UK Construction Week, organised by Media 10, has announced the acquisition of Timber Expo, the UK’s only dedicated event for timber construction.
Media 10 will run Timber Expo as a key part of UKCW, bringing together nine construction-focused events taking place at the NEC Birmingham between 6-11 October.
Timber Expo recently announced its 2014 exhibition as the most successful in the event’s four year history with over 6,000 visitors attending the show at the NEC – up 30 per cent year on year. With over 150 exhibitors, adding Timber Expo to the UKCW portfolio will bring the anticipated exhibitor number to over 1,000 and the attendance figure in excess of 50,000.
Timber Expo will run from Tuesday to Thursday October 6-8 2015 alongside The Build Show, acquired by Media 10 in October. Other events that form UK Construction Week include Grand Designs Live, Surface and Materials Show, Kitchens & Bathroom Live, Plant & Machinery Live, Energy 2015, Smart Buildings 2015, HVAC 2015 and Civils Expo. These dedicated events for each sector will provide an unrivalled opportunity for the construction industry to unite as never before, providing a key platform to debate the issues facing construction in 2015 and beyond.
Lee Newton, CEO of Media 10, said: “We are delighted to add the UK’s largest and most respected timber event to our portfolio and as such, Timber Expo will become an integral part and a key component of UK Construction Week.
“The impact of UK Construction Week is going to be enormous, not just for the sector or the events industry but for the economy, for policy makers, and for everyone working in the construction sector. Each of the component shows will have a wealth of content so when you combine this nine-fold we will end up with an event that no visitor or exhibitor in the construction sector – from architect to designer to builder to specifier - can afford to miss.”
Richard Morey, Group Events Director at Media 10, added: “We are constantly working to develop UK Construction Week and are keen to offer a truly comprehensive, industry-wide event. With this in mind, we would be keen to talk to any other independent trade shows who may be interested in joining the UK’s biggest construction event.”
Darren Richards, Managing Director of Timber Expo, commented: “This is fantastic news for Timber Expo and a vital stepping stone in the growth of the show. The concept of UK Construction Week and the co-location of a number of complementary shows in the same venue during the same week is exactly what the construction industry needs to give it that ‘centre of gravity’ and annual gathering of the sector. Timber Expo has grown to become an important fixture on the construction events calendar, with a loyal exhibitor base and a rapidly growing number of visitors. The timing is perfect for Timber Expo to come under the wing of one of the UK’s leading event organisations as they will help to expand the show whilst nurturing and respecting the vision and values that we have set in place over the past four years.”
Timber Expo is run in partnership with TRADA (The Timber Research and Development Association), the international membership organisation dedicated to inspiring and informing best practice design, specification and use of wood in the built environment and related fields.
Andrew Abbott, Director of BM TRADA Group, said: “After four years of hard work, Timber Expo is now firmly established as an important event in the construction calendar, at a time when the industry is looking for practical and affordable building solutions that also deliver environmental and sustainable benefits. Timber Expo has become the place to showcase all that is new in timber construction and will flourish as part of UK Construction Week, taking the message of timber to a broader audience and Timber Expo to the next level.”
Andrew Carpenter, Chief Executive of the Structural Timber Association added, “Timber Expo has become the key annual ‘shop-window’ event for all things cutting edge in the timber sector. The Structural Timber Association is wholly behind the integration of the show within UK Construction Week as this reflects the mainstreaming of structural timber technology within the built environment. We will continue to put our full support behind the show and to work closely with Media 10 to ensure that structural timber technology is well represented.”
Timber Expo also comes with a raft of support from professional bodies representing a great number of products, manufacturers and professionals who use and work with timber in the construction industry.
The event is held in high regard by its exhibitors, John Spittle, Sales Director of WIEHAG GmbH, commented: “Timber Expo is a very productive event. We like exhibiting because of the quality of the people that attend – the calibre of specifiers and contractors that come to Timber Expo are very good.”
The successful formula and the vision of its creator, Darren Richards, will continue to be nurtured by Media 10, whilst Darren will remain involved in the plans going forward.
