The ED&I Expo: An Event Not To Be Missed!

As the leading industry show begins to take shape, Farhaan Mirza, head of marketing at the ECA, explains why the Electrical Design and Install Expo (ED&I Expo) is an event to mark in your diary.

Farhaan Mirza: Head of Marketing at the ECA.
Farhaan Mirza: Head of marketing at the ECA.

As the main trade association that represents the electrical engineering and wider electrotechnical sector, the Electrical Contractors’ Association (ECA) has felt for some time that there is a lack of a truly national exhibition and conference that embraces our evolving industry.

For those of us committed to developing and promoting our industry, it’s therefore very pleasing that publishing group and event organiser All Things Media (ATM) has launched the forthcoming Electrical Design and Install (ED&I) Expo. This exciting event promises to be the biggest event on the electrotechnical calendar, and I am delighted that the ECA will be the headline sponsor.

This really is an event that should establish itself as the de-facto industry event to attend annually and I see it being a part of our industry for many years to come.

Watershed moment

ATM’s managing director David Kitchener argues that the event “represents a real watershed moment in the electrical sector, allowing everyone involved in the industry to get together, share ideas, unearth new business opportunities and drive the industry forward”.

Billed as “the electrical event the industry has been crying out for”, the ED&I Expo will not only be an excellent networking opportunity for all levels of the industry, but is shaped around discovering new technologies and services that will help businesses to improve and grow. It will also offer a unique opportunity to learn about and interact with the latest products and innovations and hear from industry experts.

2017-edi-origThe ED&I Expo is being held on Wednesday 6th and Thursday 7th September 2017 at the NEC in Birmingham, the UK’s leading conference centre. The NEC is conveniently located, can be accessed from all parts of the UK, and even has its own train station. Given this location, all the ingredients should be in place to deliver this hugely important new industry event.

Overall, the event is intended to include more than 200 exhibitors, 300 products, 40 training sessions and over 5,000 visitors over the two days. It’s an ambitious target for the first year of a show, but the initial response from the industry suggests that these numbers are more than achievable.
Positively, the show is already starting to take shape. A range of leading manufacturers have been steadily booking up space in the exhibition hall. These include Scolmore (Platinum sponsors), Schneider (Gold sponsors), Electrium, Legrand, Marshall Tufflex, Martindale Electric and CEF.

Furthermore, as part of efforts to unite the entire industry – an association hub has been made the centrepiece of the event. In addition to the ECA, this hub includes other leading trade bodies and groups such as CIBSE, Scottish electrical trade body SELECT, the Electrical Distributors’ Association, BEAMA, the Electrical Industries Charity, the Building Engineering Services Association, the Lighting Industry Association, the Joint Industry Board and Gambica.

The ECA looks forward to welcoming anyone attending to visit the industry hub, and to stop by for a chat with our staff, who will include experts on areas including the Wiring Regulations, smart technology, health and safety and more.

Commercial and social opportunities

The show’s comprehensive seminar programme will offer valuable insights into industry opportunities and trends, and the latest on policy and legislation, while an array of industry vendors will showcase their latest industry leading products and services on the exhibition floor.

Plans are currently being developed for the seminar programme, which promises to include speakers from right across the industry and beyond into the broader world of engineering and construction.
ED&I Expo aims to bring everyone involved in the installation, design, specification, inspection, manufacturing and distribution of electrical products together under one roof. Ultimately, the event is intended to become the ‘must attend’ exhibition for those involved in the above activities, plus others involved in the industry, such as specifiers, architects, government and training providers.

With all the commercial and social opportunities on offer, the ED&I Expo is undoubtedly a date to add to your diary. There will be more updates to follow on a range of other opportunities over the two days, which will help ensure the event lives up to its billing as ‘the show the industry is crying out for’.

The ED&I Expo will be held on 6th-7th September 2017 at the NEC in Birmingham. To find out more about the event, please visit www.edandiexpo.com

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