The forum for senior leaders shaping the future of UK roads
The Highways Leadership Forum is an invitation-only gathering of senior decision-makers from across the UK roads sector.
Convened by Highways Magazine, the Forum brings together leaders from government, National Highways, local authorities, tier one contractors, major suppliers, professional bodies and industry organisations for focused, closed-door discussion about the future of the UK road network.
The Highways Leadership Forum is an invitation-only gathering of senior decision-makers from across the UK roads sector.
Convened by Highways Magazine, the Forum brings together leaders from government, National Highways, local authorities, tier one contractors, major suppliers, professional bodies and industry organisations for focused, closed-door discussion about the future of the UK road network.
Why the Highways Leadership Forum is needed now
The UK highways sector is entering one of the most significant periods of change in decades.
New transport priorities, evolving safety expectations, funding pressures, digital infrastructure, decarbonisation and changing delivery models are reshaping the sector simultaneously.
At the same time, the industry remains highly fragmented across government, national bodies, local authorities, contractors, suppliers and professional organisations.
While the sector benefits from many excellent specialist events and industry bodies, there are very few opportunities for senior leaders to step outside operational silos and engage in focused, cross-sector discussion about the bigger strategic challenges facing the network.
The Highways Leadership Forum exists to create that space.
The Forum is designed not as another industry conference, but as a focused leadership environment for the conversations that rarely happen elsewhere.
Sponsored by
Who attends
- Department for Transport and devolved administrations
- National Highways and key agencies
- Local authority leadership
- Tier one contractors
- Major suppliers and consultants
- Professional bodies and sector organisations
- Industry leaders and influencers
The Highways Leadership Forum is chaired by Jon Munslow (UKRLG, NHT, PIARC) and attendance is already confirmed from organisations including:
This is not a conference
The Highways Leadership Forum is deliberately different from traditional industry events.
There are no competing stages, crowded exhibition halls or passive audiences.
The Forum is designed for focused, senior-level discussion between the people shaping policy, funding, standards and delivery across the UK road network.
The emphasis is on open discussion, practical collaboration and strategic alignment across the sector.
Open, confidential discussion
The Highways Leadership Forum operates under The Chatham House Rule, allowing participants to speak openly, challenge assumptions and test ideas without attribution.
The aim is to create a trusted environment for honest, constructive discussion between senior leaders from across the sector.
Conversations focus on shared challenges, strategic priorities and practical barriers to delivery - not public positioning.
What happens in the room
Why attend
Attending the Highways Leadership Forum provides:
- Direct insight into the priorities and pressures shaping the sector
- Access to senior perspectives from across government and industry
- The opportunity to contribute to strategic discussion around the future of the network
- Stronger relationships across organisational boundaries
- A clearer understanding of shared delivery challenges and emerging priorities
Event Details
15 September
Lunch on arrival (1pm)
Afternoon session (2pm–5.30pm)
Drinks, dinner and overnight stay
16 September
Breakfast
Morning session (9am–12 noon)
There is no cost to attend the Highways Leadership Forum.
Strategic alignment at leadership level
We are inviting six organisations only to participate as Forum Partners. Partnership is not transactional sponsorship; it is alignment with sector leadership.
Forum partner benefits include:
- Strategic influence & platform to meet industry leaders
- Senior-level access
- Pre-event feature in Highways Magazine
- On the day branding
- Highways Presents video coverage
- Post event magazine feature and marketing exposure
The ambition
The ambition is simple: to create the annual moment where leaders from across the UK highways sector come together to think strategically, align priorities and help shape the future of the road network.