Following on from a successful opening, day two at Futurebuild 2019 continued in the same positive vein, with a record number of brands endorsing the event by rebooking for 2020. This show of support and investment affirms Futurebuild’s status as the home of innovation, bringing together hundreds of leading exhibitors offering solutions to help tackle the challenges facing the built environment.
By the end of day two, there had been 52% increase year-on-year in organisations rebooking. Brands signing up for next year’s event include Bauder, Internorm, RCM, SIAMP and SAS. There were many reasons why exhibitors wanted to rebook before the event had even ended. Common themes highlighted were the breadth and seniority of the audience in attendance and the quality of conversations and leads generated – with decision-makers actively seeking out innovative solutions for the projects they are involved in.
Sara Jeffries, Marketing and Events Managers for Internorm, said: “Futurebuild is the only event that provides a platform to engage with the B2B market, allowing us to interact with architects and expand our brand awareness. The event has provided us with a lot of exciting leads so far, including architects working on multiple and commercial projects.”
Tracie Reed, Marketing Manager at Bauder, added: “Futurebuild really has brought together so many key decision makers, all visiting the event to discover what products and innovation make construction so great, as well as to listen to the prominent speakers on the impressive programme.”
Steven Newman from Millworks Timber Ltd commented: “This is our first time exhibiting at the event and we’ve had a great response from B2B clients who have responded well to our product range. We’ve got lots of leads on interesting and innovative projects we’d like to get involved with. We’ve rebooked for next year based on the feedback so far and our vision is to bring more products to the event.”
Chris Stanley, Housing Manager at British Precast, commented on the range of visitors saying: “Day one saw loads of people at our stands interested in our easy guides and information on masonry construction. It’s always great to have those conversations, allowing us to give our all the relevant literature to the visitors. On day two, our team on the stand has been having great interaction with some of the more industry experienced visitors.”
The second day of Futurebuild also included more agenda-setting debate in the ecobuild Conference arena, with Eloise Scotford, Professor of Environmental Law at UCL, leading discussions around the Environment Challenge. This session explored how to enhance the environment in a post-Brexit world, with eftec founder (Economics for the Environment Consultancy) Ece Ozdemiroglu, stating that “the environment isn’t just an environmental issue, it’s an economic one.”
A huge crowd also gathered for the keynote presentation by Professor Dr Michael Braungart in the Waste Zone, with visitors filling the aisles and the area surrounding the seminar theatre. The founder of EPEA (Environmental Protection Encouragement Agency) considered the strategies that need to be put in place to support a truly circular economy. The Knowledge Forum was also packed across the day for the Enterprise Europe Networking event, connecting hundreds of potential business partners from across the world.
The final day of Futurebuild will close with a rallying call to industry to step up and commit to an action plan to tackle climate change. Chaired by Cristina Gamboa, CEO of the World Green Building Council, the Climate Change Challenge will ask how professionals can help achieve a built environment fit for the future. The timely topic of creating a Safer London will also be discussed in the Vision London Symposium with contributors exploring the innovative solutions to keeping urban spaces safe, while remaining fluid, multifunctional and accessible.
You can still register for your place here.
