Record attendance, industry insight, award celebrations and inspiring stories define ALFED’s biggest flagship event to date
The Aluminium Federation (ALFED) welcomed a record number of delegates, members, industry partners and guests to its 2026 Business Briefing & Annual Dinner, held on Thursday 24th September at the Crowne Plaza, Stratford-upon-Avon.
Bringing together more than 150 delegates during the day and over 250 guests for the evening Dinner, the event marked the largest gathering in the Federation’s history, reinforcing its focus on collaboration, innovation and strategic discussion across the UK aluminium industry.
Kindly sponsored by DTE, RamBase, Aluminium International Today, CarbonChain, Instro and Envantage, the Business Briefing delivered a comprehensive programme focused on resilience, competitiveness, sustainability, innovation, skills and future growth.
Industry Leaders Unite to Address Sector Challenges and Opportunities
Opening the Business Briefing, ALFED CEO Nadine Bloxsome welcomed delegates and highlighted the importance of partnership and collective action as manufacturers continue to navigate economic uncertainty, global competition, regulatory change and the transition to a low-carbon future.
The morning keynote from John Pearce, Chief Executive of Made in Britain, focused on strengthening the position of UK manufacturing on the global stage. His presentation highlighted the value of promoting British-made products, enhancing national industrial capability and creating sustainable growth opportunities through a stronger manufacturing identity.
Tom Andrews, Engineering Capability Lead, Materials Science at the NCC provided an insightful overview of the UK’s advanced materials landscape, exploring current market trends, emerging technologies and future demand across key manufacturing sectors. His presentation examined the increasingly strategic role that advanced materials will play in driving industrial growth, strengthening manufacturing resilience and supporting the delivery of the UK’s wider industrial strategy.
Delegates also heard from Tony Graham, Chairman of OCEA UK Ltd, who examined the importance of strengthening domestic manufacturing capability to support national resilience, defence requirements and economic security. His presentation highlighted the need to maintain critical industrial capacity within the UK and reduce reliance on overseas supply chains.
Providing an economic perspective, Glynn Jones from the Bank of England shared an update on the UK’s economic outlook, discussing inflationary pressures, business confidence, investment trends and the wider economic factors influencing manufacturers and supply chains.
Navigating Global Change
One of the day’s standout sessions saw a panel of industry experts including Paul Williams (CRU), Emma Swann (BOAL Extrusion UK), Christian Mildner (LME), Anna Doherty (Chartered Institute of Export & International Trade), and Roheet Shah (CarbonChain), led by ALFED CEO Nadine Bloxsome to discuss how businesses can respond to an increasingly volatile global environment.
The discussion explored major industry issues, including trade and geopolitical uncertainty, carbon regulation, supply chain resilience and the UK’s industrial competitiveness. Panellists examined both the challenges and opportunities facing the aluminium sector, with topics such as the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), international trade dynamics and future investment requirements generating significant discussion among delegates.
Innovation, Technology and Sustainability at the Forefront
Innovation remained a central theme throughout the day.
Dr Sohail Nazari of DTE explored how advanced technologies can improve aluminium recycling processes, helping organisations reduce operational uncertainty, enhance efficiency and maximise material recovery rates.
Andrew Hughlock of RamBase, alongside Liv Brevik of Norsk Hydro, demonstrated how digitalisation and quality management systems can unlock greater operational excellence, improve traceability and support long-term competitiveness across global manufacturing organisations.
A technical highlight of the programme came from Professor Mark White of Alumobility, whose presentation focused on addressing vehicle weight growth through the increased use of aluminium. Demonstrating the material’s potential to deliver lighter, more efficient and lower-carbon vehicles, he outlined the critical role aluminium will continue to play in future mobility solutions.
Investing in People and Future Talent
Alongside discussions on markets and technology, the afternoon programme placed a strong emphasis on developing people and future leadership.
Representatives from The Outward Bound Trust shared how experiential learning programmes can help organisations build resilience, strengthen teamwork and develop leadership capability across their workforce.
Leadership specialist Sally Twisleton of Assemble Coaching examined the role mentoring can play in supporting career progression, organisational performance and future leadership development.
These themes continued during a dedicated panel discussion including George Bain (George Bain Consulting), Euan Carlile (Department for Work & Pensions), Sally Twisleton (Assemble Coaching), and Yongzhi Luo (Primetals Technologies and 2025 ALFED Rising Star Apprentice Award Winner), led by ALFED Industry & Skills Development Manager Rachel Wiffen, to focus on attracting, developing and retaining talent within manufacturing. Industry experts discussed apprenticeships, skills development, mentoring and engagement initiatives designed to inspire the next generation of manufacturing professionals.
Celebrating Excellence Across the Aluminium Industry
The celebrations continued into the evening as guests gathered for the Annual Dinner and the official launch of the 2026 ALFED Awards.
The awards recognised outstanding achievements from across the UK aluminium supply chain and celebrated the individuals and organisations driving innovation, sustainability and industry excellence.
EDMO Limited Crafts Sustainable Trophies for the 2026 ALFED Awards
The 2026 ALFED Awards were further enhanced by the outstanding trophies created by EDMO Limited, led by Stephen Bradley and the team. Designed and manufactured specifically for this year’s awards, each trophy reflects the values at the heart of the aluminium industry: innovation, craftsmanship and sustainability. Produced from recycled aluminium repurposed from material otherwise destined for scrap, the trophies demonstrate how circularity can be embedded into every stage of manufacturing. Through a combination of precision cutting, machining, surface finishing and laser etching, EDMO transformed a simple aluminium tube into a distinctive award worthy of celebrating excellence across the sector. ALFED extends its sincere thanks to Steve and the entire EDMO team for their creativity, expertise and generous support in helping make the 2026 Awards a truly memorable occasion.
2026 ALFED Award Winners
🏆 Low-Carbon Innovation Award
Hydro Building Systems UK Ltd (TECHNAL by Hydro)
🏆 Industry Champion Award
Kirsty Davies-Chinnock, Professional Polishing Services
🏆 Rising Star Apprentice Award
Amy Reynolds, BOAL Extrusion UK
A particularly heartfelt moment during the evening was the introduction of the Industry Champion Award, established in honour of the late ALFED Past President, Mark Allen. Created to recognise individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the aluminium industry, the award will serve as a lasting legacy to Mark’s dedication, leadership and commitment to supporting the sector throughout his career.
Seas the Day – An Inspiring Message
Guests were also inspired by an extraordinary presentation from Jessica Rowe and Miriam Payne of the Seas the Day Rowing Team, who shared the story of their remarkable 8,213-mile Pacific Ocean crossing from Peru to Australia in support of The Outward Bound Trust.
Their incredible journey provided a powerful message about resilience, teamwork, determination and overcoming adversity, perfectly reflecting many of the qualities that continue to drive success across the aluminium industry.
Thank You to Our Sponsors
ALFED extends its sincere thanks to all sponsors whose support helped make this event possible.
Business Briefing Sponsors
- DTE
- RamBase
- Aluminium International Today
- CarbonChain
- Instro
- Envantage
Annual Dinner Sponsors
Diamond Sponsor
- Smart Aluminium Extrusions
Platinum Sponsor
- Swan Alloy
Ruby Sponsor
- Aluminium Shapes
Sapphire Headline Awards Sponsor
- BOAL Extrusion UK
Silver Sponsors
- Amari Metals Engineering Group (AMEG)
- Capalex
- London Metal Exchange
Bronze Sponsors
- ALTEK Europe
- Avon Metals
- Mypower
- Metsource
- Innoval Technology
- IMA Schelling UK
Looking Ahead
Reflecting on the success of the event, ALFED CEO Nadine Bloxsome said:
“The record attendance at this year’s Business Briefing and Annual Dinner demonstrates the strength, resilience and ambition of the UK aluminium sector. The discussions throughout the day highlighted both the challenges facing our industry and the significant opportunities ahead. Most importantly, the event showcased the expertise, innovation and collaboration that continue to position aluminium as a critical material in the UK’s manufacturing future.”
With record attendance, high-quality industry debate, inspiring speakers and well-deserved recognition for outstanding achievements, the 2026 ALFED Business Briefing & Annual Dinner reaffirmed the strength of the UK aluminium community and its determination to drive sustainable growth in the years ahead.
Details of the 2027 ALFED Business Briefing & Annual Dinner, including earlybird booking opportunities, will be announced soon.
For further information, or to become an ALFED member, please visit www.alfed.org.uk.
