The one-day event will be held at the Heart of England Conference and Events Centre in Fillongley near Coventry.

The CPA Conference is organised by the CPA, the longest-established trade association for the plant-hire sector in the UK with over 1,900 members who supply 85% of hired plant to the construction industry.

Merryn Myatt will be hosting the CPA Conference 2024. Merryn - a former television presenter, newsreader and journalist who previously worked with the BBC, ITV and Channel 4 - has hosted the CPA Conference for several years. This year Merryn will have a co-host - Peter Haddock - who is well known throughout the plant-hire industry as a content, social media and PR specialist, journalist and vlogger.

The CPA Conference 2024 will bring together a number of panel speakers discussing how organisations can shape the future of the plant-hire sector. Merryn Myatt and Peter Haddock will lead a number of interactive panel debates discussing key topics such as innovation, decarbonisation, digitalisation, skills, business growth, succession planning and mental health and wellbeing in the construction sector.

As well as attending the conference, delegates will also have the opportunity to visit a number of exhibitors. The CPA Conference 2024 will be held in association with headline sponsor MHM Group and exhibitors already confirmed include CITB, Capja, Conquip, GGR Group, Genquip Groundhog, Plant Planet, Point of Rental Software, Prolectric, Rouse Services, Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA), Spartan Solutions and Thomas Group.

CPA president Brian Jones said: “This will be the ninth CPA Conference we have held and we felt this year’s event should address the core issues that are of importance right now to CPA members and the wider construction industry. Last year’s CPA Conference theme was ‘Facing the Challenges’ and the CPA Conference 2024 has moved on to discussing how attendees can help shape the future of the industry and provide solutions. It’s gearing up to be a great event and it’s excellent that there has been so much interest in it already.”

The CPA is in the process of confirming the panel speakers participating in the event and there will be a total of five panel debates throughout the day, namely:

• Panel Session 1: The Plant-hire Sector in 2024 - Where the Industry Currently Sits in the Wider Economic and Political Context - An opportunity to hear first-hand on how the sector is currently performing, the wider political and economic context, and what we can expect to see moving forward.
• Panel Session 2: The Innovative Plant-hire Company - Insights into Current and Future Developments and Innovations in the Sector - The plant-hire sector is experiencing a period of huge change and developments as the challenge of decarbonisation and the impact of digitalisation and AI become increasingly a feature of the sector.
• Panel Session 3: Expanding the Skills Base - Where do we Stand in the Battle for Skills, What Progress is Being Made in Attracting New People to the Industry - Especially Women? - The fight for skills remains as important as ever, with construction competing against a range of other industries. This session will explore what progress is being made in the plant-hire sector, and what more needs to be overcome both in attracting but also retaining talent.
• Panel Session 4: Growing your Business - What Next? The Challenge of Growth and Succession Planning - The plant-hire sector remains an attractive place for growth and investment. This session will explore the growth strategies that firms are deploying, plus how companies can approach the challenge of succession planning.
• Panel Session 5: Focus on Mental Health and Wellbeing in the Construction Sector - Construction remains one of the most vulnerable sectors to ill health, both physical and mental. This session will hear directly on the work the Lighthouse Club engage in and hear the practical steps companies are taking to help their workforce.