UK Construction Week: An event for the entire industry

Preview of UK Construction Week, which runs in Birmingham in October. 

UK Construction Week is all set to become the leading industry event for construction and building professionals after gaining overwhelming support from associations and trade bodies from across the industry, as well as attracting big name exhibitors and hosts for its comprehensive seminar programme.

Organised by Media 10, the UK’s biggest design and build event company, UK Construction Week will be held at the Birmingham NEC from 6th – 11th October (with the trade days from 6th – 8th October).

Bringing together nine shows under one roof, the event will feature the Build Show, incorporating Civils Expo, Timber Expo, the Surface and Materials Show, Kitchens & Bathroom Live, Plant & Machinery Live, Energy 2015, HVAC 2015, Smart Buildings 2015 and Grand Designs Live

Free to attend, the event will play host to 1,000 exhibitors and more than 55,000 visitors, giving exhibitors valuable face-to-face time with active buyers, specifiers and decision makers from across the industry. For visitors, it provides the opportunity to speak to suppliers and manufacturers from a wide range of diverse industry sectors, all in one place.

Some of the key exhibitors showcasing their latest product innovations and services at the event include precision power tool manufacturer Festool, the UK’s largest multi-channel supplier of trade equipment Screwfix, commercial vehicle manufacturer FIAT Professional, the UK’s leading manufacturer of interior lining systems British Gypsum and smart home product innovator Nest, to name but a few.

UK Construction Week is also fully supported by the industry’s leading trade groups and associations, some of which include the Construction Products Association (CPA), the National House Building Council (NHBC), the Building Research Establishment (BRE), the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), the Renewable Energy Association (REA), the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), the Society of British and International Design (SBID), the Timber Research and Development Association (TRADA) and the Zero Carbon Hub.

Working in partnership with these prominent industry names and placing a firm emphasis on knowledge sharing, discussion and debate, UK Construction Week has organised a comprehensive seminar programme, providing a wealth of sector-specific information in the dedicated hubs. In addition to this, there will also be a main stage seminar theatre that will tackle the bigger and broader construction industry topics and challenges.

Confirmed hosts on the main stage are influential broadcast journalists John Humphrys, Krishnan Guru-Murthy and Steph McGovern. John Humphrys will take to the stage on day one as topics such as governmental policy, the housing crisis and the economy are discussed. The internationally recognised journalist, broadcaster and author started his career for the BBC in 1966 and has reported on domestic and foreign issues from around the globe. John is now a hugely popular presenter on BBC Radio 4’s long-standing The Today Programme broadcast to millions each morning.

Day two of the main stage will be chaired by Financial Correspondent for the BBC Steph McGovern. Well known for winning the title of Young Engineer for Britain after saving Black & Decker over £1M on a design for their Leaf Hog product, Steph’s sharp business insights will be invaluable as the programme takes a closer look at the skills shortage and key infrastructure projects on the horizon.

Krishnan Guru-Murthy will lead the final day of proceedings on the main stage as topics such as procurement opportunities, BIM and unifying the industry are addressed. Krishnan’s career as a broadcast journalist and specialist news reporter has spanned five British general elections and in 2010 he was nominated for the prestigious accolade of Presenter of the Year for the Royal Television Society Journalism Awards.

Further seminars of note will include a keynote presentation from the Head of Construction at the Cabinet Office – Dr David Hancock, who will set out parliamentary plans and policies for the construction industry over the next electoral period, sessions from Glenigan, the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists (CIAT) and the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) on protecting construction from economic weakness and improving the industry’s image among investors and policy makers and dedicated BIM seminars exploring its future outlook and practical advice.

Visitors will also be able access additional content such as the Careers Centre in association with the House Builders Federation, Meet the Installer sessions across several shows and the Surfaces & Materials Hub in partnership with SCIN Gallery. Further to this, there will be a dedicated space for civil engineers to discuss the hottest topics in the form of the Infrastructure Hub and there will also be a commercial vehicle test drive zone.

The event will also provide the unique opportunity for key visitors to take part in a hosted buyer scheme. Designed to offer active buyers a structured and highly effective show experience, the scheme will allow buyers to efficiently cut through the ‘noise’ by going directly to the suppliers and vendors that are most able to meet their needs.

Following an in-depth consultation to establish the buyer’s requirements, the UK Construction Week team will organise a bespoke programme of hand-picked supplier meetings, seminars and networking events, all designed to help the visitor fulfil both their immediate and longer term project needs. This focused approach allows participants to get maximum return on the time they invest in attending the show. What’s more, this service is completely free of charge.

Lee Newton, CEO of Media 10, commented: “As construction growth is continuing to drive the UK’s economic recovery and with more than 2.2 million people employed in this sector, it’s an exciting time to be involved in the construction industry.

“We recognise that there’s a very real desire for an event that brings the entire industry spectrum together, providing a much needed opportunity to network, learn and do business. To this end, our aim is to support the industry at this crucial time by offering a viable growth platform and a valuable resource to professionals in all areas of construction.”

For more information please visit http://ift.tt/1N9jdXi or follow @UK_CW on Twitter.

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