President’s Blog: BCIA Members’ Conference and Awards: Celebrating Excellence and the Future of BEMS
Some events do more than bring people together. They create a moment to reflect on where an industry stands, what it has achieved and what it must focus on next.
The BCIA Awards 2026, AGM and Members’ Conference did exactly that. Across one day and evening, we saw the strength, ambition and expertise that exist across the BEMS sector. We heard important discussions about building performance, valuation, skills and visibility, and celebrated the people and organisations raising standards across the building controls industry.
As BCIA marks its 35th anniversary, this felt particularly significant. It was not only an opportunity to reflect on how far the industry has come, but also to recognise the momentum we are building and the responsibility we share in shaping what comes next.
A day of insight, discussion and industry value
The BCIA AGM and Members’ Conference explored many of the themes now central to our sector: building performance, commercial value, skills, apprenticeships, visibility and collaboration.
At the heart of these was a common question: how do we ensure building controls are properly understood, valued and applied?
Building controls and commercial value
The day started with a keynote from Nick Taylor of Building Atlas. His presentation, Green Premium or Green Blind Spot? BEMS, BACS and the Missing Link in Property Valuation, explored an issue that deserves far greater attention.
Despite the clear contribution building controls make to energy performance, efficiency and long-term asset value, they are still too often overlooked in property valuation.
One of his most powerful observations was that “technical value and priced value are not the same.” It was a simple but important reminder that while our industry clearly understands the operational value of controls, that value is not always translating into financial decision-making at asset level.
Nick also challenged the industry to think differently about the role of controls in the future. Rather than being viewed purely as a building services package, controls are increasingly becoming part of the financial infrastructure of buildings because they directly influence income, risk, compliance confidence, operational resilience and future investment decisions.
His point that “the controls industry does not have a relevance problem, it has a translation problem” resonated strongly with many in the room. Too often, detailed operational data and measurable outcomes are lost as information moves through the chain from FM teams and energy reporting through to investment committees, lenders and valuers.
Importantly, the session was not simply about identifying the challenge. Nick also highlighted three areas he believes could change the game for the sector:
making performance data portable and accessible
packaging measured outcomes over time
getting controls upstream of capital planning and investment decisions
Invisible technology, visible impact
This theme continued in the panel discussion Invisible Technology, Visible Failures: Why We Keep Undervaluing Building Controls, chaired by Oli Barker, BCIA Management Committee Member and of Llloret.
The discussion reflected a challenge many of us recognise: building controls are often only noticed when something goes wrong, despite underpinning comfort, efficiency, operational performance and increasingly, net zero strategies.
Panellists discussed how value engineering, late-stage cost cutting and limited operational understanding can undermine building performance long after handover. There was also strong agreement that controls expertise must be brought into projects earlier, rather than being treated as an afterthought once key design decisions have already been made.
Another important point raised throughout the session was the need for simplicity, usability and ongoing optimisation. Even well-designed systems can fail to deliver value if operators do not have the time, training or support to manage them effectively after handover.
What came through strongly was that our industry must continue to explain not just what BEMS do, but what they enable: better-performing buildings, reduced energy waste, improved comfort and more informed decision-making.
Developing the next generation
For me, one of the most encouraging parts of the day was the focus on people.
The Young Engineers Interactive Roundtables brought fresh perspectives into the conversation and reinforced the importance of listening to those who will help shape the future of BEMS.
One message came through clearly: many talented young people simply do not know building controls exists as a career path until they are exposed to it directly.
Several young engineers spoke openly about discovering the sector almost by accident through careers fairs, placements, T-Level opportunities or conversations with employers. That underlines why visibility matters so much.
The session also demonstrated the growing value of the BCIA Young Engineers Network, which continues to create opportunities for networking, mentoring, technical development and peer support across the industry. The introduction of the new Ambassador Scheme was particularly well received, helping create visible role models within member companies and encouraging greater engagement from future talent.
The afternoon panel on The Talent Challenge – Skills, Apprenticeships and Upcoming Changes explored many of these issues further.
The discussion highlighted how quickly the sector is evolving, particularly as controls increasingly integrate with AI, APIs, renewable technologies, smart buildings and data-led optimisation. That means the skills required across the industry are evolving too.
Panellists discussed the growing importance of apprenticeships, T-Levels, industry placements and employer engagement in creating meaningful routes into the sector. There was strong recognition that education is moving in the right direction, but industry participation remains essential.
One particularly important message from the panel was that employers should focus as much on attitude, curiosity and willingness to learn as technical experience. Skills can be developed, but confidence, enthusiasm and engagement are equally important when building long-term talent pipelines.
As President, I remain committed to making building controls a career of choice. That means communicating the opportunity clearly, supporting employers practically and showing future talent that this is a sector with purpose, progression and long-term relevance.
BCIA Awards 2026: recognising excellence across the sector
The evening’s BCIA Awards 2026 provided a fitting and well-deserved celebration of the people, projects and organisations driving our industry forward.
The awards recognise the individuals, teams and businesses delivering excellence across the sector. Congratulations to this year’s winners, who truly reflect the depth, innovation and commitment across the BCIA community:
Building Controls and BEMS Company of the Year – Linear Control Systems
Engineer of the Year – Jonathan Woolford, Schneider Electric
Young Engineer of the Year – George Stephens-Clark, InTandem Systems
Apprentice of the Year – William Sebatch, Schneider Electric
Energy Innovation and Impact Award – BMSI for the E60+ Energy Roll Out
Best Service and Maintenance Provider – Kendra Energy Solutions
Technical Innovation of the Year – Products – Cosysense for AI Building Automation
Technical Innovation of the Year – Projects – Lockheed Martin for Connected, Resilient, Intelligent: A New Era of Facilities
Sustainability Strategy Champion – The Francis Crick Institute
Contribution to Training Award – One Sightsolutions
Outstanding Contribution of the Year – Terry Sharp
Together, these winners demonstrate what best practice looks like in action, from innovation and project delivery through to training, service and long-term contribution to the industry.
The atmosphere on the night was a real reminder of the pride people take in their work and in the industry as a whole. Host Stephen Mulhern brought energy and humour to the evening, helping create a celebration that felt both professional and genuinely enjoyable.
Celebrating the BCIA community
Events like this do not happen without the support of the wider BCIA community, and the Members’ Conference gets bigger each year. I would like to thank our members, sponsors, speakers, panellists, manufacturers, attendees, finalists and winners for making the day and evening such a success. I would also like to thank the BCIA team for organising the Members’ Conference and Keystone, for once again organising another absolutely fantastic awards event in the evening.
The manufacturers’ area also played an important role, giving delegates the opportunity to explore new products, exchange ideas and discuss current market developments. These conversations matter because innovation in building controls is often driven by collaboration between manufacturers, integrators, consultants, contractors and end users.
This is one of BCIA’s strengths. We bring together different parts of the industry so that insight, experience and ambition can be shared. At a time when buildings are under increasing pressure to perform better, that collaboration is essential.
Looking ahead with confidence
The BCIA 35th anniversary gives us a valuable moment to reflect on how far the Association and the sector have come. Building controls have evolved from being seen by many as a specialist technical package to being recognised as central to how buildings operate, adapt and deliver value. That progress is significant, but there is still more to do.
We need greater visibility, stronger recognition of our role in building performance, and a continued focus on developing skills and supporting members. The voice of the building controls industry must be heard in wider conversations about energy, carbon, safety and the future of the built environment.
The BCIA Awards 2026, AGM and Members’ Conference showed that we have the knowledge, commitment and community to meet that challenge.
As we look ahead, my message is simple: let us continue to champion excellence, develop talent, support innovation and demonstrate the value of building controls in delivering better buildings for everyone.
We want to make sure our annual Members’ Conference delivers what our members want and so we appreciate any feedback via our survey from attendees to help us continually improve the event.