feature keynote talks, panel discussions and roundtables exploring housing delivery, planning reform, placemaking, infrastructure and workforce skills.

With more than 200 delegates expected, the conference comes as national targets for housebuilding and innovation investment continue to rise. 

It will also preview a new Key Cities Network report, Turbocharging Housebuilding in Cities and Urban Areas, ahead of its official launch in Parliament.

The event is being delivered in partnership with the University of Sunderland and the British Council of Offices, with support from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

Councillor Kevin Johnston, portfolio holder for housing, regeneration and business at Sunderland City Council, said: “This is shaping up to be a fantastic event, with some really influential speakers coming to the city to participate and learn more about the way in which we’re driving forward with the transformation of Sunderland.

“With flagship projects such as Riverside Sunderland, new skills and training facilities like the Housing Innovation and Construction Skills Academy, and major infrastructure schemes including Keel Crossing, Sunderland is emerging as a model future city, and we’re delighted to be able to shine a spotlight on that at this brilliant conference.”

For more information about Delivering the Future City, visit Expo Sunderland or follow Expo Sunderland on LinkedIn.

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