The CBI's Annual Conference is going virtual!
Get powerful insights to solve business challenges.
Hear from expert speakers: from political leaders...
...to CEOs at leading brands.
Confirmed speakers include:
Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
Leader, Labour
Chair, NHS Improvement and Interim Executive Chair, NHS Test and Trace
Mayor of Greater Manchester
Senior Vice President – People, Walmart International
Chief Executive Officer, Heathrow Airport
First Minister of Wales
Deputy Mayor for Business, London
Chair of Patrons, National Citizen Service
Chairman and CEO, Bank of America
Vice President for Northern Europe, Facebook
Group Head of Equality, Diversity & Inclusion, Hays
Director, VERCIDA Consulting
Chairman, Diageo
CEO, Barnardo’s
Mayor, North of Tyne
Director-General Designate, CBI
UK Managing Director, Hays
Assistant Vice President, Barclays
President/Director General, Keidanren
Chancellor, Northumbria University
Chief Executive Officer, US Chamber of Commerce
Director, Vodafone UK
Co-Chair, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner
CEO, NatWest Group
President & Chief Revenue Officer, Salesforce
CEO, APS and Organisational Psychologist
Chairman and Managing Director, Accenture, UK and Ireland
CEO, Reckitt Benckiser
Director-General, BDI, Germany
Delegate for European Affairs, Confindustria, Italy
Editor, The Economist
Managing Director UK&I, IHG
Chair, Panel on Economic Security
Chief UK Policy Director, CBI
Executive Director & Head of ESG, Edelman
Chair of Global Public Health, The University of Edinburgh
Chief Executive Officer, BP
President & CEO, CCC, Canada
Chairman, MEDEF, France
Director-General, BusinessEurope, EU
CEO, Alpro
CEO, Legal & General Investment Management
CEO, Ipsos MORI
Chief Executive Officer, Unilever
General Secretary, TUC
Founder, Richer Sounds
Senior Executive Editor, Bloomberg and Head of Bloomberg Economics
President, CBI
Director-General, CBI
Chief Economist, CBI
Deputy Director-General, Policy and Campaigns, CBI
Director Regions, CBI
Co-founder and Editor, Tortoise Media
Live session
Live session
With the Rt Hon Alok Sharma MP, Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, and hosted by Lord Karan Bilimoria CBE, DL, President, CBI.
Political guest speaker to be announced soon.
Live session
With the Rt Hon Sir Keir Starmer, Leader, Labour and hosted by Dame Carolyn Fairbairn, Director-General, CBI.
On-demand content
According to research, buyer preference for digital engagement, as opposed to traditional engagement, is twice what it was pre-Covid-19 and therefore the pressure is on UK Plc to pivot fast to a digital-first approach in all business activity. Hear from Gordon Wilson, CEO of Advanced, on what ‘digital-first’ means for business, and what technology solutions are helping companies become more ‘digital’.
During this break in the conference programme, why not connect with other delegates or explore our virtual exhibition space?
Panel discussion | On-demand content
Earlier this year, the UK economy took an unprecedented pummelling from the essential public health measures put in place to contain COVID-19. With people’s movement restricted, it was unsurprising that sectors like hospitality, arts, and entertainment felt the full brunt of lockdown.
Encouragingly, the economy grew in the early summer months, indicating that the early stages of recovery are underway. Yet cashflow constraints are biting hard for businesses, and with the pandemic not going away anytime soon, a sustained recovery is by no means assured.
Through this discussion, we will seek to understand some of the longer-term economic effects of COVID-19, and address how businesses can plan for the possibility of future pandemics.
We will also discuss what’s needed to ensure the UK economic recovery is powered by achieving net-zero carbon emissions, accelerating business innovation and retaining high-value investment for the UK.
On-demand content
Reckitt Benckiser’s first-hand experience of COVID-19, including the role of business and brands during the pandemic, changing consumer behaviours, future trends, and business resilience.
Panel discussion | Live session
The impact of the coronavirus pandemic is falling unevenly across society and impacting different parts of the country in different ways. With infection levels on the rise in many parts of the country and local restrictions being introduced to try and curb the spread of the virus, this session will give regional mayors and local leaders a platform to set out the impact COVID-19 is having in their area. They will be asked to set out what they think needs to be done to bring the virus under control, as well as how to protect jobs and livelihoods now and in the future.
Live session
Live session
Panel discussion | Live session
As we identify the range of economic effects of COVID-19, we are also seeking to establish the UK’s priorities for economic recovery. This climate has consistently revealed the need for new methods and approaches; therefore, our panel will discuss whether it is now time to move beyond traditional measures of economic growth, as well as how we can ensure the UK emerges as a force in global trade. We will also answer how the UK can lead the world and remain globally competitive through a combination of environmental, social, and governance priorities.
On-demand content
The Business 7 group includes the G7 countries’ major business federations and produces recommendations on overarching themes that affect the activities of businesses and global trade.
Join this discussion involving the heads of the B7 organisations as we look to identify the key lessons we can learn from our European, East Asian and North American neighbours in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the key issues we should work on together in the run-up to next year’s UK presidency of the G7.
During this break in the conference programme, why not connect with other delegates or explore our virtual exhibition space?
Panel discussion | Live session
As many businesses continue to adapt and operate in a new business environment we will explore what it means for businesses to help build back a better economy. Our discussion will focus on what it means to be a responsible employer, and identify the reputational lessons that businesses can learn from the COVID-19 pandemic and how these lessons can be successfully applied.
On-demand content
With guest speaker Bernard Looney (Chief Executive Officer, BP) and hosted by Dame Carolyn Fairbairn (Director-General, CBI).
On-demand content
People are at the heart of every organisation, and business leaders to understand their people in order to nurture corporate culture and evolve business productivity and performance. Hear from Ricoh’s Chas Moloney and psychologist Emma Kenny on the importance of the human experience of work and ‘the conscious workplace’.
Panel discussion | Live session
Live session
Panel discussion | Live session
The pandemic has impacted different strands of diversity in different ways. It has exacerbated existing inequalities for groups such as women and people from ethnic minorities. Yet employers have built more empathy for personal circumstances of their employees such as caring responsibilities, health considerations, disabilities, and mental health. Evidence shows focusing on diversity and inclusion helps firms recover from a crisis more quickly. This panel will discuss how we avoid the risk of progress slowing or even going backwards and why putting fairness and inclusion at the heart of the UK’s economic recovery plan will benefit all.
On-demand content
Hosted by Dame Carolyn Fairbairn, Director-General, CBI and Lord Karan Bilimoria CBE, DL, President, CBI.
This session was pre-recorded in October 2020. It is only available at the scheduled time of 11:30am, 4 November, and to registered delegates only.
During this break in the conference programme, why not connect with other delegates or explore our virtual exhibition space?
Panel discussion | Live session
This year, young people have been entering one of the toughest job markets in living memory – with declining apprenticeship numbers and graduate placements as well as huge impacts on the sectors which traditionally employ younger workers such as hospitality and retail.
In addition, prior to the coronavirus crisis, it was clear that by 2030 the world of work will look considerably different. Tasks, roles, and entire jobs will transform radically as technology rapidly changes work and drives up demand for new and higher skills. This crisis could be a huge opportunity, or the catalyst for unemployment, skills mismatches, and growing inequality among young and older people alike.
Join this session to explore how young people can be given the best chance of succeeding in the labour market we find ourselves within, and the support businesses and government can give to those entering the labour market for the first time.
On-demand content
Professor Sir David Eastwood, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Birmingham will discuss how harnessing innovation – across R&D and education - is critical to the UK’s desire to build back better.
Insight seminar | Live session
What has worked for companies over the past year, and what will they be focusing on now – has this changed as a result of the pandemic? Join this insight seminar, focused on embedding your organisation's ED&I strategy into your recruitment practices, to get practical takeaways for recruiting for difference.
Hosted by Hays.
What role can business play in a sustainable future? Join this panel session to understand whether sustainability and economic growth are compatible, and get expert insights on where to start your business's sustainability journey.
Live session
With Tony Danker, Director-General Designate, CBI and Lord Karan Bilimoria, CBE, DL, President, CBI.
Live session
With by Dame Carolyn Fairbairn, Director-General, CBI and Lord Karan Bilimoria CBE, DL, President, CBI.
Member ticket prices
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| What's included | CBI Member | CBI Affiliate Member | Non-Member (Full Access) | Non-Member (Partial Access) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Access to full programme | — | — | — | — |
| Access to policy reports and survey results | — | — | — | — |
| Exclusive access to CBI, speaker and partner insight, intelligence, and thought leadership | — | — | — | — |
| Entry to all virtual networking and exhibition rooms | — | — | — | — |
| Access to selected sessions across 3 days | — | — | — | — |
Live and pre-recorded sessions will become available at the times specified in the programme. You will receive joining instructions the week prior to the event.
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Annual Conference 
