Event details
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Online
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18 November 2026
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08:30 AM - 04:45 PM GMT
Event fees
Free
Free
Free
£5.00
Summary
Making the industry inclusive, accessible and welcoming to all.Please note: this event is for over 18’s only
There is a clear and growing expectation for inclusive cultures across all industries, and the built environment is no exception.
To remain relevant, credible and ready for the future, the sector must reflect these changing expectations and embrace cultural change.
Join us for a full day of honest conversation, bold thinking and practical action on Diversity, Equality and Inclusion. Hear from leaders, strategists, authors and practitioners who are actively driving and embedding change across the built environment and beyond.
Our CEO Dr Victoria Hills sets the tone for the day, highlighting our commitment to EDI as a professional body.
After that we dive into the questions: Why is the business case for EDI still relevant and how to build EDI to last? Is it responsible to encourage women to join the industry? How can we grow globally through EDI? What is the BE Inclusive MoU and why it matters? What moves can we make right now?
Interested in attending but want to know more? Check out our 2025 conference online.
Please note the proposed is a draft and subject to change. It provides a general outline of the event.
If you have any questions or need further information, please contact our CIOB Events team at [email protected].
Agenda
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Agenda
08:30Welcome
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Dr Victoria Hills, CIOB CEO
08:45Built to Last: why EDI is a ‘must-have’ in the Built Environment
Why is EDI still important for the built environment and how can we sustain a culture where stakeholders are engaged and committed to achieving EDI goals? What data and statistics back up an EDI commitment? Challenged by the Chair, this panel of experts from the built environment sector will share their thoughts on these important questions. Find out how a commitment to fairness and equity can help address the challenges currently facing the sector, including (but not limited to) the people shortages, skills gaps, underrepresentation and the critical issue of retaining qualified employees.10:30Courtroom session: Is it responsible to encourage women to join the industry?
A courtroom session which will see two opposing views: are women safe to join the built environment or is it too early to encourage them to do so? Why? Cast your vote at the end to decide which side came out on top.12:00MoU BE Inclusive – action plan for the next 5 years
An update from the member institutes of the B.E. Inclusive Group (including CIOB) on our collective work to drive meaningful, sector wide change across the built environment. Attendees will gain practical insight into approaches already being tested across the sector, learn from shared challenges and successes, and take away ideas that can be applied directly to strengthen teams, create an inclusive culture and improve retention.14:00Building Inclusion Across Borders
This panel brings together three speakers to explore how EDI shows up in different cultural and working contexts. Through honest conversation and real‑world examples, panellists will reflect on what inclusion looks like across diverse environments, the tensions and opportunities that arise, and how organisations can respond thoughtfully and effectively.15:30Built for Everyone: actions to embed EDI in the built environment
This session is focused on actions that employers can take to foster EDI inclusion, in different work environments in the built sector. Real-world examples and case studies will be used to demonstrate how organisations can move beyond policy into meaningful action, ensuring EDI principles are consistently applied across all levels of the workforce. The session will highlight how inclusive practices can be adapted to suit different contexts, from site-based roles to office settings and hybrid teams.16:30Closing statement
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Ola Obadara, CIOB Vice President 2026/6
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Our Speakers
Dr Victoria Hills
Chief Executive, CIOBVictoria comes to CIOB having previously served as CEO of the Royal Town Planning Institute and with more than 25 years of experience in leadership roles, covering planning, transport and regeneration. Working for all three Mayors of London, her projects included establishing the UK’s second Mayoral Development Corporation, the Old Oak & Park Royal Development Corporation. Victoria sits on the Advisory Board of Black Professionals In Construction (BPIC) and is a member of the Worshipful Company of Paviors. In 2025, Victoria won the EDI Champion prize for BAME Planners Network.
Mark Harrison
Head of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Transformation, CIOBMark Harrison joined CIOB as their first Head of EDI Transformation in 2021. Since that time, among other achievements, Mark has launched the CIOB D&I Charter for employers with over 420 company signatories to date and established the CIOB’s annual international EDI Conference. Mark was also one of the initiators of the ground-breaking ‘B.E. Inclusive’ partnership with nine built environment professional membership institutes working together to promote an inclusive and accessible industry. Mark has 18 years’ experience in lead EDI roles in the built environment, charity, and HE sectors.
The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB)
Every year the CIOB organises hundreds of CPD and networking events, award ceremonies and competitions across the globe.