The UK’s engineering-based manufacturing sector has once again backed the industry’s largest trade show, booking more than 80% of floorspace at MACH 2024 with more than 200 days still to go before doors open at the NEC in Birmingham.
Show organiser, the Manufacturing Technologies Association (MTA) said it was delighted with the response but stressed prime locations within the show halls were still available for businesses looking to exhibit. Nevertheless, it said companies still considering exhibiting should not delay their decisions so they secured the locations of their choice.
James Selka DL, CEO of the MTA, said “We’re still more than seven months away from doors opening at the exhibition and we continue to experience strong demand for exhibition space. We are already more than 80% sold and the remaining space is filling up fast. The reputation of MACH for its proven success helping companies succeed is too strong to ignore.
“Anyone thinking of exhibiting at the show should not delay their decision in order to secure the location of their choice. We will try and accommodate everyone, and we have contingencies in place should the strong demand continue. It is an enviable position to be in and is in defiance of those who said it would be harder to fill an event such as MACH given the economic climate.”
Mr Selka said the UK’s engineering and manufacturing technologies community was remaining bullish in the face of current headwinds and recognised the importance of MACH as the industry’s shopwindow.
“Looking back to this time last year, our member ballots received strong support and if anything, this trend has continued. In the current circumstances it is beyond encouraging to see so many companies pledging support for MACH 2024. We had expected MACH 2022 to be the pivotal event for the industry but if anything, 2024 is looking more even more critical to the future of UK manufacturing which is why so many companies want to be involved,” he said.
“The economic picture is also looking more positive than it did last year. Inflation finally seems to have peaked, and the green shoots might finally be visible. Of course, there’s still a long way to go, but the importance of MACH in helping to stimulate any recovery cannot be overlooked. Time and again the exhibition has proved pivotal to the economy, with its track record of generating millions of pounds worth of business for the manufacturing technologies industry.”
An audience of around 26,000 people are expected to attend the event over the five days. It is MACH’s unique ability to connect manufacturing engineers, decision makers, buyers, and specifiers with suppliers of new technology, equipment, services, and processes that is key to its success. It is why the event consistently attracts important stakeholders in such large numbers.
MACH 2024, which is once again sponsored by Lloyds Bank, opens its doors at the NEC in Birmingham on 15th April 2024. The five-day event will feature the largest display of new machinery and manufacturing technologies under one roof in the UK. If, as expected, it follows the trend of previous exhibitions then transactions worth hundreds of millions of pounds are likely to be agreed.
Results from MACH 2022 showed:
The beauty of MACH is that it is not just a five-day exhibition; it generates an ongoing pipeline of high-quality leads and opportunities that continue to generate sales long after the show has ended.
“If companies are to be successful in the future then they have to make step change improvements in productivity now. To this they need three things – technologies, the skill to acquire and deploy those technologies, and the finance to make it happen,” said Mr Selka.
“Technologies remain affordable and the benefits they offer in terms of productivity gains makes the return-on-investment equation far more palatable. Many of these new technologies will be on display at MACH, which is why people are able to make such informed investment decisions and another reason for the show’s popularity.”
Co-locating with MACH 2024 is the Engineering Supply Chain Show, which is also sponsored by Lloyds Bank, together with The Engineering Industries Association (EIA). Based in Hall 7, this new exhibition is for the main part, a response to the immediate needs of UK manufacturers and engineers for new opportunities. It also brings together a wider audience focused on capacity in the UK subcontracting and supply chain sectors.
It is where world-class suppliers, exclusively in the UK engineering and manufacturing supply chain, exhibit and is dedicated to helping buyers source precision sub-contracting products and services from UK-based suppliers.
It will also be underpinned by a strong message around greener manufacturing, specifying how UK-sourced goods and services help to reduce the miles goods have to travel.
