British Irish Chamber of Commerce Conference & Dinner

The British Irish Chamber of Commerce is delighted to announce the return of our annual Conference and Networking Dinner on Thursday 2 October 2025, at the Dublin Royal Convention Centre, Ship Street, Dublin 8, Ireland’s most state-of-the-art Conferencing Venue.

This year’s Conference is entitled ‘Together Through Change: UK–Ireland Partnership in an Age of Disruption’ . This year’s Conference will focus on building on the re-set in relations and the necessity to work more closely together in the midst of global economic disruption.

The Evening Networking Dinner will be headlined by An Tánaiste Simon Harris TD, on the theme of moving from improved relations to increased investment and trade.

The Conference and Dinner will be the largest event in the Chamber’s calendar, bringing together hundreds of delegates from the worlds of business and politics from both sides of the Irish Sea and is a must-attend event for businesses with interests in the UK and Ireland.

Confirmed speakers include:

• An Tánaiste Simon Harris TD, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Minister for Defence
• Alice Whittaker, Partner and Head of the Environment and Climate Group at Philip Lee LLP
• Brad Mallard, CTO, Version 1
• Cathal O'Connor, Head of Corporate Banking & Asset Based Lending, AIB UK
• Derek Scully, Chair of BICC Energy and Environment Committee, Head of Corporate Affairs, Energia Group
• Eddie Cullen, Vice President, British Irish Chamber of Commerce, Director, Interpath Advisory
• Eddie Murphy, Country Director, Marks and Spencer Ireland and Northern Ireland
• Gabriel Makhlouf, Governor of the Central Bank of Ireland
• Ian O'Hara, Head of Sustainability, IDA Ireland
• Jack Chambers TD, Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Reform & Digitalisation
• Jane Cooper, Interim CEO, Renewable UK
• Jennifer Duggan, Bloomberg Bureau Chief, Dublin
• Joanna Cound, Global Head of Public Policy, Blackrock
• Jon Sedgwick, Head of Regulatory Affairs, Bord Gáis
• Kathryn D’Arcy, Communications & Corporate Affairs Director, Irish Distillers
• Karen Northey, Director of Corporate Affairs, The Investment Association
• Lucinda Creighton, CEO, Vulcan Consulting
• Martin Fraser, Ambassador of Ireland to Great Britain
• Mary Buckley, Executive Director, IDA Ireland
• Sir Julian King GCMG, KCVO, Fmr British Ambassador and EU Commissioner, Specialist Partner, Flint Global
• Nick Collier, Managing Director, Brussels at City of London Corporation
• Paul Gibbs, President of Western Europe, India, Africa, and Chair Global Business Development, Bechtel
• Paul Reid, Chair of An Coimisiún Pleanála
• Philip Lee, Executive Chairman of Philip Lee LLP
• Sean O'Driscoll, Chair of ESRI, Member of Accelerating Infrastructure Taskforce
• Simon Coveney, Fmr Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs

With more to be announced in the coming weeks.

There will be a specific focus on Trade (North-South, East-West), Climate Cooperation, Energy, Financial and Professional Services and Infrastructure.

Panels include:

1. 'UK – Ireland Trade in an Age of Disruption'
2. 'UK – Ireland Relationship Re-Set and Ready to Prosper'
3. Financial Services Panel: ‘Partners in Progress: Financial Services as a Pillar of Growth'
4. Energy Panel: ‘Powering Partnership: UK–Ireland Collaboration for a Secure, Affordable Energy Future’
5. Infrastructure: 'Making it Happen: Accelerating Infrastructure Delivery Across the UK and Ireland'

Like last year, there will be ample opportunities for attendees to network and engage with potential clients and policymakers.

View the programme here.

Generously supported by: AIB, Bechtel, Energia, IDA Ireland, Phillip Lee LLP, and TikTok.

For further information please contact events@britishirishchamber.com.