W14 organiser Huddlestone told TTJ that bookings were up 25% on this time two years ago and predicted the size of the Birmingham NEC show on October 5-8 to be at least 20% bigger than 2012. "The momentum is there," it said.

"On the machinery side, we’re probably talking to more people now than we have space for," said W14 show director Angela McGowan.

"We are quite positive about the floorplan. We can feel a very definite lift in the industry. People are spending more on their stands. Especially since the beginning of the new year we have noticed an increase in bookings.

"It’s going to be a bigger show than we have had for the past four years. We have some new machinery faces that we have not seen before."

And more investment by bigger players in their own stand designs is also likely to give a more individual flavour to the show, with less standard shell space.

Ms McGowan reported major growth in materials and components exhibitor bookings, with the addition of furniture fittings manufacturers Blum and Eumca, plus the return of tools, machinery and fittings supplier Isaac Lord.

This year there will be no separate Working with Design section for materials/components suppliers, as most firms in this sector wanted to be sited alongside machinery suppliers with whom they enjoy a close relationship.

This, Ms McGowan added, was evidence of a change in the industry, with an increasing concentration of smaller manufacturers, proving a natural evolution of the former ASFI show.

A marketing push on materials and components is being made during February under the "Make the Difference" slogan.

The co-location of Timber Expo in an adjacent NEC hall this year is expected to boost attendance, with visitors having free access to both events.

Huddlestone expects materials suppliers to exhibit at W14 if they sell mainly to manufacturers, while those who are targeting specifiers will have a stand at Timber Expo.