Now in its thirteenth year, the NEC People Conference has fast become the premier gathering for NEC professionals across the UK and beyond.
The event brings together a growing community of contract managers, consultants, contractors, clients, and legal professionals who work with the NEC suite of contracts. Its mission is clear: to demystify, debate, and drive forward the best ways of applying NEC principles in real-world project delivery.
With an ever-expanding online network of over 12,000 NEC professionals, the NEC People community is unique in its emphasis on peer learning, practical guidance, and open conversation. The annual conference serves as a focal point offering attendees the opportunity to hear from key industry figures, take part in dynamic sessions on emerging challenges, and network with like-minded professionals who share a commitment to collaborative, fair, and transparent contracting.
In an industry facing complex issues; from inflation and insolvency to digital transformation and net-zero targets, the NEC People Conference plays a critical role in enabling the NEC ecosystem to stay ahead of the curve and build a more resilient, informed, and effective future.
This year’s event promises a full day of knowledge sharing, technical insight, and practical discussion making it a cornerstone gathering for anyone working with NEC3 and NEC4 frameworks
Reflecting on Last Year’s Them “State of the Industry”
Last year’s conference, themed “State of the Industry (and a Look to the Future)”, raised the bar with a dynamic mix of deep-dive sessions on AI in construction, NEC contract health, and collaborative delivery models. Interactive features like the crowd-favourite “Who Wants to Be an NEC Millionaire?” blended learning with entertainment while raising money for charity.
The event fostered a strong sense of community and collective ambition to elevate NEC practice, earning widespread praise as “the most engaging NEC event yet” and firmly establishing itself as a cornerstone in the NEC calendar.
Delivering Excellence in 2025
This year’s theme, “Delivering Excellence”, brings together a compelling agenda that explores the full spectrum of NEC-related challenges and innovations. Highlights include National Highways’ use of NEC contracts on the Lower Thames Crossing to promote sustainability and supply chain collaboration, as well as insights into Project 13’s enterprise delivery model, which shifts procurement towards long-term value and partnership.
Attendees will also hear a candid ‘State of the Industry’ report from Matthew Garrett, covering insolvency trends, adjudication, and project risk, alongside legal updates on delay damages, AI integration, nuclear sector applications, and NEC’s alignment with the Building Safety Act. The afternoon will feature engaging sessions including a Mock Adjudication, the infamous Z Clause of the Year Award, and a live Question Time Panel with leading NEC experts.
Leading the Digital Transformation of NEC Contracts
This year, Digital Beehive will be showcasing its evolving suite of NEC-centric tools:
Contract Bee, our flagship platform that simplifies NEC contract administration through live dashboards, automation, and collaboration features built to reduce risk, save time, and boost clarity.
Introducing Project Bee, our newest product designed to empower NEC project teams with tools for managing early warnings, risk registers, compensation events, and more fully integrated with Contract Bee.
These tools are built specifically around the NEC ethos of proactive, transparent contract management and are already being adopted across infrastructure, construction, and public sector projects.
As the NEC community continues to grow in both scale and significance, events like the NEC People Conference play a vital role in shaping best practices, fostering collaboration, and driving innovation across the industry.
Digital Beehive is proud to be part of this journey and looks forward to connecting with peers, clients, and partners at the 2025 conference to help shape the future of NEC project delivery.
