The secrets to building a resilient rural business: the 2025 CLA Rural Business Conference
Find out what's driving growth in the rural economy. Join the CLA Rural Business Conference in London on 20 November to discuss new ideas and hear from industry experts about future-proofing your enterprise
Taking place on Thursday 20 November, the CLA Rural Business Conference is an event not to be missed by any rural enterprise looking to better understand the key drivers of growth and business resilience.
Whether you’re building your brand, exploring new opportunities that technology and AI are creating, or navigating reduced government support, this is the must-attend event for shaping the next chapter of rural growth
Don't miss your chance to hear from a host of expert speakers, engage in thought-provoking discussions and connect with industry leaders as they share practical insights to help make your business future-ready.
Guest speakers at this year's conference:
- Emma Reynolds MP, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs will be answering delegate questions and making a keynote address.
- In a fireside discussion, Victoria Atkins MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs will also share her thoughts and respond to questions from the floor.
- Andrew Nelstrop, Managing Director at the English Whisky Co, will explain how he began his career managing the family farm and has now established England’s oldest registered whisky distillery, based in Norfolk.
- Caroline Platt, Managing Director of Platts Group, will explore and discuss the defining characteristics of a cutting-edge rural enterprise. Drawing on her experience leading a nationally recognised, third-generation family business which serves rural communities across the UK, Caroline will look to inspire your enterprise’s next steps to success.
- Paul Gregory, Commercial Director of HS Energy, will discuss the innovative energy projects that can drive long-term growth, explain how your enterprise can harness renewable energy and give examples that can be delivered with no upfront cost.
- Dr Duncan Robertson, Founder & CEO of Dogtooth Technologies, will explain how robots can reduce farmers’ dependence on difficult-to-recruit harvest labour, using state of the art machine learning and computer vision technology to achieve near-human visual acuity and dexterity.
- Nick Woolley, Managing Director at Woolley Project Management Ltd, will touch on his experience in fund asset and land management to explain what makes a cutting-edge and successful rural business.
- How can land managers effectively communicate the social, economic, and environmental value of landownership? Annabel Farbon, Agent of Eaton & Halkyn Estates, will explore this subject and draw on her extensive knowledge managing estates that form part of the Grosvenor Group.
- Roy Cox, Managing Director of Estates at Blenheim, will explain how Blenheim Palace is at the forefront of sustainable land management models; with a focus on farming, forestry, shooting, gardens, heritage, let property, renewables, and outdoor events.
- Jonny Crickmore, Director at Fen Farm Dairy, will discuss how his farm has grown into ecommerce revenue streams and talk about his passion for producing high-quality dairy in a way that also cares for the land and environment.
- Ian McGuinness, Head of Analytics at Knight Frank, will be sharing an insight into the work of his team of data engineers and geospatial specialists as they work to better understand the interconnected facets of the property market.
The CLA's Director General, President and Deputy President will also be answering your questions and offering their thoughts on proceedings throughout the day.
Follow the link below to confirm your place today and take advantage of special prices for CLA members.
