Strictly Highways 2025: In Words

Strictly Highways 2025 once again brought the highways community together in Blackpool for another standout event, delivered by LCRIG.

This year’s event continued to build on the momentum of previous years, with record attendance from local authorities, suppliers, and partners. The agenda featured a diverse lineup of esteemed speakers including representatives from local authorities, national government and the wider sector, with discussions focused on collaboration, innovation and skills – topics aligned with LCRIG’s core activities.

Reflecting on the event, Kerry Winstanley, Managing Director at LCRIG, described Strictly Highways 2025 as the “biggest and best yet”, celebrating the record number of delegates, the honest conversations across the agenda, and the incredible collaboration that defines the event. Kerry highlighted that the real impact of Strictly Highways comes from the connections made, the ideas shared, and the value that continues long after the event closes.

You can read Kerry’s full reflection on the event here.

Feedback from attendees was once again overwhelmingly positive, highlighting the event’s professionalism, inclusivity, and the opportunity to connect with peers and partners from across the sector.

Local Authorities:

• “Event was brilliant and very well organised – it was my first time and would recommend it to any of my LA colleagues. Lots of varied and thought provoking topics covered.” (Hartlepool Borough Council)
• “My first Strictly Highways event, and so much taken away! Fantastic networking and meeting peers. Events like this highlight that we really do achieve amazing things in this sector and we should be proud and celebrate it so much more!” (Bracknell Forest Council)
• “Back from my first Strictly Highways event in Blackpool! It was a fantastically organised event. Good to meet new connections and hear about what projects are going on in the wider highways sector.” (Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council)
• “The dream team strikes again, seamlessly delivered. Roll on 2026.” (Dorset Council)
• “Well done LCRIG. You are delivering needed innovation and sharing excellence in our industry.” (Islington Council)
• “You can always count on the LCRIG ladies to put on a dazzling event, and this year’s Strictly Highways was no exception.” (Sheffield City Council)
• “I wanted to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude for the outstanding work you all put into the LCRIG Strictly Highways 2025 event. Your dedication, attention to detail, and teamwork truly shone through, making the event not only successful but also enjoyable for everyone involved. From the seamless organisation to the engaging sessions, every aspect reflected the hard work and passion you all bring to the table. It was a fantastic opportunity to connect, share knowledge, and discuss the future of highways infrastructure and innovation. Thank you once again for your commitment and effort. I’m already looking forward to the next event!” (Wiltshire Council)
• “Fantastically organised and beneficial conference in Blackpool – thank you for being so welcoming.” (Tameside MBC)
• “Thought it was excellent, well planned, people were well informed, good venue, all seemed seamless. Was particularly impressed by the ‘young people’ who presented on stage and all the LCRIG staff too. The panels were good with an excellent mix of subjects and panel members.” (Surrey County Council)
• “Well organised and informative presentations. Friendly approach and right mix of formal/informal.” (Sefton Council)
• “Extremely well organised, engaging and thought provoking!” (Calderdale Council)
• “The sessions were well-structured, informative, and relevant to current challenges in highway maintenance and asset management. The opportunity to network with industry peers and share best practices was particularly valuable.” (East Riding Council)
• “Excellent networking opportunities with suppliers and other authorities.” (Devon County Council)
• “Thought the variety of exhibitors, speakers, the organisation everything was fantastic. Very well planned and executed.” (Knowsley Council)
• “This is one of the best events and the highlight of the conference calendar. Not only do we have ample opportunity to network and meet the exhibitors but we also get to celebrate new technologies and the achievements of individuals and organisations in our sector.” (Peterborough City Council)

Supply Chain and Partners:

• “I’ve attended three Strictly Highways events now and found this to be the best yet.” (A E Yates)
• “The energy and innovation on display reinforces why events like these are so valuable for driving progress in our highways community.” (Midlands Highways Alliance Plus)
• “Really good couple of days in Blackpool for this year’s Strictly Highways conference. Nice to catch up with so many familiar faces and meet some new ones! (Sweco)
• “It was a fantastic opportunity to connect with peers, share insights, and celebrate the progress being made across the sector.” (Huyton Asphalt Ltd)
• “Thank you as always to the mighty LCRIG team for pulling together the best of the best from our local authority colleagues and facilitating this one of a kind fully funded event delivering genuine and real value. Loved learning about innovations of the future which will improve the local roads network and looking back and celebrating in the success of some amazing schemes, people and endeavours of teamwork.” (Tony Gee and Partners)
• “Throughout the event, we had the opportunity to: catch up and connect with our existing partner local authorities; meet new contacts from local authorities sharing how our solutions can support them; engage with new technical partners, learning about the new innovative ways to collaborate; and attend the DfT Special Recognition Awards, celebrating innovation and excellence across the sector. A big thanks to LCRIG for once again organising such a great and collaborative event for the highways and transport industry.” (LADC)
• “We had a fantastic couple of days at Strictly Highways 2025! Thanks to everyone who stopped by our stand. It was great to connect with so many local authority teams who are making real progress in highways innovation.” (Causeway Technologies)
• “It was great to be a part of the energy and listen to the insights being shared throughout the event! It was fantastic to connect with industry peers and hear about the future of highways and infrastructure. Big thanks to LCRIG and everyone who made it such a good event.” (Symology)
• “A very enjoyable and insightful few days at the LCRIG Strictly Highways event in Blackpool. Lots of discussions and demonstrations shared with numerous local authorities and good to spend time with other exhibitors understanding new technology in the highways sector.” (Route Reports)
• “It was TRL’s first time at this event. The energy, the collaboration, and the organisation by the great team LCRIG made a fantastic experience, one we’ll definitely be returning to.” (TRL)
• “A massive THANK YOU to LCRIG. It was so good to see plenty of familiar faces and make new connections too. It was another great event put on by the team, couldn’t have been any better!” (Centurion Traffic Management)
• “Strictly Highways seems to get bigger and better every year, so a huge well done and thank you to the amazing LCRIG team.” (RSTA)
• “My 4^th time attending LCRIG Strictly Highways. A great few days catching up with industry friends and customers.” (Multevo)
• “It was a fantastic few days attending this year’s Strictly Highways Conference and Awards dinner and hosting our table. The event brought together an incredible cross-section of the highways community – local authorities, suppliers, and industry leaders, all united by a shared commitment to innovation, collaboration, and improving outcomes for the communities we service. A few highlights for me included: Hearing from thought leaders on the future of highways, sustainability, and technology; Connecting with peers and partners to share best practice and new ideas; Celebrating the outstanding achievements recognised at the awards dinner. Events like these remind me of the importance of collaboration in driving forward innovation and building a more sustainable, resilient highways sector. Thank you to LCRIG for bringing the sector together and to all those who shared their insights. I’m looking forward to taking these learnings back into my work and continuing the conversations started.” (Kier)
• “What a brilliant week at Strictly Highways and big thanks to LCRIG for organising a great event! It was great to catch up with so many people and meet new faces within the industry. See you next year!” (RSMA)
• “What a finish to Strictly Highways 2025! We’ve really enjoyed the event and the awards ceremony. A huge thank you LCRIG, speakers, exhibitors, and everyone we caught up with over the past few days. See you next year.” (Multipave NW Limited)
• “I wanted to take a moment to thank you for organising another successful LCRIG event, Strictly Highways Blackpool. It was well-coordinated and a truly enjoyable couple of days for everyone involved. Looking forward to future events.” (Road Maintenance Services Ltd)
• “Just wanted to say thank you for inviting me to join the roundtable. It  was very interesting speaking to colleagues from different parts of the country and understand the issues we’re all facing. I found it along with the Strictly Highways event thoroughly enjoyable. The convention was very organised, well planned and informative. It was fascinating to hear about the innovative projects other authorities and contractors are doing as well as learning about the complications and difficulties they faced. I definitely learned from the event.” (Transport for London)
• “A huge thank you to the LCRIG team for organising another fantastic Strictly Highways event in Blackpool this year. It was a brilliant opportunity to connect with Local Authorities and contractors from across the highways industry, share insights, and explore how we can continue working together to deliver real impact.” (Founds Group)
• “‘Challenge the status quo’ – this was a common theme of the LCRIG Strictly Highways conference, with the highest ever attendance this year and a real can-do vibe.” (Brightly Software)
• “It was well worth travelling up to Blackpool for the LCRIG event. Events like these highlight the importance of collaboration between local authorities and industry partners, driving innovation that supports more sustainable and resilient infrastructure for our communities.” (Solaris Lighting)
• “Fantastic to be here with hundreds of local government highways people from across the country. Sharing best practice and stories; supported by industry.” (National Highways)
• “Strictly in Blackpool this year is I believe the best so far. We have been meeting so many people and listening to so many good and appropriate presentations.” (Lexra Highways)
• “What a day we have had! So many great conversations and presentations!” (NIRA Dynamics AB)
• “I really enjoy Strictly Highways, it puts us in front of officers we don’t usually see at other events. We also see people from councils not attending other events.. LCRIG has a good reputation so the culture and feel of the event really works for us (everyone is friendly and relaxed which makes it easy to network).” (Society Works)
• “The event has been excellent, very well organised, and the quality of the attendees is outstanding. I also appreciate the format in which the event is conducted.” (Ramudden Global)
• “Fantastic networking opportunities with a wide range of Local Authority representatives.” (Casey group)

When asked to sum up the event in three words, delegates chose phrases like informative, engaging, collaborative, interesting, and worthwhile. These responses highlight the spirit of collaboration that made Strictly Highways 2025 such a success.

Strictly Highways 2025 provided an invaluable platform for discussing innovations, networking, and tackling the challenges ahead in the highways sector.

A huge thank you to all sponsors, exhibitors, speakers, local authorities, and industry partners who contributed to making this event a success.

Want to be part of Strictly Highways 2026?

Interest has already been incredibly high following this year’s event, and places are expected to book up quickly. Don’t miss your chance to be part of Strictly Highways 2026 – book early to secure your place.