Earlier this week the events industry, endorsed by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport issued new guidelines - the ‘All Secure Standard’ - to ensure that shows and exhibitions can go ahead in the coming months. UK manufacturers will already have 25-28 January, the dates for MACH 2021 in their calendars – these guidelines will enable them to plan their attendance at MACH in detail and with certainty.

The Manufacturing Technologies Association (MTA), which owns and organises MACH on behalf of the industry, has been closely involved in the drafting of the guidelines with the Association of Exhibition Organisers. The MTA strongly believes that MACH 2021 will not only be safe for visitors and exhibitors but also provide a great platform to stand out in the market as the economy ramps up in the aftermath of Covid-19.

MTA President Marcus Burton said: “I was pleased that the Prime Minister has announced that exhibitions and events can resume from 1 October and the supporting guidelines will help us accelerate our preparations for MACH 2021. During this pandemic the Government, and the country as a whole, has seen first-hand the vital role of UK manufacturing and engineering for our future resilience to similar events and also our economic prosperity.

“Improving the productivity of our manufacturing base must be a key policy objective and there are so many opportunities to do this. We are starting to see the early signs of recovery in a number of sectors and the timing of MACH 2021 could not be better to support UK manufacturing to invest in productivity improvement and plan for recovery and growth.”

Chris Skeith, Association of Events Organisers CEO, said: “Following the announcement last week, that events will get back to business later this year, we are delighted to share the guidance which has been painstakingly created by so many of our members. We are so grateful for their hard work and contributions, to help create this guidance which has been approved by the Government”

You can download the All Secure Standard, which is based around cornerstone principles: Social/Physical Distancing, Cleaning & Hygiene, Protect & Detect and Communication here.