On Thursday 12th May, Made in the Midlands held the biggest event in company history, in the form of the 2016 Made in the Midlands Exhibition at the GTG Training Centre in Wolverhampton.
The exhibition saw over 1,500 representatives from the manufacturing and engineering sector in attendance. There were 150 exhibitors advertising their company capabilities at the show, which led to the introduction of new customers and a wealth of discussions regarding potential collaborations.
Made in the Midlands CEO, Jason Pitt said: I am delighted with the amount of attendees at this years exhibition. Our exhibitors were fantastic ambassadors of the sector. They displayed passion and enthusiasm for succeeding within this industry and we are sure that we will continue to build our reputation going forward with our future events.
Exhibitor's ensured that everybody in attendance remained entertained throughout the day. Made in the Midlands Patrons, Arthur J. Gallagher hired a magician to perform tricks on Stand 54. Whereas, SMB Pressings exhibited at their first ever show after 24 years of trading and encouraged attendees to play on their Timpani and Chime bells at Stand 58.
Aside from the light entertainment, the exhibition included a range of seminars throughout the day held by respected figures from the manufacturing sector. Michael Mychajluk, ?Supply Chain & External Engagement Manager of ?Jaguar Land Rover saw a host of visitors listen to his seminar which provided updates on business and reviewing the supply chain.
Alloy Heat Treatment Sales Director, Ian Perks exhibited on Stand 120 and stated: I am really happy with how today has gone at the exhibition. I have to say that the quality of the stands shown by other companies was phenomenal and the show is a great testament to the successes within Midlands manufacturing. We had plenty of people at our stand and I hope we can look back on this show even happier!
The success of Made in the Midlands' biggest ever show signifies the increased popularity of their networking events. Since the beginning of the year, Made in the Midlands have sold-out on every Breakfast morning hosted by members. They have also seen their number of memberships increase from 250 to over 310. The exhibition had a huge concentration of manufacturing companies that turnover more than £1m and news coverage was filmed by Japans national broadcasting organization NHK.
The exhibition also provided young people with a fantastic opportunity to approach local schools and colleges regarding their future career prospects within the manufacturing or engineering sector. There were a wide range of companies exhibiting that are dedicated to providing the training for the future generations of the sector. Made in the Midlands recognize the importance of providing these institutions with a platform to help to reduce the skills-gap within the sector.
Made in the Midlands Event Manager, Iwona Sobolewska concluded: This years exhibition could not have gone any better. As a team, we were excited to welcome all of the attendees to the show in the morning. When all of the exhibitor's were set-up, we realised that our attendees would be left entertained and intrigued all day! It is really fulfilling to see the exhibition grow year after year and I already cant wait for the next one!