Ecobuild brings welcome cheer

Ecobuild brought plenty of cheer to the otherwise gloomy construction sector earlier this month when a record 34,000 visitors (up from 26,000 in 2008) flocked to London’s Earls Court to check out the 800 or so exhibitors – itself a record number (up from 500 last year).

The event, which organisers International Business Events Ltd (IBE) billed as “the world’s biggest event dedicated to sustainable design, construction and the built environment”, with some justification, featured a plethora of timber products and building systems. In fact, according to IBE managing director David Wood, representation from the timber and timber timber frame industry was up.

The new Timber Works area, supported by TRADA, wood for good and the TTF, proved a success, giving first-time exhibitors “a useful introduction to the show”, according to TRADA’s head of marketing and information services Jeremy Vibert.

“There’s no doubt that sustainability sells product and TRADA certainly felt that being at Ecobuild was well worthwhile,” he said.

“The show had a busy feel to it and conversations with exhibitors indicate that there was quality as well as quantity. Several took very useful sales leads and a few may have even booked for next year on the strength of this.”

“The show had a positive feel – certainly more optimistic than the sector in general,” agreed wood for good’s Eve Dennehy. “Timber was well represented and we had people coming to our stand wanting to talk about carbon footprinting and there were some enquiries about waste and biomass fuel.”

“The strong, positive atmosphere points the way for the future,” said TTF chief executive John White. “It’s important for TTF, TRADA and wood for good to be on the same stand giving a unified message about wood, the solid eco-credentials of which were well represented.”

The Timber Works area will be a feature of next year’s Ecobuild.