Summary
• W8 takes place at the NEC on October 26-29.
• It will run alongside Interbuild.
• W8 is owned and operated by the WMSA.
In just a couple of week’s time major suppliers to the furniture and joinery manufacturing industries will display their latest products and services at W8 at the NEC in Birmingham.
The organisers of the event, held on October 26-29, have again assembled more than 200 wood sector suppliers for the biennial exhibition. W8 is owned and operated by the Woodworking Machinery Suppliers Association (WMSA), which is a not for profit organisation. This makes for a different approach to exhibition organisation in that all the funds can be used to maintain and improve the quality of the event.
W8 decided to co-locate the show with Interbuild when Emap moved the renowned construction event from spring to the autumn. As organisers we are determined to serve the furniture and construction joinery markets equally and the balance of exhibitors at W8 remains unchanged. It does, however, provide the opportunity for visitors to take in both exhibitions (and well over 1,000 exhibitors) in one high value day. With time away from the work place becoming ever more expensive, we believe W8 provides a real opportunity for the joinery sector.
Despite the best efforts of the W8 organisers there will be no direct covered walkway between the two shows. Since our agreement to co-locate, many changes have affected Interbuild. Not least, Interbuild now has new owners who are content with the opportunity for visitors to see two shows on the same site at the same time. They have, however, rejected W8 proposals of the hall 4-8 link and a free bus service. Visitors can still move between the two shows with a short walk and we are sure most of the ‘wood’ audience will do so.
The exhibitors angle
Exhibitors, of course, are there primarily to sell to you. It would be naïve to claim otherwise. For many, their investment in the exhibition is considerable and everyone places great importance on this chance to meet the UK market.
For visitors looking to invest in capital equipment there will be keen deals to be had. Shrewd manufacturers can get a great payback for their time spent talking to competing suppliers at W8.
Machinery suppliers, especially, realise that some manufacturers will be gathering information and advice for some substantial purchases in the future, timed to catch the inevitable upswing. No other UK event, we believe, boasts so much free advice from such a range of industry experts.
Innovation in the sector continues to move on at a pace and there is no substitute for the live demonstrations of new products which W8 exhibitors offer. W8 is a showcase for manufacturers looking to gain competitive edge in the industry and, in the current climate that is more important than ever.
Visitors to W8 will see a confidence in the longer term, which bodes well for the furniture and joinery industries. The long-term prospects for house building in the UK are an example of inherent demand pressures in the industry. The upswing is around the corner.
At W8 you can see so much under one roof – it’s an event of quite different opportunities from the single manufacturer in-house open days which have their own valuable part to play in showing the industry just what is available.
This show will, I’m sure, see an industry looking ahead, rewarding confidence and vision. It aims to provide visitors with a valuable experience and bring manufacturers and suppliers together for mutual benefit. The intention, above all, is to provide a serious event for serious players in our industry.
The industry will be at W8.
