Constructionshows
The CEA’s (Construction Equipment Association) inaugural Plantworx 2013 construction machinery exhibition was deemed a huge success with over 11,000 visitors making their way to the Coventry site, despite inclement weather conditions.
A post-show survey was conducted following PLANTWORX 2013 amongst both exhibitors and visitors and the results were unanimous and ALL who participated wanted the show to be restaged in 2015. After investigating a number of possible venues Plantworx will return in 2015 at a brand new location at Bruntingthorpe Aerodrome in Leicestershire. The 3-day event will take place from 2nd – 4th June 2015.
The 2015 Plantworx exhibition will span 135,000 sq metres and will use Bruntingthorpe’s ‘Indy Circuit’ for the show. The venue can more than accommodate the 2015 event based on 2013’s footfall and size, and also allows plenty of room for growth in the future. There will also be hard standing areas which will be used for both exhibition stands and car parking.
The ethos of the 2015 Plantworx event will remain the same as the very first show – ‘a show for the industry by the industry’ and where construction machinery can be seen working in real site conditions. The layout of the site has been designed that all exhibitors will be in a single area, with parking on hard standing either side of the show – so no trudging through mud to get to where the action is!
As with the first show there will be a maximum size of stand allowed (TBA) and allocation of these maxi/anchor stands (approximately 10) will, as in 2013, be in the form of a ‘Grand Stand Draw’, which will take place at the CEA’s Croydon headquarters on 3rd October 2013 and will be broadcast live via the Plantworx website and Diggers & Dozers for all to see (more details to follow)! The anchor stands will be strategically placed around the showground to maximise both exhibitor and visitor experience. Exhibitors that have already expressed an interest in these stands include, JCB, Finning/Caterpillar, Hyundai, BOMAG, Manitou, Marubeni Komatsu, Volvo, Takeuchi and Ammann.
Alan Batty managing director, BOMAG is one of the original ‘steering group’ members and was present at the discussions of the relocation to Bruntingthorpe he said, “The inaugural Plantworx was a huge success for BOMAG with a record number of customers and prospective customers visiting our stand.
Moving location for Plantworx 2015 was not an ideal situation but I have visited Bruntingthorpe and the site has a lot to offer compared to Stoneleigh, particularly the large and level show area that means all exhibitors are together in one location. The exhibition site is centrally located in the UK and within easy reach of the M1 and so unencumbered access for an increased number of visitors will be feasible. The timing of the exhibition, moving to early June, is also a positive for the weather and will encourage more visitors to come to the show. We are looking forward to exhibiting and a positive response from visitors to the new location.”
David Dean is Merlo’s UK marketing manager – he too has attended meetings at the Bruntingthorpe site he said, “After the success of PLANTWORX 2013, Merlo UK were very keen to look at the proposed site for 2015. Bruntingthorpe is a fantastic location steeped in aviation history with plenty of potential for 2015 and future PLANTWORX events.”
Another supporter of the new location is Thwaites managing director Ian Brown, who said, “Bruntingthorpe provides a location which is close to the M1; this accessibility will be important to attract visitors to the show. The facility also offers visitors the opportunity to see plant and equipment displayed in one central area which will create the right atmosphere for the plant and equipment show.”
Rob Oliver, Chief Executive, Construction Equipment Association is also looking forward to the move he said; “The CEA is excited by the prospect of growing the Plantworx show at its new Bruntingthorpe location in 2015. The venue allows us to present an event in a single, undivided, area which should provide both a better exhibitor and visitor experience.
We are working on a show layout that will meet exhibitor requests arising from our post-Plantworx 2013 surveys as part of our commitment to continue to provide an event “for the industry, by the industry”. It is good to know too that we have found a venue which is just within a few minutes of the M1 and is already used by a number of our member companies as a first class proving ground for their new equipment.”
Rob concluded, “The move to a June date also gives us an improved prospect of better weather, but we can’t guarantee that! Fortunately all the show parking will be on hard standing so even if the weather does take a turn for the worse, visitors will be able to keep the mud off their tyres.”
Simon Frere-Cook Plantworx exhibition director also commented, “I am delighted that Plantworx 2015 will be held at Bruntingthorpe. It is a very flat and open site that offers great flexibility and it will serve both the exhibitors and the visitors extremely well. The Bruntingthorpe team has a very good empathy with Plantworx and the construction industry in general and I very much look forward to working with everybody to develop the event while maintaining our ethos of being ‘for the industry, by the industry’.
Welcoming the Plantworx move to Bruntingthorpe in 2015, managing director Dave Walton underlined the 670-acre site’s proven ability to accommodate large-scale exhibitions and events. “Bruntingthorpe’s facilities and infrastructure, combined with the staff’s deep-seated can-do attitude, mean we’re able to be totally flexible. Our ability to cope with large numbers of visitors has been proven on many occasions – the most recent in August this year when, on behalf of ASDA, we hosted the company’s Family Fun Day for some 20,000 people – all arriving by car!”
Dave continued, “Parking, on hard-standing, will be immediately adjacent to the Plantworx exhibition and display area. Spaces for more than 10,000 vehicles will be accessed by roadways, specially-defined for the event, along our main, hard-surfaced runway, which will be closed to air traffic during Plantworx. Interestingly, our site is familiar to many of the major construction plant and machinery manufacturers who, over the years, have used our facilities – including the deep-digging area – during development and testing of their products.”
Dave’s final words, “We really are looking forward to the arrival of Plantworx and to working with the organisers, exhibitors and the visitors to ensure that it is a huge success not only in 2015, but also in years to come.”
Why is Plantworx not going to Stoneleigh Park in 2015?
“Although Stoneleigh Park is geographically very well placed and was an excellent venue for Plantworx in 2013, for future events it is unable to offer us a large enough site for all the stands to be in the same field as has been clearly requested by our Exhibitors.” Said Simon
“Additionally there would be difficulties over access and parking as well as a clash of dates in future years with other regular events at Stoneleigh Park.
In selecting Bruntingthorpe Proving Ground for Plantworx 2015 we have chosen a site that offers great flexibility for all aspects of the event including potential growth.”
PLANTWORX 2015, biennial working construction exhibition is scheduled for 2, 3, 4 June 2015 at Bruntingthorpe Aerodrome in Leicestershire – put the dates in your diary. PLANTWORX will be updating the web site, Twitter and Facebook regularly. Visit www.plantworx.co.uk and register to receive updates.
To register your interest in exhibiting at PLANTWORX contact Angela Spink on email [email protected] or telephone: 020 8253 4517
Source: Plantworx News Room