UK Maritime Minister confirmed for British Ports Association conference address
Keir Mather, the UK Government Minister for Aviation, Maritime and Logistics, is the latest speaker to be announced by the British Ports Association (BPA) for its 2026 Annual Conference, taking place at the Port of Dover on 21-22 October 2026.
The Minister (pictured) will speak on the opening day of the main programme, with more than 400 delegates expected to attend the annual event, held in Dover’s historic Cruise Terminal One.
The programme will also feature a thought-provoking keynote address by organisational trainer and author, George Knight of the Directory of Social Change. The session will focus on how embedding responsible AI and wellbeing into organisational culture can empower staff to be more effective at work.
Other recent additions to the BPA 2026 speaker lineup include:
Matthew Parker; Head of Maritime Autonomy, Cyber and Shipping at the Department for Transport
Katrina Ross; Policy Director, Commercial and Governance at the UK Chamber of Shipping
Angela Ward; Skills, Careers and Diversity Lead, Port Skills & Safety
Will Fellows; Ports and Vessel Traffic Services Manager, Maritime & Coastguard Agency.
Added to the list of confirmed speakers from UK ports are:
Tom Sawyer, CEO of Port of Milford Haven and BPA Vice-Chair;
Bob Sanguinetti, CEO of Port of Aberdeen;
Simon Broster, Head of Development, Peel Ports
Wider industry speakers now include the National Cyber Security Centre, maritime consultants Marico and law firm, Ashfords. Speakers from BPA’s 2026 event partners, TT Club, MAV Systems and Schneider Electric, will also feature in the main programme.
“Our annual conference and exhibition is an opportunity for the entire port and maritime community to come together and discuss the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead,” said Richard Ballantyne, Chief Executive of the British Ports Association.
“With the Minister joining us, alongside senior figures from ports, shipping, logistics, energy, government and the wider maritime sector, we have a strong programme that will provide plenty of opportunities for debate, insight and networking.”
BPA says that more than 90% of delegate passes for the conference have now been sold but it is still possible to secure a place by visiting: https://www.bpa2026.com