Over three packed days, the Electric Event aims to provide visitors with an all-embracing 360o exhibition experience taking in keynote addresses, hands-on workshops, displays of the latest products and innovations, networking opportunities and – for those with the stamina – a major last night awards ceremony and gala dinner.
The proceedings begin on the 28th with an evening networking event with dinner and dancing, allowing guests to relax and find their feet before Thursday which will include not only the Technology Live Workshops, but also a new and enlarged meet-the-suppliers exhibition.
The latter features many of the most famous names in the UK electrical contracting world including market leaders such as Legrand, Philips, Osram, Dimplex and Eaton. Gathered together for the first time this year in a single hall, these are the companies that set the benchmarks for the whole industry in terms of product excellence and system innovation.
Brother is showcasing its labelling technology and will be launching a new flagship labeller featuring smartphone/tablet connectivity. Elsewhere, visitors will find Electrium, a wholly owned subsidiary of Siemens Holdings, which offers a complete range of low voltage installation products from three of the UK’s best-established brands, Crabtree, Wylex and Volex.
For those interested in lighting, home automation and electrical accessories, there are stands by Gewiss, Kingfisher, Flex 7, Edmundson Electrical and Scolmore Group. Cable management is covered by, among others, Unitrunk, Prysmian Group, Marshall Tufflex and Hager. Circuit protection, testing equipment and energy management specialists at the show include CPN-Cudis, Martindale Electric, Schneider Electric and SWA.
In fact, the meet-the-suppliers exhibition 2014 encompasses every area of interest to the industry professional including pension provision (leading providers Blue Sky have a stand), training provision – courtesy of JTL – industry knowledge portals with UK electrical leader Voltimum, industry benefits body, JIB, and of course, the press, with ECN in daily attendance. Full details www.electricevent.co.uk/exhibition
Visitors may also be interested to know that Legrand is offering a limited number of free park-and-ride spaces for this event. These will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis: applications should be made as soon as possible to the Legrand website: www.legrand.co.uk
In addition, throughout the day, there are a series of Technology Live Workshops. These sessions are designed to give contractors, consultants, designers and specifiers the chance to hear directly from leading suppliers about their latest products and innovations.
The workshop threads for 2014 cover four main topics: lighting (including LED) and lighting controls; power distribution, controls and automation; fire, security and emergency lighting, data and controls; energy solutions, including renewables and micro-generation. Full details: www.electricevent.co.uk/workshops.
Building on their success in 2013, the format of the 2014 workshops has been refined to make them work even better. Each workshop is now slightly shorter so that visitors will have more time to spend in the Exhibition and more opportunities to meet and network with their peers. As was the case for the 2013 Electric Event, entry to the exhibition and technology workshops is free for ECA members, employees and guests (cost to non-members: £25 + VAT).
Friday, the last day of the Electric Event 2014, features is a high level conference with key topics and future trends being addressed by a panel of industry leaders. The day also includes the inauguration of the new ECA President and concludes in fine style in the evening with the traditional Gala Dinner and Awards Ceremony, followed by music and dancing.
The ECA emphasises that, for all its different component parts, the show remains firmly focused on business and will appeal to all contractors, specifiers and stakeholders working in the UK electrical industry. There will be a supporting social programme for partners and spouses who may not wish to attend the whole exhibition.
While visitors are free to attend any day of the event they wish to, many will find the three night package arranged at the Hyatt Hotel, Birmingham, a convenient option
Full details of the Electric Event 2014, including workshop times, ticket prices and accommodation options, are available on the ECA website: www.eca.co.uk.
