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Women in CemCo International Congress EMEA 2026

A Movement for Change

The Women in Cement and Construction International Congress 2026 will take place on 30 October 2026 in Brussels, Belgium, continuing its mission to drive meaningful change across the global cement and construction sectors. Building on the momentum of previous editions, this gathering will once again unite professionals, leaders, and advocates committed to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion. Through inspiring testimonies, high‑impact discussions, and collaborative exchanges, the 2026 edition will further strengthen the movement to empower women, accelerate leadership pathways, and shape a more inclusive future for the industry.

Make sure you sign up to our newsletter to be among the first to find out all about confirmed speakers and topics!

 

Previous editions:

Earlier this spring, the Americas edition took place in Dallas, Texas, on 11–12 March 2026, bringing together an exceptional group of industry leaders and advocates. The event welcomed women professionals from cement and construction companies across North and South America, alongside executives, engineers, sustainability experts, HR leaders, DEI specialists, and representatives from major associations and academic institutions. Participants shared powerful stories, explored leadership pathways, and collaborated on strategies to accelerate diversity, equity, and inclusion across the region’s built‑environment sectors.

More details can be found here: https://industrylink.eu/women-in-cemco-americas-2026-leadership-purpose-and-the-future-of-women-in-construction/

Americas 2025, Global 2024 – launch edition.

 

Why Attend?

Network with Global Leaders

Connect with top executives, industry leaders, and DEI champions who are shaping the future of the cement and construction sectors. Build meaningful relationships that can drive your career and the industry forward.

Gain Cutting-Edge Insights

Learn from renowned speakers and thought leaders about the latest strategies and trends in diversity, equity, and inclusion. Equip yourself with knowledge that can transform your organization’s approach to DEI.

Develop Actionable Strategies

Participate in workshops designed to provide you with practical tools and strategies for advancing DEI in your organization. Leave with actionable plans to implement change and foster inclusivity.

Drive Industry Change

Contribute to high-level discussions that will shape the future of diversity and inclusion in the cement and construction industries. Your voice and perspective are crucial in driving the industry towards a more equitable future.

Expand Your Influence

Build lasting relationships with like-minded professionals, potential collaborators, and industry influencers. Use this opportunity to expand your influence and advocate for change within your organization and beyond.

CONGRESS TOPICS

Empowering Leadership: Women in Heavy Industries

Explore strategic initiatives and leadership development programs that empower women to ascend to executive roles. Learn how organizations can support and nurture female talent to drive industry-wide change.

Resilience and Success: Stories from Women Leaders.

Be inspired by the remarkable journeys of women who have shattered stereotypes and overcome barriers to lead significant projects and companies. Discover how these leaders have driven organizational transformation.

Driving Innovation: Women Leading in Technology and Sustainability

Discover how women are pioneering advancements in technology and sustainable practices within the cement and construction industries. This session will focus on the intersection of green practices and cutting-edge technologies.

Global Perspectives on Gender Equality in Construction

Examine international strategies, best practices, and cultural considerations in promoting gender equality. Gain insights into how different regions are addressing DEI challenges and what lessons can be applied globally.

Work-Life Integration: Strategies for Professional and Personal Fulfillment
Learn practical strategies for achieving work-life integration from women in demanding roles. This session features real-life examples and a panel discussion on balancing professional challenges with personal aspirations.

Allyship and Collaboration: Building a Supportive Industry

Highlight the crucial role of male allies and the importance of industry-wide collaboration in advancing gender equality. Discover how partnerships between organizations, professional associations, and academia can create a supportive environment for women.

Who Should Attend

Women in Cement and Construction: Industry professionals looking to enhance leadership skills, network with peers, and drive positive change.
Industry Executives and Leaders: Those committed to creating diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplaces.
Human Resources Professionals: Specialists focused on implementing DEI strategies and fostering inclusive organizational cultures.
Engineers, Architects, and Project Managers: Professionals aiming to advance diversity in technical and leadership roles.
Advocacy Groups and Associations: Representatives from organizations dedicated to promoting gender equality and supporting women in the industry.
Academics and Researchers: Scholars interested in the intersection of gender, diversity,
and industry practices.
Policymakers and Government Officials: Leaders working to promote gender equity and diversity at the policy level

WOMEN IN CEMCO provides a platform for women in the cement and construction industry to come together, share experiences, and drive positive change. Join us to expand your network, amplify your voice, and contribute to shaping a more inclusive, diverse, and equitable future for women in the field. Together, let’s inspire, innovate, and forge a path towards a thriving cement and construction industry that embraces inclusion, diversity, and equality.

Please reach out to us at Contact@industrylink.eu for registration, any inquiries, speaking opportunities, and to secure the most favorable arrangements for individual bookings, group rates, partnerships or sponsorship opportunities. Feel free to explore our website for a comprehensive list of events and detailed information about our activities.

Sign up to our newsletter on industrylink.eu to receive the latest news and future events info as well as exclusive discounts.

Future events in 2026:

CarbonZero Alternative Fuels & Raw Materials Global Conference & Exhibition 2026 to include Cementitious Europe – Congress, 27 – 29 October 2026; Location: Brussels, Belgium 

This premier global platform, CarbonZero brings together senior decision-makers to accelerate the transition to Net Zero in cement and construction. The conference will explore green alternatives—ranging from alternative fuels and raw materials to clinker substitutes-alongside emerging technologies, carbon capture, financing and investment strategies, policy developments, and industry standards. This C-level gathering convenes leaders from cement manufacturing, construction, technology, research, academia, and regulatory institutions—united in shaping actionable and sustainable solutions.

Cementiutious Materials Congress 2026

The Cementitious Materials International Technical and Trade Congress will host two major editions in 2026. The European edition will take place on 28–29 October 2026 in Brussels, Belgium, bringing together cement producers, traders, construction leaders, and technical experts to explore the latest innovations in alternative raw materials, clinker substitutes, and circular solutions for Europe’s decarbonisation pathway. Later in the year, the MEA edition will be held on 8–9 December 2026 in Morocco, uniting industry stakeholders from across the Middle East and Africa to advance progress in ashes, slags, pozzolanas, clays, and construction and demolition waste as sustainable alternative raw materials.

Sustainability & ESG International Summit 2026
24 – 25 November, São Paulo, Brazil
Premier regional platform for Net Zero construction, circular economy, climate resilience, and ESG leadership.

Industry 5.0 Global Conference & Exhibition 2026
24 – 25 November, São Paulo, Brazil
Hosted at the same venue and dates as the Sustainability Summit — two events for one price, one ticket, full access.

Sign up to our newsletter on industrylink.eu to receive the latest news and future events info as well as exclusive pricing. Follow our LinkedIn page for news and insights for the next events.

 

 

 

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Women in CemCo 2026 EMEA | Individual Rate Standard
742.63$

Access to all event presentations

Lunches and coffee breaks

PDF format of all presentations delivered to your
email after the event

Visa Travel and Accommodation are NOT included in the rate

Newsletter subscribers enjoy a 20% discount on all event tickets.

How can a traditionally male-dominated industry create meaningful and sustainable opportunities for women while addressing both social and workforce challenges?

CEMENTA – Women Building the Future, an OYAK Cement initiative, addresses this question by challenging gender-based perceptions of “women’s jobs” and “men’s jobs” and focusing instead on competence, potential, development and job fit.

The program is particularly meaningful in the regions where our selected plants operate, where women may face greater barriers to entering the workforce. In this context, CEMENTA creates social impact while also helping an industry facing increasing challenges in attracting and retaining talent build a more sustainable workforce for the future.

The program offers an end-to-end journey combining orientation, occupational health and safety, technical and behavioral development, teamwork and hands-on production experience, with a clear pathway to employment.

In its first implementation across Adana, Mardin and Ankara, 14 women joined the program and 11 successfully transitioned into employment at OYAK Cement.

At its heart, CEMENTA is built on a simple principle: competence has no gender.

Speakers:

For years, we have talked about the need for more women in leadership. But what happens when we move beyond the intention?

In heavy industry, I have seen first-hand that women do not lack ambition, capability or potential. What can be missing are the opportunities, visibility, sponsorship and deliberate talent decisions that allow that potential to become leadership.

After more than 20 years in People and Talent roles across the cement industry, I have learned that building more women leaders is not about lowering the bar or creating a separate path. It is about looking differently at potential, opening access to experiences that build credibility, making succession decisions more intentional, and creating leaders who actively sponsor the next generation.

This session is a practical and personal look at what it takes to turn “we need more women leaders” from a good intention into something you can actually see — in the field, in our plants, executive teams and boardrooms.

Speakers:

The cement industry faces one of the toughest decarbonization challenges, making Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS) a key enabler for achieving net-zero targets. Turning this ambition into reality requires leadership, resilience, and the ability to bring together multidisciplinary teams and stakeholders to navigate the many challenges that arise throughout project development..

Drawing on lessons learned from the CO2LLECT project in Germany, this presentation will share practical insights from leading the engineering of a first-of-a-kind carbon capture project in the cement sector. The session will focus on key lessons learned, critical decision-making processes, cross-functional collaboration, and the realities of progressing a complex project from concept to execution, while reflecting on the opportunities and challenges of growing as a female engineering leader.

Attendees will gain insights into both the technical and human dimensions of developing transformative industrial decarbonization projects and accelerating the deployment of carbon capture solutions at scale.

Speakers:

Leadership is not about waiting for the perfect circumstances , It is about believing in your capabilities and creating opportunities even when the path ahead is uncertain . In this session , I will share my personal journey as a woman who built her career in the traditionally male-dominated construction and ready-mix concrete industry in Lebanon . From being one of the few women in industry meetings to taking on the leadership of a company facing significant operational and financial challenges , I learned that resilience , credibility and results are powerful tools for creating change . I will reflect on the realities of leading through uncertainty , earning trust , making difficult decisions and building a culture of accountability and performance . I will also share the lessons I learned about overcoming barriers , challenging expectations , and remaining confident when the environment around you is constantly changing .

Most importantly , I want to encourage women not to underestimate themselves or wait to permission to lead . Leadership does not always begin with having a seat at the table .Sometimes when there is no seat at the table , we need to have the courage to build our own table and create space for others to join us.

Speakers:

This session shares a personal journey of building a career in the traditionally male-dominated cement industry, from being embedded within an operational team where the majority of colleagues were men to earning the trust and confidence of operations management. Working closely with operations and taking responsibility for critical technical tasks, testing, execution, quality, and performance created an opportunity to build credibility through hands-on experience and results. Over time, this trust helped challenge traditional perceptions of women’s roles in operational environments and demonstrated that women can contribute effectively across both technical and sustainability functions. The session will reflect on the resilience, confidence, adaptability, and continuous learning required to navigate such environments, overcome barriers, and step beyond conventional expectations. Through this personal experience, it aims to encourage more women to embrace technical and operational opportunities and recognize their ability to create meaningful impact in the transformation of the cement industry.

Speakers:
Noor Abdelaziz
Sustainability Engineer
Arabian Cement Company
Eda Güzeldemir Demiray
Senior Human Resources executive
Oyak Cement
Elena Rubio Portillo
Project Management Advisor CCUS EMEA
CEMEX
Majida Chahine
General Manager
BCL Ready Mix Concrete
Beatrice Ene
Managing Director and Head of Events
Industry Link

Please send us an email stating your name, title, company, email and phone number as well as company details for invoicing. One of our representatives will then contact you and send the invoice for payment via bank transfer.
After the payment is confirmed, you receive the confirmation and you are added to the delegate list.

Should you prefer paying by card, please use the Tickets tab on our website and complete the payment online. For more than three tickets, the group rate will automatically apply under the Special Tickets section.

Please also email us at contact@industrylink.eu for assistance.

After the payment is confirmed, you receive a confirmation email and you are added to the delegates' list. You automatically become a part of the Industry Link Community of worldwide professionals by being added to our attendee emailing list. We send updates on the event and details for other upcoming events we organize.

The event registration fee includes access to all event presentations, list of participants (companies and titles). If the event is held in person, you also receive the pdf of the presentations, names of the attendees and contact opportunity, coffee breaks and lunch.

Travel visas and accommodation are not included in the ticket price.

If you want to be a presenter contact us at mariana.gheorghe@industrylink.eu and ask for terms and conditions.

Industry Link Team members will always facilitate meeting other event participants. We dedicate full support to organizing one on one meetings on site or on line.
We can also assist in organizing business meetings as separate event facilities.
For more details please email us at contact@industrylink.eu

We send event participants the presentations after the event.
We strongly encourage you to become a part of the Industry link Community of Worldwide Professionals by signing up to our newsletter. This way we can send you the presentations from the events and we can also keep you up to date with other events that may be of interest.

You can designate another colleague to attend instead should you not be able to attend anymore. We do not offer refunds as once you register we commit to covering all expenses and we have no refunds available from the event venue.

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