Controls take centre stage at Smart Buildings Show 2026
ExCeL London, 14-15 October 2026
As buildings become more connected, the role of building controls is evolving. BMS and BEMS are no longer simply systems for monitoring plant and maintaining comfort. Increasingly, they sit at the heart of how buildings use energy, generate operational data and respond to changing demands.
That makes Smart Buildings Show 2026 a particularly relevant event for anyone involved in building controls, automation, BEMS and the wider intelligent building sector.
Returning to ExCeL London on 14-15 October, the show will bring together more than 100 exhibitors and over 120 speakers across four conference theatres. The Controls & Networks Theatre will have a particularly strong focus on building controls, BEMS, sensors, energy efficiency, shading, lighting, connectivity and networks – providing an opportunity to see how these technologies are increasingly being brought together.
A chance to see the bigger picture
For controls professionals, the value of the show lies in the opportunity to step outside the day-to-day focus of individual systems and consider where the wider market is heading. With building automation increasingly connected to energy management, IT infrastructure, data analytics, cybersecurity and other building technologies, keeping up with developments in adjacent areas is becoming increasingly important.
The exhibition provides an opportunity to compare technologies, meet existing and potential suppliers, discover new approaches and see how different systems are being brought together. It is also a useful environment for sharing experiences with consultants, engineers, integrators, manufacturers and building operators facing many of the same challenges around performance, integration and energy efficiency. With free access to the exhibition and conference, it offers a practical opportunity to spend a day gaining insight, making connections and assessing where the controls sector is heading.
Closing the performance gap
One of the biggest challenges facing the built environment is the gap between how buildings are designed to perform and how they actually perform once occupied.
This will be the focus of Closing the Performance Gap: Why Buildings Underperform and How Intelligent Controls Can Fix It, a panel discussion in the Controls & Networks Theatre, chaired by Ron Purcell, Vice President of the BCIA and Product Manager at Siemens. The session will explore how BACS and BEMS can identify hidden inefficiencies, support ongoing optimisation and unlock energy, carbon and operational savings. The discussion will also consider why actual performance can differ from design intent, the cost of inaction and whether the route to better performance may already be installed in the building.
Making the most of building data
The relationship between controls and data is another important theme. Modern buildings can generate huge quantities of information through sensors, meters and connected systems, but collecting data is only useful if it can support better decisions.
Andy Camsell, Technical Director at Sontay and BCIA Technical Consultant will explore this issue in his session From Sensors to Strategy, examining the contribution of operational data to asset value and the role of sensing technology in supporting energy efficiency.
For controls professionals, the session should provide useful insight into how sensor networks and BEMS can be considered not simply as components of a building system, but as infrastructure capable of supporting future operational and environmental requirements.
Building the next generation
Technology is only part of the smart building equation. The industry also needs people with the skills to design, install, integrate and operate increasingly sophisticated systems.
That issue will be addressed by Who Will Engineer the Smart Buildings of Tomorrow?, taking place in the Controls & Networks Theatre on Thursday 15 October.
The session will examine how engineering roles and skillsets are changing alongside building automation, data analytics, AI and IoT. It will also consider the importance of core engineering knowledge, digital skills, collaboration and continuous learning.
Among the speakers is Josh Steel, Chair of the BCIA Young Engineers Network and Sales Manager at Electracom, alongside representatives from other organisations across the smart buildings sector. The panel will consider how the industry can attract, develop and support the next generation of engineers needed to deliver increasingly connected buildings.
More than controls
While controls provide a natural focus, Smart Buildings Show is also an opportunity to look at the wider technologies with which BMS and BEMS increasingly need to interact. The four theatres cover Energy Management, Controls & Networks, IT & Digital Infrastructure, and Management & PropTech, reflecting the growing convergence between physical building systems, digital infrastructure, data and building operation.
For the controls industry, that wider perspective is increasingly important. The future of building automation will depend not only on better devices and software, but on effective integration, useful data, skilled people and a clear focus on building performance.
Smart Buildings Show 2026 offers an opportunity to explore all of these themes in one place – and to consider how controls can continue to move from being part of the building infrastructure to being central to how buildings perform.
To register visit: https://smartbuildingsshow.com