Sales for MACH 2018 (www.machexhibition.com) are being described as “a very encouraging sign for the industry” by MTA CEO James Selka; over 75% of the exhibition’s space has already been sold, with just under a year to go before the show takes place.

MACH 2018 will be held at the NEC, near Birmingham, 9-13 April and is on course to be another bumper show, following on from the sold-out success of MACH 2016.

Mr Selka said: “With new halls and extra space to sell, we are seeing premium spots being snapped up by exhibitors at a good rate, leaving us with a little under a quarter of the show left to sell, which is a very encouraging sign for the industry at this stage. We’d encourage all companies wishing to book a stand for MACH 2018 to act quickly to secure their space at the UK’s premier manufacturing technologies showcase.”

MACH 2018 will take place on the atrium side of the NEC, in Halls 17, 18, 19, 20, 6 and 7 (these halls are all on one level). This is the first move of the show since relocating to the NEC when it opened in 1976.

Mike Dinsdale, managing director of Ghuring, which manufactures precision rotary cutting tools, said: “Changing the halls gives a different dimension to the show and makes it new again. People will come and try the show again.”

Dave Hurley, managing director of PDJ Vibro, a vibratory deburring and polishing company, said the leads generated from MACH encouraged him to return again in 2018.

“The leads I get from MACH are of a quality I can’t find anywhere else, not through the Internet or other exhibitions. I did five exhibitions last year, and the other four added together didn’t generate a fraction of the leads that the MACH exhibition yielded.”

James Fudge, MTA head of events, said: “We’ve seen a lot of returning exhibitors increase the size of their stands. MACH is the only place to see a fully integrated picture of the UK manufacturing.”