Freshwater to deliver the British Ports Association Conference for third year

Daniel Bevan - Editor

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Freshwater has been appointed to deliver the British Ports Association Annual Conference 2026 for the third consecutive year.

The Wales-headquartered agency will oversee the flagship industry gathering on behalf of the British Ports Association, with the 2026 event set to take place from 21–22 October at Port of Dover.

Freshwater was selected by the port as preferred supplier to manage the full programme, including logistics, content and delegate experience.

The conference will be hosted at Cruise Terminal 1, a historic former railway station dating back to 1914, and is expected to be the largest edition to date.

Organisers plan to increase capacity to 450 delegates, up from 350 at last year’s sold-out event.

Working alongside the BPA and Port of Dover, Freshwater will deliver a three-day programme featuring a main conference, exhibition space within restricted areas of the terminal, networking events and a gala dinner with an awards ceremony.

The event will also mark the finish of the Port-2-Port 2026 charity cycling challenge, with participants completing a 300km-plus route.

Doug Bannister, Chief Executive of the Port of Dover, said: “We are delighted to be hosting the BPA Annual Conference here in Dover, Britain’s busiest port for travel and trade, and look forward to exchanging ideas, sharing successes and shaping the future with great colleagues from around the Port sector.

“The strength of last year’s conference on the Humber raised the bar, and we are planning for an excellent 2026 Conference.

“2026 is a pivotal year for us as a port and the wider industry, and key events, like this, bring together the many voices and perspectives of UK ports and harbours towards a unified agenda as we adapt to and future-proof the plethora of issues facing our key sector.

“I am looking forward to welcoming everyone to Dover this year.”

The agency is also supporting the port’s sustainability objectives by prioritising local suppliers and working with catering partner Pikkle to source regional produce, alongside offering work experience placements for students from a local catering college.

Aled Edwards, director of events at Freshwater, said: “Delivering the British Ports Association Conference for the third-year running reflects the strength of our events team and the partnerships we’ve built across the ports sector.

“Each year we look to build on what we’ve delivered previously, and BPA 2026 gives us the opportunity to do that again through increased capacity, expanded exhibition space and a shared commitment to sustainability and local impact.

“We’re really looking forward to working with Port of Dover and the British Ports Association to deliver three days of insight, collaboration and connection for the UK maritime community.”