Southern Manufacturing & Electronics returns to FIVE, Farnborough, on February 15th and 16th for what promises to be a record-breaking event with more exhibition space booked than ever before including a large number of exhibitors who are new to the show
Organisers described the 2011 show as the biggest and most popular in the event’s history but show director Phil Valentine has confirmed that the 2012 show will be even larger. “We added 750 square metres of exhibition space in 2011, making it the largest event we’d ever run. We passed the 2011 total for exhibition space booked back in October, and we expect to add an additional 900 square metres of exhibiting companies before the show opens on February 15th.”
Regular visitors to the show will recognise many familiar faces. The SME-friendly format of the show encourages a huge diversity of exhibitors, making it possible to meet a wide range of relevant industrial suppliers in a very short space of time. The show’s dedicated core of regular exhibitors will be joined in 2012 by an influx of companies exhibiting for the first time. “New exhibitors at Southern Manufacturing & Electronics 2012 will account for around 20 per cent of the total,” comments Valentine. Like the show itself, the first-time exhibitors are a mixture of small and large.
Perhaps the biggest new name at Southern Manufacturing 2012 is machine tool giant Amada, which will join other major players from the machining world such as Yamazaki Mazak, HAAS Automation, Matsuura Machinery and XYZ Machine Tools. Other names include Blundell Production Systems, Fanuc, Faro, Nikon, Renishaw, Blum Novotest among many others. The well-known brands join hundreds of other specialist suppliers, between them catering for just about every possible requirement, from consumables to tooling, training, clean rooms, lifting and handling gear, packaging, safety equipment and even workwear.
The free technical seminar programme that runs over the two day show in two theatres is a key feature of the show. The programme for 2012 promises an even broader scope of topics on offer. “For 2012, we’ve assembled what we believe to be the strongest line-up of expert presenters ever seen at Southern Manufacturing,” says Valentine – among them, The Smart Group, BAE Systems, EDF Energy, NAMRC, Farnborough Aerospace Consortium, University of Sheffield and The Composite Systems Innovation Centre, among others.
He adds: “The seminars address a wide variety of technical and commercial topics. Our aim has been to include something for everyone – from practical business advice to a look at the latest advances in manufacturing technology.”
An introduction to Lean Manufacturing from Paul Smith of the Manufacturing Advisory Service (South East) gives visitors an insight into reducing waste and improving competitiveness. In ‘How I Tripled Output and Saved Money’, Owen Buckwell will show how applying those principles improved productivity by 265 per cent in Portsmouth’s Housing Department. Peter Grundy from The SMART Group gives advice on How to Create an Efficient Factory, while Best Practice and World Class Manufacturing with Ailsa Kaye looks at examples of best practice from around the world. Other sessions will focus on the latest advanced materials and manufacturing techniques, Supply Chain & SC21 and a look at the UK’s fast-growing medical devices industry. A full list of the 24 sessions on the 2012 seminar programme is available at www.industrysouth.co.uk, and pre-registration is highly recommended.
Entry to Southern Manufacturing & Electronics 2012 is free to business visitors, and FIVE Farnborough offers free car parking, good access by road and public transport. Visitors are encouraged to register online or by phone (see contact details below).
Visitors can find all the latest exhibition news at www.linkedin.com, or alternatively visit the blog page at http://blog.industrysouth.co.uk
T: 01784 880 890
