Jan 2020 - 23: Flocking South for the winter

Flocking South for the Winter.
The Southern Manufacturing & Electronics exhibition has certainly risen in prominence in the last decade.

It's now in a position where it can arguably be described as the UK’s most popular annual engineering show.

Now entering its 22nd year, the 2020 exhibition is set to be one of the busiest yet, with more than 400 exhibitors lined up to demonstrate their wares. 

In 2019, the exhibition drew almost 9,000 visitors and as this number excludes exhibitors, academia and students and return visitors, the overall numbers are likely to be 10,000 plus.

With numbers that certainly stack up and a geographical location that gives exhibitors access to the manufacturing industry in the south of the UK, the appeal is obvious.

Growing in popularity, the 2019 show attracted 13% more visitors than the previous year – is it any wonder, engineers flock to the south during the winter? 

The event offers a diverse selection of exhibitors from around the UK, Europe and even further afield.

India, Japan and China are all set to gather at the new 20,000sq/m Farnborough International Exhibition & Conference centre from February 11th to 13th; for what the show organisers expect to be the busiest exhibition yet.

The exhibition is a great gauge of how industry is performing and at the 2019 event, MTD magazine spoke with more than 60 manufacturers and OEMs.

The majority were witnessing growth and prolonged confidence off-the-back of 2018.

Despite the protracted Brexit situation and the political landscape, it will be interesting to gauge confidence levels at the 2020 showcase.

If exhibitor numbers and pre-registered visitors are anything to go by, the signs are already looking positive.
The exhibition attracts all areas of industry with registered attendees in 2019 being split 37% to 32% as businesses with a mechanical or electronic interest.

Similarly, visitor registrations from industry sectors are also split with the aerospace industry on 34%, automotive/motorsport at 30% plus, and the defence sector on 26% claiming the majority of visitor interest.

The show is well supported by influential industrial organisations such as Composites UK, the Confederation of British Metalforming, Farnborough Aerospace Consortium, The British Gear Association, The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders and the Gauge and Toolmakers Association.

This support is a contributing factor in visitors having a multi-disciplined interest across both mechanical and electronic facets of industry.
The diversity of interest from visitors is well catered for with an incredible range of suppliers taking part.

This includes major machinery and production equipment manufacturers, component suppliers, consumables and every type of subcontract service provider imaginable.

The show is the place to see the latest machinery from world-renowned manufacturers such as Matsuura, Haas Automation, Yamazaki Mazak, Hurco, OPEN MIND, XYZ, ITC, Guhring and others.

Entry to the exhibition is free. There is also free on-site parking and a free technical seminar programme running continuously over the three days of the show.

The seminar programme will be as diverse as the exhibitor list with keynote speakers discussing everything from best practice, funding & taxation, economics, lean manufacturing, Industry 4.0, CE Marking, intellectual property, additive manufacturing and much more.