Almost there! 3rd biennial Plantworx event is officially the biggest to-date.

Plantworx – the UK’s largest ‘working’ construction equipment machinery exhibition is just 3-weeks away (6th – 8th June Bruntingthorpe Proving Ground, Leicestershire). The Plantworx team and the show’s hosts, the CEA (Construction Equipment Association) have confirmed the show is 99% sold out – with only a few stands remaining and sales close this week.
This will be the 3rd biennial Plantworx event and it’s officially the biggest yet and exhibits will occupy an area equivalent to all the Premiership football teams’ pitches added together.
15,000 visitors expected over 3-days of the event.
The UK’s largest ‘working’ construction event has 386 exhibitors committed to the show and of these more than 160 will be exhibiting at the event for the very first time. Over the course of the show more than 15,000 visitors are expected to attend the show and visitor pre-registration is up by 25% based on 2015 figures during the same period.
Leading brands commit to the show.
Visitors to the show, which spans over 140,000 square metres, will see the very latest plant and machinery operating in ‘real’ site conditions – compact plant will feature alongside mid-range equipment, tools and services. The exhibitor list reads like a ‘who’s who’ in the construction equipment market with all the key OEM’s exhibiting including Caterpillar, JCB, Volvo, Takeuchi, Kubota, Case Construction Equipment, BOMAG, Terex – the list goes on! Visitors will see hundreds of brand new machines and products including many world-firsts!
Stick Time for experienced operators.
Many exhibitors will be encouraging visitors, who present the correct operator’s licence, to try the kit first hand and put the machines through their paces on one of the many demonstration areas. This will include the very latest in tilt-rotators, attachments, machine guidance and control.
Technology – changing the way we work in construction – simulator competition.
Plantworx supporter, UK Plant Operators, have teamed up with Leica Geo-Systems for the show to highlight technology in construction and the way it is changing the way we work on construction sites. Supported by CITA (Construction IT Alliance), UK Plant Operators and Leica are staging a machine control simulator competition. Visitors can enter as individuals or as a team – an operator’s licence is not needed for this competition. Visit http://ukplantoperators.com/plantworx/ to register.
Careers in the Construction Sector – New plant operators can test their skills.
Highways England – Construction Plant Community will be focussing on promoting careers in the construction sector.
The organisation’s stand will consist of static and working equipment with the opportunity for new plant operators to take part in skills tests on a range of machinery.
The stand will be supported by three of the well-established plant hire companies: Flannery; Lynch; and Hawk Plant, which will be providing equipment and will also be actively recruiting apprentices, trainees and operators to work on projects throughout the UK.
Paul Whitehead who leads Highways England’s Plant Community Group said:
“Growing our own talent will play a vital part in shaping Highways England and developing a high performing organisation. As a Government Company with capital funding certainty over five years, our supply chain has the confidence to invest in the people to make them capable of delivering what is a huge amount of work.”
New at Plantworx 2017 is ‘The Hub’ which incorporates a Wi-Fi Hotspot and Innovation Zone.
Without modern, efficient plant the construction industry wouldn’t be what it is today. It’s machinery that makes it possible to create structures and infrastructure, on time and within budget, so it’s vital for construction industry professionals to stay up to date with the latest developments – The new Plantworx Hub is the opportunity to do just that.
Plantworx has become the home of innovation and new technology. Companies are investing more into R&D than ever before as customers’ demand more efficiency, productivity and safety features from the machines they buy for their fleet.
Colin Evison, head of innovation at Bam Nuttall is a keen supporter of Plantworx, he said, “Plantworx presents contractors with a vast array of the latest construction plant and equipment on display and being demonstrated all in one place. It enables us to keep up to date on the very latest additions to the construction industry so that we may continually improve the way we deliver and maintain infrastructure.”
The Hub is located at the heart of the show, where visitors can take a break from the hustle and bustle of the event, catch up on emails, messages and do business whilst doing business!
The Hub will focus on innovation and new technology – activities from The Hub and from the main-showground will be broadcast onto outdoor plasma screens.
The Plantworx Innovation Award Winners will be ‘celebrated’ in the Hub area where their winning products will be presented in video format and some will have products on one of the display areas. The ‘People’s Choice Award’ will also take place in the Hub – this is where visitors to the show will be encouraged to vote for their favourite product, machine or service that won or was shortlisted in the Plantworx Innovation Awards.
An undercover seating area will be located in the centre of the area and other facilities will include catering and the Plantworx Bar which will serve refreshments all day and will serve alcoholic beverages from 4.30pm daily.
On the final day of the show (Thursday 8th June 2017) The Hub will play host to the Primary Engineer and Secondary Engineer Celebration event where 20 local schools will be showcasing their STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) engineering projects.
The Student Afternoon at Plantworx – Addressing the Skills Shortage in the Construction Industry.
On the final afternoon of Plantworx Construction Equipment Exhibition 2017 (12 pm – 4pm Thursday 8th June) the organisers of the event are once again inviting students and teachers from primary and secondary schools and colleges to visit the show and get a taste of the Construction Equipment Sector.
The 2015 Student event was a resounding success and has been well received within the industry. The CEA and the Plantworx team have extended this invitation to all visitors to the Plantworx exhibition, who may have younger family members or friends of the family interested in the construction equipment industry, to come along on the final afternoon of the show.
For the young visitors Plantworx is planning a ‘Student Trail’ where they can follow a trail to visit exhibitors who are actively taking part in the Student Day.
Entry to the show is free – pre-register www.plantworx.co.uk/ticket Put 6th, 7th and 8th June in your diary and we’ll see you at Bruntingthorpe Proving Ground, Leicestershire.