The Construction Equipment Association (CEA) has confirmed the venue and dates for its 4th PLANTWORX trade show, which will incorporate the brand new RAILWORX exhibition.
The events will run alongside each other and will be held at the East of England Arena and Events Centre, Peterborough, on 11th, 12th, 13th June 2019.
Introducing RAILWORX 2019
PLANTWORX, the UK’s largest working plant and equipment exhibition in 2019, is about to get even bigger with the introduction of a new dedicated section for the rail industry.
New for 2019, RAILWORX, which is being organised by Rail Media alongside the PLANTWORX team, will offer rail industry manufacturers and suppliers the chance to showcase their latest innovations as part of the huge multi-industry exhibition.
It is the first time that rail has had such a significant presence at the show and reflects the growing importance of railway infrastructure projects to the UK construction industry.
Celebration of innovation and enterprise
Jolene Price, Rail Media’s events director, said: “We’re delighted to be partnering with PLANTWORX to expand rail’s presence at such a significant exhibition for the manufacturers and providers of construction equipment.
“Projects like HS2 and Crossrail 2, as well as Network Rail’s £47 billion CP6 programme, present a huge opportunity for the sector, but there is also a lot of pressure on the industry to meet this demand. RAILWORX will be a celebration of innovation and enterprise across the sector. It will be a great opportunity for our railway colleagues to learn from developments in other sectors and vice versa.”
Rob Oliver, chief executive of CEA, said, “PLANTWORX remains committed to its core purpose of showcasing the best construction equipment on offer to the UK market. Two major new initiatives for 2019 are the move to the purpose-built East of England Arena and Event Centre and the addition of RAILWORX – which will run alongside PLANTWORX.”
Rob added. “The biggest construction projects going forward are rail related – HS2 alone is worth in the region of £55.7 billion. Our partnership with Rail Media will give us access to key rail project executives and make the most of the great business opportunities now emerging.”
David Bell, director of JCB and chair of governors JCB Academy and CEA honorary president said, “The East of England showground has a long history of hosting successful large outdoor events. The infrastructure is already in place, which includes hard standing and walkways, which will provide a greatly improved visitor experience. The communication issues PLANTWORX experienced at Bruntingthorpe have also been addressed with the move and the new site benefits from both efficient Wi-Fi and mobile phone signal – which will allow both visitors and exhibitors to ‘do business – whilst doing business’ at the show.”
David added, “The collaboration with Rail Media and the introduction of RAILWORX alongside PLANTWORX is the perfect fit. The addition of RAILWORX will bring many opportunities with the high level of investment scheduled for rail.”
Spread across 25,000 square metres, RAILWORX will include a mix of trade stands and live demonstrations
Permanent indoor and outdoor exhibition facilities and live demos
The East of England Arena and Events Centre has permanent indoor and outdoor exhibition facilities and there is plenty of space for machine demonstration – which has always been at the heart of PLANTWORX – since the inaugural event in 2013. The venue has a long tradition of hosting big machine events, with the likes of Truckfest and agricultural show, LAMMA, being previously held at the site.
The PLANTWORX directors conducted an extensive search for a new venue based on criteria which were set based on exhibitor feedback from the 2017 event. These included good road and rail links, easy site access and improved on site services. PLANTWORX and RAILWORX 2019 will occupy a gross area of approximately 200,000 sqm which is c.40% more than 2017.
Excellent onsite facilities
CEA chief executive, Rob Oliver said, “The last PLANTWORX show, at Bruntingthorpe Proving Ground, Leicester, was blighted by the weather, so we were looking for somewhere that would provide a good opportunity for a better exhibitor and visitor experience whatever the weather.
Inside exhibitors can be accommodated in the purpose-built Arena. Outside there are more permanent roadways and facilities for visitors. Good mobile phone and Wi-Fi facilities are also part of the package – plus it is just 5 minutes from the A1. We took our time making the selection, but we are confident that we have found the best solution and we have an option for at least two further events at East of England Arena – taking us up to 2023.”
PLANTWORX sales manager, Angela Spink, commented, “I am excited by the potential of the new venue. We have been working with exhibitors, via our consultation groups and we have an excellent site layout and sales are now open. The new site addresses the areas that were highlighted within the exhibitor feedback from PLANTWORX 2017. We are very confident that we can deliver a top-notch event on behalf of our industry.”
Option for three events
Dean Rees, EEAEC’s business development manager, was equally as enthusiastic about the agreement and the prospect of the PLANTWORX and RAILWORX coming to the East of England Arena saying, “The length of this contract allows us to make sure that the events can develop to their full potential and capitalise upon the many features and benefits we have to offer here at the East of England Arena. We are thrilled that we will have the opportunity of hosting these amazing events until 2023.”
Student afternoon addressing the skills shortage – Thursday 13th June 2019
The final afternoon of PLANTWORX and RAILWORX is once again dedicated to students and teachers from primary and secondary schools and colleges to visit the show and get a taste of the Construction Equipment and Rail sectors.
Pupils, students and graduates from the Peterborough area will be invited to attend the event which will help young people better understand the UK construction and rail industries, plant equipment and all that they can offer and learn how the equipment on display helps to build railways and infrastructure around the country.
Rail Media’s Jolene Price said: “The UK’s construction and rail sectors both face skills shortages that present real risks to the delivery of future infrastructure projects. By bringing in young people from the community, we hope to be able to inspire a new generation to consider a career in construction and engineering.”
Nylacast has been a keen supporter of the PLANTWORX Student afternoon since its inception, marketing manager Junaid Makda said, “The student day at PLANTWORX is very well fitted, having exhibited and participated in many exhibitions and events worldwide we find the student days are well received. A lot of our product marketing is based on the education of alternative materials and capabilities of engineering polymers, so it’s great to be able to interact and educate students directly, in an arena showcasing all that the construction equipment industry has to offer. The time spent speaking and interacting with students may not lead to direct sales or revenue, however it helps to pave the foundation for the engineers of tomorrow which may well be our future customers.”
Rob Oliver, chief executive of CEA, said: “Our industry offers a real wealth of opportunities, from designers and engineers through to manufacturing and sales. It is booming, and we want to engage young people now, so that they are aware of the careers available to them. The Student afternoon has been very well received at previous events, and with the addition of RAILWORX, this is an even better opportunity to come and see a live construction and rail event, listen to people talk about their work and get hands on.”
To help everyone get to the exhibition, PLANTWORX has partnered with Virgin Trains to secure a 30 per cent discount on train services for visitors, exhibitors and organisers.
Put the 11th, 12th, 13th June 2019 in your diary and we look forward to welcoming you all to East of England Arena and Events Centre, Peterborough for PLANTWORX and RAILWORX.
For further information on the show click here
