Opportunity East: The Infrastructure and Investment Conference

Building on the success of our debut event in March 2025, the Opportunity East conference returns as the essential gathering to unite public and private sector leaders in shaping the future of the East of England.   

The conference will be held on the 5th March 2026 at The Hold – Home of the Suffolk Archives. We have the privilege of Jack Abbott, MP for Ipswich and Mission Champion for the East of England joining as Chair for the conference

The East of England requires a unified voice to secure the infrastructure investment it needs to thrive. This conference will help create that united vision by bringing together local authority leaders, industry experts, parliamentarians and infrastructure projects.

With local elections taking place and strategic authorities in the East being set up, this chance for regional partners to meet, discuss critical infrastructure needs, and establish consensus on priorities before key decisions are made. The active collaboration between public bodies and private sector partners that this conference enables will be essential to ensuring the East of England’s infrastructure ambitions are realised. 

Join us to:

• Shape a compelling regional investment narrative for the East of England
• Identify and prioritise transformational infrastructure projects
• Build strategic partnerships between local authorities and private investors
• Unlock opportunities for inward investment across the region

The conference will include keynote speeches, interactive workshops, exhibition spaces, and networking.

Confirmed speakers include:

• Graham Butland – Chair LGE and Leader of Braintree District Council
• Jack Abbott MP – MP of Ipswich and East of England mission champion
• Terry Muckian – Executive Vice President, Skanska UK
• Alex Lane, Senior Vice President and Head of Sector for Cities and Places, Jacobs 
• Tom McGarry – Deputy Director of External Affairs, National Grid
• Gidon Freeman – Vice-President, External Affairs, Universal Destinations and Experiences
• Akash Paun – Programme Director, Institute for Government
• Judith Barker – Executive Director Place and Connectivity, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority 
• Tom Walker – Interim Chief Executive, Greater Essex Strategic Authority
• Andrew Cook – Deputy Chief Executive & Executive Director of Growth Highways and Infrastructure Council, Suffolk County Council
• Kevin Howlett – Director, Infrastructure Matters

Agenda to follow shortly.

Following the event, attendees are warmly invited to join us for post-conference drinks and canapes from 15:30 – 16:30. This informal networking is open to all attendees and is graciously provided by our sponsors.

Audience: Ministers and MPs, chief executives and senior planning and economic development directors (from local authorities in the East of England), academia, private sector and third sector industry partners in the East of England. This event is by invitation only.

Cost: This conference is free to attend. However, for cancellations less than 7 working days before the event date, or non attendance on the day, there will be a cancellation fee of £100 plus VAT. Please click here to view the ‘Events Booking and Cancellation Policy’.

Spaces are limited (2 per organisation) so we encourage you to register your details below as quickly as possible as spaces are being allocated on a first-come, first-serve basis. 

If you have any queries, please contact Jayne Cole, Events Manager, Local Government East, email; events@localgoveasteng.gov.uk