Based on the high number of visitors on 7 and 8 February, the Southern Manufacturing and Electronics shows remain the South's biggest engineering and electronics events and were a great success for all concerned.
All the exhibitors were reported to be pleased with the number of visitors and the quality of the enquiries they got, but the machinery section of the show had some particularly spectacular results. All the companies canvassed during and after the show had taken an order on the stand or were expecting to have one or two major sales confirmed in the very near future.
Datron Technology teamed up with one of its fellow exhibitors, Inov8 Ltd, and signed an order on the stand for one of its Datron M8, high-speed CNC machines. The order, worth approximately £50,000, was just the highlight of an enormously successful two days for Datron. Peter Chaplin explains: "This is our first time here and we have sold a machine off the stand, something we did not achieve at MACH."
All the other sectors of the exhibition saw an excellent number of visitors and a good number of top-quality sales leads. Simon Bitchenor of servo motor specialist European Drives and Motor Repairs (EDMR) said: "This is our first time at the show and we are very impressed. The number and quality of the visitors is very good and we are seeing many different end users."
Similarly, Carl Pike of Farnell InOne said: "We are here for the first time and have been very busy. This is exactly the right audience – we will be back."
Bill Clement of Nikon said: "This show has grown into something interesting. We introduced an exciting new product here and the bad weather has ensured that the serious people got through and we had a bit more quality time with them."
Many exhibitors referred to the power of the ETES series of regional shows and Manufacturing Technology, Ireland, held for the first time in 2006, was mentioned positively on several occasions. Joanne Parker of Nedermann said: "Ireland was very good for us with lots of new contacts and as a result of that we booked for this show. We have not been disappointed."
For those that want to follow the advice and try another region, the next event in the calendar, the Midlands Manufacturing Show, opens at the Ricoh Arena, Coventry, on 18 and 19 April 2007. Situated just half a mile from Junction 3 of the M6, the Ricoh Arena offers free parking and is easily accessible by road, or by rail via Coventry station. For more information, visit the official Midlands Manufacturing website at www.industry.co.uk.
