Programme announced for Futuresource 2010

The three-day conference and exhibition is taking place at the Exhibition Centre London (ExCeL) between June 15 and 17 this year, and will focus on the theme of 'More from Less' and how the sector is responding to the global economic downturn.

Among the planned speakers at the event are environment secretary Hilary Benn along with his Conservative Party and Liberal Democrat counterparts, Nick Herbert and Tim Farron, respectively, who have all agreed to attend.

Peter Kurth, vice-president of the European Federation of Waste Management and Environmental Services (FEAD), is also set to offer a European-perspective on recycling and resource management in the current economic climate.

Futuresource is organised jointly by the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM) and the Environmental Services Association and coincides with a trade fair of over 350 exhibitors across the three days.

Steve Lee, chief executive of the CIWM, said: “These are challenging times and this event is about our future, not just as an industry but as a society. The high profile and influential line-up of conference speakers underlines the importance of the issues that will be discussed and leading companies and innovators will be on hand to showcase the latest services and solutions.”

Dirk Hazell, chief executive of the ESA and chairman of FEAD, said: “The opportunities for innovation and sustained business growth in this sector are unprecedented and Futuresource 2010 provides the ideal forum to do business and catch up on the latest trends and developments across Europe,” said Dirk Hazell, chief executive of the ESA and chairman of FEAD.

Conference

Speakers on the second-day of the event are set to focus on the use of working partnerships to help develop more efficient environmental services, with presentations from WRAP chairman Paul Stone and Paul Bettison, chairman of the Local Authorities Coordinators of Regulatory Services (LACORS), as well speakers from the Treasury.

The third day of the event will see Roy Hathaway, head of waste regulation and business waste at Defra, look at ways of meeting requirements under the European Union Waste Framework Directive for waste reduction and minimisation.

And, Claire Brook, senior counsel at law firm Dickinson Dees, will outline the practical implications of the Waste Framework Directive for the UK, while regional and private sector perspectives will be provided by Improvement Efficiency South East and waste management firm Biffa.

Futuresource

At last year's event, which played host to the Duke of Edinburgh and London Mayor Boris Johnson, over 7,500 delegates managed to attend despite an ongoing industrial action by London Underground workers (see letsrecycle.com story).

The 2010 event will see attendees also able to visit Guardian News and Media's 'Public Procurement Show', which is running alongside Futuresource following a co-location agreement being signed between the two event organisers (see letsrecycle.com story).

Mr Lee said: “In addition, delegates can benefit from more structured networking opportunities this year, ensuring that they get the most out of this unique opportunity to share knowledge and best practice.”