Eight shows, two days, one venue
January 1st 2006

Mtec; Machine Building; Industrial Networks; IPOT; Machine Vision; Displays Technology; Practical Vacuum; and Drives & Motion Control Systems all take place on 15 & 16 February at the NEC. It's an industrial leviathan of an event that's sure to draw buyers and sellers from the UK, Europe and beyond.

As UK events go, this one's the big one. Some IP&E readers will most likely be interested in Mtec and Machine Building, but the other shows will be equally worth attending: the rationale behind co-locating all eight shows under the NEC's vast roof.

According to the organisers, Trident Exhibitions, visitor pre-registrations are already up over a third on last year's figures. It also claims surveys from last year's event show more than three quarters of visitors were looking for new products, with 80 per cent indicating they had been successful at the show. While these figures may not translate directly into hard sales figures, it's a strong indication that the vast majority of those attending the event aren't simply there for the hell of it.

Readers looking for solutions to their own particular product needs - or offer services or solutions to exhibitors - won't be disappointed. Companies already registered to attend include Land Rover, IBM, Kellogg, British Nuclear Group, BAE Systems, QINETIQ, Esso, Texas Instruments, Unilever R&D, Rolls-Royce, Epson Telford, Honda, Panasonic, Stannah Stairlifts and Lexmark International.

For the petrol heads, there is also Williams F1 to look out for. Its stands, however, are usually pretty easy to spot.

While shows such as this bring hordes of companies and potential business partners together, it is what you make of them that counts. Too often people hover around stands like timid pigeons, before drifting off to do the same at another exhibitor's patch. Why bother? If something looks interesting, get stuck in.

Ask questions, find out more - that's what you're there for. It'll make the whole event even more worthwhile.

On the other hand, exhibitors may argue that it is quality, not quantity, that counts in terms of attendees and leads. But the show is also a good opportunity to deliver some market education that may pay dividends directly or indirectly.

For both parties, the Industrial Networks Technology Centre should prove a major pull. A free seminar programme running throughout the show, contributors include the Profibus Group, AS-interface UK Expert Alliance and the ISA. A free MTEC Workshop Programme, supported by the BSSM and the Sensors Knowledge Transfer Network is also on offer, as is the British Society for Strain Measurement (BSSM)'s free 'Industrial Applications of Strain and Deformation Measurement' workshop.

Supported by the DTI, the Sensors Forum, held on the 16 February, aims to encourage the flow of knowledge between researchers and UK industry, providing a single point of focus for UK industrial organisations and building better communication with academia to enable better solutions for industrial sensing needs.

For a full conference programme, exhibitor list and to pre-register for the UK's biggest industrial trade show, visit: www.mtecexhibition.co.uk or call the number below.