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From the editor... W


hat a debut. After much anticipation, The Electric Event 2013 certainly delivered on its promise to be the must-visit electrical industry show of the year. With a new format that packed in a high- level conference, exhibition, technical workshops and awards gala


dinner, the three-day event at the ICC Birmingham in June attracted hundreds of savvy ECA members and other switched-on visitors from the wider building services sector to see what was behind the buzz about the ECA’s innovative industry get- together – and what it had to off er. Reworking the ECA conference format – and bringing the traditional overseas


conference back to the UK –proved a widely popular move, making it more accessible to a broader spread of the ECA membership and providing the fl exibility for members to dip in and out of the various elements of the event to suit their time available and professional interests. And there sure was plenty to see and do.


Future talk Preparing for the future was one of the recurrent themes running through both


the high-level conference and the new Technology Live workshop sessions. Speakers highlighted the key technologies, innovative products, legislative changes and new consumer requirements that will deliver new opportunities for electrical contractors. The Electric Event brought together a wide range of manufacturers and industry partners to off er contractors insights into the latest developments in the sector – providing a unique opportunity for members to focus on how to ready their businesses for areas of growth over the coming years. You can read a full report on the inaugural Electric Event on pages 32-39 of this magazine. But while talk of green shoots of recovery may still be premature, some


encouraging signs have emerged in the latest UK construction fi gures. Businesses should always make sure they’re ready to take advantage of fresh opportunities – whether it be in traditional electrical business, the fast-growing area of energy effi ciency solutions, or other emerging technologies. The ECA off ers a range of high-quality services, expertise and professional backup that can help you ready your business to move forward.


Opportunities In this issue, we also explore some of the areas of opportunity in the sector – from


domestic energy effi ciency upgrade work (pages 22-25), to building management systems (pages 28-31), and the latest developments in the heating and ventilation market (pages 40-43). Getting the right skill sets and expertise is also crucial for any business


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The opinions expressed in editorial material do not necessarily represent the views of the Electrical Contractors’ Association. Unless specifi cally stated, goods or services mentioned in editorial or advertisements are not formally endorsed by the ECA, which does not guarantee or endorse or accept any liability for any goods and/or services featured in this publication.


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ECA T oday would like to give a special


acknowledgement to our launch partners and thank them for their continued support.


September 2013 ECA Today 3


developing into diff erent areas of work or embracing new specialist technologies. Here, we also survey areas in which the development of skills and learning is high on the agenda – from apprenticeship policy (pages 51-53) and adult training (pages 55-57) to the role of joint venture certifi cation company Certsure as a new member of the ECA family (pages 48-50). It’s been an interesting summer, with plenty to talk about – enjoy the issue.


Phil Lattimore Editor


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To contact ECA Today, send us an email at mail@ecatoday.co.uk or write to Letters, ECA Today, CPL, 275 Newmarket Road, Cambridge CB5 8JE.


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