UKWA (UK Warehousing Association) celebrated 2024 The Year of Warehousing at its biggest and best National Conference ever in March at Nottingham’s East Midlands Conference Centre.

Big brands, hot topics and a series of new initiatives made for an exciting, informative, and memorable event.

The conference kicked off with global economist Professor Trevor Williams, who delivered a hard-hitting analysis of the UK economy and worldwide geopolitical trends. He highlighted the fast pace of change and the current climate of uncertainty but was optimistic about continued growth and future opportunities for the sector, noting the rising importance of warehousing.

The event included specialist speakers, the announcement of UKWA’s manifesto for presentation to government ministers, and the presentation of UKWA’s Year of Warehousing Student Bursary (£800) to Sina Khodaee from the University of Bath. Shadow Minister Bill Esterson MP reassured conference dinner guests that the sector’s interests have been recognised and understood.  After dinner entertainment was provided by self-styled ‘Joyologist’ Donna Easton, who captured the upbeat mood with her exuberant examination of human happiness at work.

Commenting on the success of the event, UKWA CEO Clare Bottle said: “This year’s National Conference has been truly exceptional, with over 200 attendees, more than 35 expert speakers and 20 exhibitors. Key themes to emerge were the continuing importance of people to the success of our sector and the imperative of innovative solutions in a volatile world, which was captured superbly in a presentation by our headline sponsor, Visku.”

UKWA has around 1,000 members, representing some 200 million sq ft of warehousing across the UK.

Photos:  Clare Bottle and Trevor Williams.