MACH 2016 11th - 15th April NEC in Birmingham
Every two years the NEC in Birmingham is transformed into the UK’s premier manufacturing technologies event, MACH, and this year’s show more than met expectations. From the 11th – 15th April over 600 exhibitors, across 45,000sq meters of exhibition space saw 25,627 people visit the show, this is an increase of almost 10% on MACH 2014.
Every inch of exhibition space in Halls 4 and 5 at the NEC was sold out – for the first time since the economic downturn. We take this as a very positive sign - confidence within the advanced manufacturing sector is high and people came to the show to get business done.
MACH is one of the major European exhibitions and attracts visitors from across the continent. Walking through the Halls at the NEC you could feel that there was a real buzz in the air from visitors and exhibitors alike, keen to soak in the new technology on show. One of the main comments repeated to me again and again by exhibitors was that “the quality of visitors at the exhibition with buying power was fantastic.”
This meant decisions were being made on the spot and machines were being sold directly off the stands giving exhibitors maximum return on their investment. Exhibitors have also built great pipelines of leads to follow up on after the show. Exhibitions like this are fundamental to the health of the industry. They introduce new technologies, processes and most importantly bring the sector together.
If I am forced to choose a highlight, I must say I was particularly pleased with the response to the Learning and Development Zone and the number of student visitors who travelled from all over the UK to attend MACH. The number of students who passed through the exhibition was close to 3,500, which gives me confidence that we’re making progress in attracting the next generation of engineers in to the industry. One exhibitor commented to me that “the enthusiasm and the technical
nature of the questions being asked by the students was really impressive.”
We are immensely proud of what we have achieved this year, but we have now turned our attention to MACH 2018 which will take place 9 -13 April 2018. The exhibition will be the first to be held in the NEC’s newer ‘atrium’ Halls. This will see MACH move location for the first time since the NEC opened its doors in 1976.
The move will enable the whole show to take place in a single uninterrupted space. The new layout has more entrances and more great spaces for your stand than ever before. Initial interest in 2018 has been really positive with space in the un-balloted areas of the exhibition being snapped up quickly by companies keen to reserve their place on the floor plans.
We will continue to work tirelessly for the UK manufacturing sector over the next two years and look to improve on our achievements at the 2016 edition of the show. MACH brings the UK manufacturing community together like no other trade show in this country. We are entrusted by our members and exhibitors to administer an exhibition that invigorates the sector and showcases all the latest technology. Advanced engineering is a forward thinking industry and we will continue to deliver a forward thinking exhibition to reflect this.
James Selka CEO MTA
LINKS
www.machexhibition.com
James Selka
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LUBE MAGAZINE NO.133 JUNE 2016
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