Event Details

Contractors are facing increasing pressure around payment terms, risk allocation, defects, non-payment of retentions and dispute management. Through our specialist advisors, FIS has been supporting members with contract reviews, payment issues, and dispute resolution – and we’ve seen clear patterns emerging.

This session is in 2 parts – first our experts lift the lid on what’s really happening out there. You’ll hear the latest issues our experts are seeing in negotiations in assisting FIS members on payment and cash flow issues. They will discuss the benefits of the Best Practice Guide and the development of the Conflict Avoidance Process to prevent issues escalating into costly and time-consuming disputes.

Second, our experts will discuss the benefits of the FIS Contract Review Service, and will advise on the clauses that are causing the biggest problems, and the conditions you should avoid at all costs.

We’ll also walk through practical steps you can take to tighten your processes, reduce risk, prevent disputes, and save valuable time on every project.

We’ll be joined by delay and quantum specialists Damian James and Len Bunton, who will share real world insights from the cases they’re working on every day.

Duration: 1 hour

Qualifies towards your CPD

Event Details

FIS is holding the first 2026 meeting of our Organisational Capability working group in person at the new offices of BW Interiors in London. In addition to the work outlined in the agenda, members will have the opportunity to raise any of their own concerns or propose activities that will support improvement.

Agenda:

• Welcome and lunch
• Introductions and competition act
• Summary of work undertaken in 2025
• Future of the Integrated Management Standard (IMS)
• Addressing productivity in the sector
• Use of software in managing organisational capability

Event Details

This 90-Minute webinar brings together 4 organisations who have been involved in the demounting and reusing of some suspended metal ceiling tiles and luminaires from Rathbone Place to Broadgate Tower. The speakers will share their experiences and an overview of how the reusing of products into new building fits within their overall company’s strategies.

What will this session cover?

The FIS Project Reuse initiative has been running for the last 18 months. The aim of the scheme is to understand how to accelerate reuse in commercial buildings. This webinar is centred around a case study which took place within the remit of this initiative and involved the removal and packaging of suspended metal ceiling times from Rathbone Place to Broadgate Tower owned by British Land. Both buildings are based in central London.

In this webinar, you will hear from British Land and their drive to see more reuse in their buildings. After an intense period of data collection and analysis, they have set some ambitious targets for embodied carbon and reuse in their newly launched fitout sustainability brief. You will also hear from the architect and the contractor involved in the Broadgate Tower development and how they managed to integrate the reused tiles and luminaires into their new home. Importantly, you will also hear from Workplace Future group who are redeveloping Rathbone Place and played a key role in identifying, taking down and packaging the ceiling tiles and luminaires for their safe transportation to Broadgate Tower.

What will I learn?

This webinar will help you to understand:

• The role of reusing products in enabling us to meet our carbon emissions reduction by 2050
• The importance of early engagement
• The role of each stakeholders in making the reuse transfer happen

Who should attend?

This webinar is relevant to anyone in the construction industry interested in making reuse happen, from manufacturers, architects, contractors, demolition contractors, to clients and consultants.

What are the attendance requirements?

Please arrive promptly and stay for the duration of the event.

To receive your CPD accreditation and for this to be tracked through your Supply Chain Sustainability School dashboard make sure your full name is reflected on your Zoom account when you join the session.  

Please note, if you fail to meet the attendance requirements, unfortunately you will not be issued a CPD Certificate.

If you have any questions about this session, please contact webinar@supplychainschool.co.uk

Event Details

This workshop introduces how SKA Rating can be used as a practical framework to transform your business. It shows how to deliver projects in a structured, consistent way that places environmental good practice at the heart of everything you do and how to demonstrate this progressive approach to your clients.

SKA Rating has been developed specifically to assess interior fit out and refurbishment projects against clear, evidence based good practice criteria. Created collaboratively with experts from across the sector and supported by FIS, SKA provides a robust method for measuring success not only through financial performance (profit), but also through the positive and negative impacts your work has on people and the planet.

The SKA Rating process is built on a freely available framework offering simple, practical, and cost effective measures to benchmark interior fit outs and refurbishments. Its core purpose is to simplify sustainability, encourage incremental improvements across the supply chain, and make responsible practice accessible to all.

This session will be led by renowned interior designer Elina Grigoriou, a powerhouse of inspiration and innovation in commercial interior design for over two decades and a leading light in the development of SKA Rating.

Duration: 1 hour

Qualifies towards your CPD

Event Details

On behalf of HM Government, The Department for Business and Trade is consulting on a suite of new measures designed to tackle Fair Payment.  The proposed package of measures was launched by the Prime Minister, Kier Starmer on the 30^th July with the following statement:

“From builders and electricians to freelance designers and manufacturers—too many hardworking people are being forced to spend precious hours chasing payments instead of doing what they do best – growing their businesses.  It’s unfair, it’s exhausting, and it’s holding Britain back. So, our message is clear: it’s time to pay up.

Through our Small Business Plan, we’re not only tackling the scourge of late payments once and for all, but we’re giving small business owners the backing and stability they need for their business to thrive, driving growth across the country through our Plan for Change.”

The consultation proposes the following package of legislative measures:

This webinar is an opportunity to hear directly from representatives of the Department of Business and Trade on the proposed measures, how they will be introduced and raise any questions as part of their information gathering ahead of the consultation closing on the 23^rd October. 

This package of measures has significant potential to improve culture for SMEs in the construction supply chain.  We encourage members to join this event, which will be Chaired by FIS CEO Iain McIlwee, get a clear picture and start to feed your views in to the consultation process. 

Join us in Birmingham

To hear from the FIS team and guest speakers who will be discussing sector-specific topics, including:

• Pipeline of activity in the Midlands
• The sector’s commitment to a more sustainable future
• Ongoing efforts to address the skills gap
• Technical update
• The health and safety issues impacting the industry

Join us in Wakefield

Hear from the FIS team and guest speakers who will be discussing sector-specific topics, including:

• The sector’s commitment to a more sustainable future – Flavie Lowres, FIS
• Building collaborative cultures, and the problems with project bank accounts – Jarvey Moss, Saible
• Technical update – Damian Hill, FIS
• We will also be joined by Liam Colebrook, who will share his personal experience of gambling addition and how he is now focusing his energy on being content while raising awareness, and lowering stigma around mental health and gambling addiction.

FIS member Betan will also be introducing its new innovation B-Test (stress testing for drywall)

Speakers

Event Details

You are invited to join us on 17 July for our first Fit-Out Futures networking event to socialise with like-minded people in the finishes and interiors sector.

This event is especially aimed at early-career professionals looking to grow their network, build confidence, and meet others at a similar stage in their journey. Whether you’re an apprentice, graduate, or just finding your feet in the industry, we’d love to meet you and your colleagues!

Alternatively, if you have a colleague or team member who would benefit from meeting peers and building connections, please spread the word and share this invitation with them.

We’ll be kicking off what we hope will be the first of many friendly, informal events to support personal and professional development, discuss STEM and youth activities, and share a drink and a laugh with new colleagues and friends.

 Bring your business cards and your drink of choice. The dress code is business-casual, whatever you’re comfortable in.

 If you have any questions or queries, please email FitOutFuturesGroup@thefis.org

• Understanding the difference between an EPD and an LCA
• What is contained in an EPD
• What is the process and data requirements to obtain an EPD

Event Details

FIS and Recolight have partnered to support their members in creating an environmental product declaration (EPD).  In this webinar you will hear from two experts who will explain 

• What an EPD is 
• Why it is important to have EPDs
• How to get an EPD  

Event Details

Event Details

Event Details

Asbestos remains a significant health hazard in the UK and each year, asbestos-related diseases continue to claim more than 5,000 lives. It is especially hazardous for those in the finishes and interiors sector who frequently work in older buildings where asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) are still present.

UK Asbestos Training Association (UKATA) is dedicated to improving the quality and standards of asbestos training, with the ultimate goal of protecting workers and the public from the risks associated with asbestos exposure.

To achieve this goal, it is vital that we continue to discuss and educate in order to debunk any myths associated with asbestos.

To support, FIS in collaboration with UKATA, is hosting a webinar to dig deeper into some of the myths around asbestos and provide an opportunity for the audience to put their questions to UKATA  Speaker, Wayne Bagnall.

Event Details

Ex-offenders can play a crucial role in addressing the skills shortage in construction. Many ex-offenders are eager to turn their lives around and contribute positively to society, and the construction sector offers ample opportunities for hands-on training and career growth.

By getting involved in training or vocational programmes, they can acquire valuable skills while helping to bridge the labour gap, proving that second chances can lead to long-term success for both individuals and the industry.

Join us for an insightful webinar, in collaboration with Wates, developed to educate you on how to employ prison leavers.

The webinar will aim to share with you the knowledge of industry leading specialists.

Attendees will gain valuable tips on understanding prison leavers and how they can help your business grow. Hear good news stories and positive outcomes of businesses recruiting in this field.

The webinar will be hosted by:

Event Details

Meet the speakers…

Thanks to our event sponsors

Agenda

09.30 Registration and refreshments

10.00 FIS and the finishes and interiors landscape – Philip Brown, FIS President

The political and economic backdrop

10.05 Keynote: A New Government and what this means for UK construction – Fergus Harradence, Deputy Director, Infrastructure & Construction – Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS)

10.30 Prospects for the UK construction industry – Dr Noble Francis, Economics Director, Construction Products Association

11.00 Break

How we need to adapt to the new regulatory landscape

11.30 The developing regulatory framework for construction products – Geoffrey Brown, Assistant Director – Construction Products: Sector Compliance Team, Office for Product Safety and Standards

11.45 The competence conundrum: How we need to adapt to manage individual competence

• Jon Vanstone, Chair, Industry Competence Committee, Competence, Regulation and how the Regulatory Approach to Competence is changing
• Faye Burnett, Mace, Super Sector Chair, Installer Competence and Super Sectors

12.15 Getting  to grips with organisational capability – Paul Stevens, Aviso Consultancy

12.25 Panel discussion and Q&A (joining the panel will be James Parlour, FIS Vetting Manager).

LUNCH 12:40

Rethinking supply chains – The Responsible No

13.40 Building Resilient Businesses and Supply Chains – Richard Bartlett, Willmott Dixon

14.05 Conflict avoidance and better supply chain working – Len Bunton, Bunton Consulting

14.20 Standard form contracts, just  what the DOCTOR ordered: – Anthony Armitage, Thirdway

14.30 Panel discussion and Q&A

14.45 Break

A postcard from the future

15.00 Panel discussion hosted by the FIS Fit-Out Futures Network.  What construction nightmares do we need to consign to Room 101? Open debate on competency, risk changes to the construction landscape and the future of the fit-out sector.

15.50 We haven’t modernised yet, so how do we avoid dying…?  – Mark Farmer, CAST Consultancy

16.15 FIS Annual General Meeting, including the announcement of the elected Board members and new FIS President

16.30 Close and drinks reception

Event Details

Join us for this webinar where PlanRadar will be exploring potential solutions in response to the findings of its current research project in which they are identifying the challenges affecting fit-out companies around the UK.