Advanced Engineering Show 2018 a resounding success

A Government minister has hailed Advanced Engineering 2018 “the country’s largest sector show” as exhibitors and visitors had a fantastic time, completing new contracts, developing business relationships and seeing the latest innovations the industry has to offer.

Graham Stuart, Minister for Investment from the Department for International Trade, said: “I’m delighted to be here at Advanced Engineering 2018. It’s the country’s largest sector show of this kind and we are surrounded by great British engineering…

“The UK leads the whole of Europe in terms of the amount of investment it attracts, and just over recent weeks, we’ve seen another £10m of foreign direct investment into UK advanced engineering…Advanced Engineering offers enormous opportunities for the future and young people right across the country should consider entering this buoyant market.”

The features area allowed visitors to get hands on and up close to some of the latest technologies in the industry, including autonomous vehicles and the first graphene skinned drone.

 

Advanced Engineering 2018 also hosted a series of thought-provoking talks from industry leading professionals from large companies such as Jaguar Land Rover, Siemens, Boeing and the Aerospace Technology Institute.

These covered a wide range of issues that could radically affect the industry, including Brexit, future proofing the supply chain and filling the huge engineering skills gap.

Alison Willis, Industrial Divisional Director at Easyfairs, organisers of the show, said: “What a way to celebrate our 10^th birthday. There was a real and heightened buzz about the show this year thanks to everyone who took part; from the exhibitors, the visitors, conference speakers, the companies who supplied the show floor features through to the staff at the NEC.

“They all contributed to a fantastic event. Now we are preparing for next year with stands rapidly flying off the shelf at a record-breaking rate, book yours before it’s too late.”

This year the show had two new zones, Nuclear Engineering and UK Contract Manufacturing, which complemented the existing areas dedicated to; Aerospace Engineering, Composites Engineering, Automotive Engineering, Performance Metals and Connected Manufacturing.

Those who attended the show also agreed:

Sean O’Neill from Roaches International said: “It’s been a really good show; the quality of visitors has been excellent. For the first time ever, I have actually sold a machine straight off the stand for the value of £54k and by the end of today we would have sold another one – which is incredible.” Sean O’Neill, Roaches International

Dominic Hopwood from Bitrez added: “What a fantastic show this year. With the launch of our new Curabox Benoxazine resin, the number of visitors to our stand has been brilliant. By having the opportunity to put faces to names and create new leads, the Advanced Engineering show has allowed us to not only make new connections but improve on existing ones. The show has really set us up for next year!”

 

Mark Crouchen from Rockwood Composites said: “This has been the best year yet for us exhibiting at the Advanced Engineering Show. We have recently invested in a new press which has increase our capacity by 50% so we can’t wait to get some new clients. We have lots of new leads which will come in handy for new business in the new year. We will certainly be back next year!”

Colin Turner from the West of England Aerospace Forum (WEAF) concluded: “We are delighted at the huge numbers of visitors who came to see us. We had a very productive time catching up with familiar faces and meeting new businesses in the aerospace and defence sectors and it was great to showcase our services, especially NATEP and Aerospace Cornwall. We have come away from the show with some fantastic leads. We have been exhibiting at Advanced Engineering for several years now and we will continue to do so for many more.” Colin Turner, the West of England Aerospace Forum (WEAF)