BALI National Landscape Conference 2026: Climate Resilience and the Future of UK Landscaping
Members of the British Association of Landscape Industries (BALI) attended the relaunched BALI National Landscape Conference 2026 recently. It is a key UK landscaping event focused on the industry’s future and how businesses can adapt to ongoing change.
Held at the prestigious Royal Society in London, the conference brought together contractors, designers and suppliers. Additionally, industry specialists discussed key challenges shaping the UK landscaping sector during a full day of talks.
This year’s theme, “Climate resilience: how to future-proof your business”, reflected the increasing need for landscaping professionals to adapt to environmental, economic and regulatory pressures.
Key themes from the BALI National Landscape Conference
The conference focused on how the landscaping industry can respond to increasing climate pressures, supply chain disruption, economic uncertainty and evolving legislation, with a strong emphasis on:
- Sustainability and biodiversity – embedding Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) into landscape design, construction and maintenance projects
- Future-proofing landscaping businesses – strategic long-term planning to build resilience and adaptability
- Industry-wide challenges – addressing skills shortages, workforce development and rising plant health risks
Keynote speakers included Sir Tim Smit KBE (co-founder of the Eden Project), Helen Nyul (Director of Ecology at Verna), and economist Trevor Williams. The event was hosted by Mark Gregory, Managing Director of Landform Consultants.
Why It Was Important for Us to Attend the BALI Conference
As proud BALI members, it is essential we remain actively engaged with the wider landscaping industry, not just observing change. We must also participate in the conversations that actively shape its future direction.
The BALI National Landscape Conference 2026 brought together leading voices across landscaping, ecology and economics. Consequently, they addressed challenges increasingly relevant to our day-to-day work.
Attending provided valuable insight into industry responses to climate resilience, Biodiversity Net Gain requirements, and ongoing economic pressures. Additionally, it clarified future expectations across public and private sector landscaping projects.
This level of visibility is important. It ensures we continue to make informed, forward-thinking decisions within our business and remain aligned with current landscape industry standards and best practice.
What We Took Away from the Conference
One of the key benefits of attending the BALI conference was the ability to translate high-level industry discussion into practical, real-world application.
Hearing how landscaping contractors, designers and suppliers respond to Biodiversity Net Gain, rising costs, supply issues and workforce shortages provided valuable context. This insight can be directly applied to improve how we deliver our own projects.
Just as importantly, the conference reinforced the strength of the BALI membership network. Open discussions and shared experiences highlighted that many businesses face similar pressures across the industry today. Collaboration and knowledge-sharing remain essential for improving standards and driving long-term progress across the sector.
By attending, we ensure we are not working in isolation. Instead, we are continuously learning, adapting and improving the way we deliver high-quality landscaping services for our clients.