MACH 2018 was recognised at the recent Trade Association Forum (TAF) Best Practice Awards and Dinner 2018, taking top prize in the Exhibition of the Year category.

Now in their 16th year, the TAF Best Practice Awards reward and promote best practice among UK Trade Associations.

The annual event — held at Draper’s Hall in London — is supported by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

James Selka, CEO of the Manufacturing Technologies Association (MTA) (pictured), which organises MACH, said: “This award is testament to all the hard work put in by the staff at the MTA and the members of our exhibition committee, but we would not be able to run such a longstanding and successful show if it wasn’t for our exhibitors.

"With a new look for MACH 2018, we were determined to showcase UK manufacturing and its advanced engineering sectors to the highest possible standard, which is why the exhibition is recognised as the market leader in the UK.”

MACH 2018 (www.machexhibition.com) attracted a 5% increase in the number of trade visitors to the show.

In the post-show questionnaire of exhibitors, 95% of respondents said that they had generated leads for their sales team to follow up after the show, 77% reported improved customer relations over the course of the show, and 80% said they raised their company profile by attending the exhibition.

With MACH 2018 over, preparations for MACH 2020 are already well under way, with over 5000m2 of space allocated.

While space is already on general sale, some prime areas in the halls are available through a ballot system.

Applications for Ballot 1 — for stands over 200m² — open at the end of July and close on 5 September, with the draw on 7 September.

Ballot 2 (for stands below 199m²) will open in September, with the draw taking place by the end of October.