The Manufacturing and Engineering Expo 2014 will be held in the Kent Event Centre at the Detling showground from 9am until 4.30pm on Wednesday 8 October.
Described as an “inspirational business-to-business show”, the event has been designed to support and showcase everything that is great about the engineering and manufacturing sectors.
It will provide an environment where industry professionals can assess and compare the latest products and services for engineering, electronics and manufacturing. Visitor registration is now open at the event’s Web site (
www.manufacturingandengineeringexpo.co.uk).
Organised by the Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce, Manufacturing and Engineering Expo 2014 will run in parallel with the Construction Expo. It will ‘kick off’ with a networking breakfast for the early starters and finish with a dinner featuring Richard Noble as the guest speaker.
Between these two functions, visitors will be able to see the very latest engineering and manufacturing products and services demonstrated; they will also have the opportunity to take away some useful information and establish future business contacts.
Jo James, chief executive of the Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce, says: “Last year’s event at Chatham Dockyard was a resounding success. Indeed, it was soon apparent from feedback provided by exhibitors and visitors alike that we would need additional space to meet the demand for this year’s event. This was also true of the Construction Expo held last year.
“The additional space at the Kent Event Centre has allowed us to expand both events and run them in parallel. There are so many synergies between these two sectors that the joint event adds value to both exhibitors and visitors.
The larger venue has given exhibitors from both sectors the opportunity to showcase their products and services; it also allows space for demonstration areas, making the event a much more interactive experience.”
With 11% of its membership involved in manufacturing and engineering, the Chamber is very aware that one of the key challenges facing the sector is current and future skill needs.
Jo James says: “There is a lack of young people entering into the sector; more needs to be done to highlight the many opportunities within the industry and the wide range of career paths. Engineering is one of the most important and rewarding careers anyone can have, and we recognise the need to attract a greater talent pool into it.
“This year, we are starting to address this by working with the Education Business Partnership to provide a series of talks and workshops from inspirational individuals within the industry, such as Richard Noble. We have around 300 young people attending, and we will look at developing this area of the event further next year.”
The Manufacturing and Engineering Expo is free to attend; it has been designed to provide an environment where industry professionals can assess and compare the latest products and services for engineering and manufacturing. Furthermore, visitors can listen to keynote speakers from leading companies; these include Aston Martin, Texcel Technology and Brompton Bicycle.
“We have a fantastic line-up of speakers providing industry insight and advice. We want the day to be a showcase of what is good about the sectors, and to provide visitors and exhibitors with the knowledge and support to continue to grow — plus, of course, the opportunity to win new business,” says Jo James.
According to Engineering UK, the engineering sector employs 5.4 million people across 542,440 companies. Meanwhile, UK manufacturing is very much alive and well; it is ranked ninth in global output, makes up almost half of UK exports, employs 2.5 million people, and accounts for 72% of UK business R&D.
“Engineering is vital to our everyday lives, from essentials like running water, transport and power generation through to communication by mobile phone, broadcasting and broadband internet,” says Jo James. “It is also crucial to the economy, contributing 24% of the turnover for all businesses in the UK. By running these two events in parallel, there is much more to see and do, and more opportunities for making engineering business contacts.”