EIC Connect UK & Ireland returned for the first time since 2019, bringing over 130 delegates together at Hotel Football, Old Trafford, on 19th & 20th November 2025. The conference began on Wednesday evening with a warm and lively Welcome Drinks Reception, held in partnership with TRS Staffing Solutions. Following the EIC Members Update - where the Market Intelligence team shared the latest sector insights exclusively with our members - attendees gathered to reconnect, meet new faces, and unwind in a fun, informal setting. Despite challenging snow and icy travel conditions across the country, members, speakers, and exhibitors still made the journey to Manchester, creating a real sense of community spirit as the event got underway.
The main conference on Thursday delivered a strong and forward-looking programme, reflecting the abundance of opportunity across the UK and Ireland energy sectors. With over 1,454 projects tracked in EIC DataStream - representing a potential $942 billion in expenditure - delegates explored how supply chain companies can position themselves for growth despite the shifting energy landscape. Session 1, Expectations and Opportunities – Voices from the Supply Chain, and the Contractor Briefing provided strategic insight into major capital projects, procurement timelines, and capability requirements across oil & gas, renewables, hydrogen, CCUS, and energy system integration. Session 2, Policy, Power, and Partnership, brought operators and developers together to discuss net-zero goals, investment priorities, and emerging opportunities in offshore wind, hydrogen, CCUS, grid upgrades, and more, while Session 3 showcased the perspectives of EIC Committees, offering grounded, data-driven commentary on market trends and sector challenges.
As with all strong EIC events, the day concluded with our popular one-to-one appointments, giving delegates the chance to engage directly with speakers and project representatives. These pre-booked meetings created space for meaningful, opportunity-focused discussions - whether exploring upcoming tenders, supply chain requirements, or technical capabilities aligned to the projects presented earlier in the day. The one-to-one format once again proved invaluable, enabling members to translate the conference insights into tangible business conversations and build connections that can support future growth.
With thanks to our Event Partners:
Opito – Principal Partner
TRS Staffing Solutions – Drinks Reception Partner
Valmet – Lanyard and Registration Partner
And our Event Exhibitors:
- Alliema
- Busch
- Damper Technologies
- Det-Tronics
- Energya Steel Fabrication
- Lokring
- Mammoet
- Raychem
- Rotork
- RTR