The elemental approach to specification

elementalLONDON, a new exhibition aimed at specifiers, is coming to ExCel London in November. Here, Specify & Build talks to Event Director Rebecca Pearce to find out more. 

On 19 and 20 November 2025, a new event aimed at the specification community will open its doors at ExceL London. elementalLONDON is being positioned as a response to long-standing industry demand for an exhibition shaped by, and for, those driving building performance through design, technology and policy. 

The event’s organisers, Nineteen Group, are well-known for running large-scale trade exhibitions including the recent InstallerSHOW. elementalLONDON is designed specifically to help professionals working across the built environment learn how they can reduce energy usage, decarbonise systems and specify smarter, more efficient solutions for the buildings they create and maintain.  

Gaining industry input 

While the elemental brand has existed in a digital format since 2020, delivering webinars, discussion panels and online content, this will be their first in-person event. In developing the show, the elemental team has placed significant emphasis on relevance, access and technical knowledge. A key part of planning for the event has been the formation of an industry advisory board made up of professionals from across energy, housing, health and engineering sectors. This group meets regularly to shape the event’s agenda, challenge assumptions, and make sure it remains practical and representative of the industry’s current needs. 

Rebecca Pearce, elemental’s Event Director, explains: “These are people who live and breathe this industry. Their reach is incredible, and they’re essentially our ears to the ground. We work with them to make sure we’re putting on relevant content and building the best event for their peers.” 

Rather than having one main stage and a series of exhibitor-led seminars, elementalLONDON will include five curated theatres, each with its own thematic focus and audience. Two of these will be delivered in collaboration with the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE), through a strategic partnership that sees CIBSE’s Build2Perform event integrated directly into elementalLONDON. 

This integration, organisers say, will offer a blend of perspectives, from real-world policy challenges and housing retrofits to the intricacies of achieving net zero in large commercial buildings. CIBSE will curate its own theatres – The Synergy and Influence Theatres – focusing on regulation, safety, building systems performance, and collaboration across the building lifecycle. 

The main stage of elementalLONDON – the elemental Arena – will feature lively debates and interactive sessions on all the biggest issues affecting those tasked with advancing the efficiency of buildings. Speakers will include government ministers, academics, industry leaders and inspiring voices from all sectors of the built environment.  

The Housing Hub will host discussions on making the UK’s homes more efficient, covering both newbuild and retrofit, with essential information for councils, housing associations, housebuilders and developers. Topics to be discussed include: 

• Decarbonising home heating  

• Retrofitting hard-to-treat homes  

• Approaching the Future Homes Standard  

• Accessing funding for efficient social housing. 

Meanwhile, the Climate Solutions Theatre will tackle the major issues facing those working with heating and cooling commercial and public buildings, such as the policy landscape, industry trends, and activity ‘on the ground’. Hot topics will include the decarbonisation of HVAC, the challenge of the new Building Safety Act, Indoor Air Quality, and refrigerants. 

Decarbonisation, air quality and system integration 

One area getting particular focus is indoor environmental quality, especially in mass housing and commercial office spaces. There is an ever-growing awareness of the link between air quality and occupant health, and the event aims to explore that connection in both technical and policy terms. Other sessions will examine retrofit strategies, the application of new building standards, and routes to compliance with future legislation. Speakers on both days will include senior consultants, housing providers, local authorities and commercial asset managers, alongside manufacturers and system suppliers. 

Importantly, elementalLONDON is not targeting domestic installers or small-scale projects. The audience, Rebecca explains, is specification professionals – architects, engineers, contractors and consultants working on large-scale or complex buildings, including social housing estates, hospitals, universities and industrial premises. 

She says: “What we do that no one else does is bring that entire ecosystem together under one roof for two days. Whether you're a building services engineer or an architect, there aren’t really any other events that bring those two personas together – and it’s all about driving the efficiency of buildings.” 

The home of physical demonstrations 

Alongside theatres and seminars, the show floor will again feature the physical demonstration ‘Haus’ first seen at InstallerSHOW in June – albeit with new updates to suit the elemental audience. Originally built in collaboration with more than 130 product suppliers, The Haus will be reconfigured to highlight those systems most relevant to high-volume and high-efficiency developments. Passive design principles, advanced HVAC, indoor air quality sensors and smart water management will all be represented. The structure offers visitors a way to see technologies in situ, to gain a clearer sense of how different elements can integrate in practice. 

Long-term industry partnerships 

As well as providing a space for networking and collaboration, the long-term objective of elementalLONDON is to establish the show as a cornerstone event for professionals involved in designing, specifying, and maintaining efficient, low-carbon buildings. But to do that, organisers emphasise the need for broad participation – from exhibitors and speakers to delegates and partners.  

Rebecca adds: “There are some brilliant, passionate people in this industry; but we need to be saying to government and policymakers: ‘we’re here, we can do this, let’s do it together’. Otherwise, we’re all singing from the same hymn sheet, but nothing’s happening.” 

Visitor registration is now open, with attendance free for those working in relevant industry sectors. Exhibitors are also being encouraged to bring working technologies and live demonstrations to the show, rather than static stands.  

As expectations around building performance increase – and as new standards and regulations continue to emerge – events like elementalLONDON have the potential to become important platforms for knowledge exchange, peer collaboration and commercial engagement. For specifiers looking to stay ahead of the curve on building efficiency, decarbonisation and compliance, November’s show could be one worth marking in the calendar. 

Register for your free ticket at https://forms.reg.buzz/elemental-london-2025/specifyandbuild-edit