UK Construction Week is underway at the NEC in Birmingham. It finishes on 20 October. It combines nine exhibitions – Timber Expo, the Build Show, Civils Expo, the Surface & Materials Show, Energy 2016, Plant & Machinery Live, HVAC 2016, Smart Buildings 2016 and Grand Designs Live – with more than 650 exhibitors in total.
Architect and television presenter George Clarke cut the ribbon at the main entrance to open the show yesterday (18 October) and immediately hosted a heavyweight panel discussion on the main stage centred on Chancellor George Osborne’s quote that the UK doesn’t “train enough or build enough or invest enough”. Debating how to boost construction productivity, investment and training, the panel included Adrian Belton, Chief Executive of the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), Dr Diana Montgomery, Chief Executive of the Construction Products Association (CPA), Paul Nash FCIOB, President of the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) and David Hancock, Head of Construction at the Cabinet Office.
During the discussion Dr Diana Montgomery commented: “In these halls you see so many examples of construction products that highlight the innovation in our industry. Unfortunately, relative to other industries like pharmaceutical, construction has so much conflict at the heart of its supply chain. We need to become more integrated, not just for the big iconic projects but for the more mundane stuff and eventually housing.”
Other notable seminars taking place across the 13 seminar theatres at the show include a series entitled ‘A Tale of Three Cities’. The opening day's focused on Birmingham and what lessons could be learned from one of the UK’s most active cities. Over the next two days Manchester and London will also be discussed. In the Home Building Theatre a seminar lead by John O’Brien, Associate Director for Construction Innovation at the Building Research Establishment (BRE), looked at the latest innovations in offsite housing construction and how this technology could revolutionise the sector.
The show is a hotbed of innovation with new products, services and products being launched. One of them is from construction giant CEMEX. It is a new low-density foam concrete called Porofoam. James Fairclough, Head of Marketing at CEMEX UK, said: “We're delighted to launch our new lightweight concrete Porofoam at UK Construction Week. It's been amazing seeing people's reactions to the product and the rest of our stand, which includes working demos that showcase the possibilities of concrete.”
Attending and speaking at the show, Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the Federation of Master Builders (FMB), commented: “UK Construction Week is definitely a date for the diary. It is such a unique opportunity to bring the whole industry together and celebrate what it does best. I’ve been encouraged to see so many industry leaders tackling the big issues, such as the skills and housing shortage. The key now is to build upon these conversations and translate them into action.”
In addition to all the day’s content, visitors to UK Construction Week can look forward to a host of evening entertainment and awards ceremonies being held at the venue each night. The opening night saw the inaugural Construction Enquirer Awards, the Offsite Awards and the a popular Beer & Ale Festival. Among those at the Beer & Ale Festival were the day’s winners of the 5-a-side football competition held in partnership with Construction United. The team from BRE won and the beers were on them because as well as a trophy their prize was £500 to spend on the beers and ales.
Nathan Garnett, Event Director for UK Construction Week, was a happy man last night. "In preparation for this year’s show we’ve been overwhelmed with the support we’ve received from leading industry associations and companies and the result is fantastic.
"The amount of high-quality, relevant seminar content is only outdone by the number of new products and innovations on display at the show. Indeed, the first day has been packed with unique features and I look forward to the next few days.
"Importantly, representing the first major event following the decision to leave the EU, UK Construction Week is playing a significant role in shaping strategy and driving new business for a more prosperous future in the sector."
Alongside the grand opening, a team of cyclists led by Peter Murray, Chairman of New London Architecture, was accompanied by Andy Wates, Chairman of Construction Youth Trust, in the conclusion of their 126-mile charity bike ride. Peter Murray said: "Although we are all experienced cyclists, it was a tough ride but well worth it. We’ve raised over £7,000 so far for the Construction Youth Trust, which does a great job of encouraging young talent into the industry. We also did the ride to raise awareness of the Construction Logistics and Cycle Safety (CLOCS) initiative, aimed at reducing collisions involving vulnerable road users and construction vehicles."
Andy added: “We can’t thank Peter and the team enough for their commitment. It’s a great example of personal investment by the industry for the industry. In the current uncertain climate, charities can find it tough, so every penny counts. There is still time to donate, so please visit Construction Youth Trust’s JustGiving page if you can.”
For more information about UK Construction Week or to register to attend for free, please visit the website or follow @UK_CW on Twitter.