Taking place on 18-20 June 2019 at ExCeL London, the shows demonstrated notable visitor growth, representing 39,188 unique visitors – including thousands of international visitors from 128 countries – boasting an overall combined budget of £45.7 billion.
Safety & Health Expo saw steady visitor growth driven by an impressive selection of highlights, including a 75-hour CPD-accredited educational seminar programme, the brand-new Workplace Wellbeing Show and the new PPE Attack Zone. The 2019 inspirational speakers were a particular attraction with Steph McGovern, Eddie the Eagle and Jonny Wilkinson drawing huge crowds.
This programme helped Safety & Health Expo secure a 3% increase in visitors and an annual purchasing budget of £7.2 billion ensuring Safety & Health Expo remains by far the largest event of its kind in the UK. Visitors came from 74 countries, with strong growth in heads of department and C-suite professionals, highlighting the show’s prestige and considerable global reach.
Event Director Chris Edwards commented: “The substantial increase in footfall we saw this year and the high-quality of visitors Safety & Health Expo attracts, really demonstrates how significant the event remains for the health and safety profession. We’re proud of the way it has continued to grow in scope and scale, remaining at the forefront of the industry as it evolves.”
IFSEC International also saw a growth in visitors, representing 117 different countries. The positive response to IFSEC International was driven by a number of key highlights, in particular the first ever Surveillance Camera Day, launched by Tony Porter, the UK’s Surveillance Camera Commissioner. This centred on a new minimum requirement for surveillance cameras – Secure by Design – which was introduced and discussed by Porter across several well-attended keynote sessions.
Simon Young, Exhibition Director commented: “It’s encouraging to see the security market shift in a direction that better signifies the complementary relationship between the installer, the distributor and the end user, but also the increasing importance of the auxiliary markets in the security buying process, including facilities and health and safety.”
FIREX International saw an impressive 4% increase in year-on-year visitors and a 13% increase in the visitor-to-exhibitor ratio. Visitors came from 73 countries, representing a broad cross-section of the fire safety profession.
FIREX International’s growth was driven by a programme of timely, current seminars, most notably a session outlining the findings of the Hackitt review into the Grenfell tragedy, one of the key discussions within the industry.
Among the highlights, driving 3% increase in visitors, was the Smart Buildings Expo – a new area dedicated to showcasing smart buildings technology including a working replica of a smart office building, which attracted considerable attention from visitors. Facilities Show also benefited from increased footfall resulting from the inspirational speakers – a shared feature with Safety & Health Expo.
Event Director Chris Edwards said: “We’ve adapted Facilities Show to better reflect the changing face of the profession – that meant introducing new features such as the Smart Buildings Expo and the Workplace Wellbeing Show. And these developments help Facilities Show remain a critical destination for FM and workplace professionals, so we’re delighted to see that reflected in the show’s continued upward trend.”
