The Executive Hire Show celebrates a successful return
The 15th annual Executive Hire Show took place on 9th & 10th February at the Coventry Building Society Arena. This year’s event comprised 155 exhibitors, with 42 companies making their show debuts. Unique visitor numbers totalled 2,751 over the two-day show.
Visitors from the hire sector attended the event to expand their fleets with new products and to discover the latest innovations and launches from the diverse range of exhibitors at the show to help them succeed in the year ahead.
There was a real buzz amongst both exhibitors and visitors who were eager to do business following the postponement of the Show in 2021.
Sunbelt Rentals UK and generator supplier Shindaiwa UK announced a deal between the two companies, where Sunbelt purchased in excess of 100 Shindaiwa Eco Hybrid 300 welder generator machines, which offer 60% reduced fuel consumption and 50% reduced CO² emissions.
Engineering innovators and first-time exhibitors, Dragon Equipment, announced the appointment of Boss Plant Sales Ltd as its official dealer for London and the Southeast of England at the Show.
Despite being a relatively young business Dragon Equipment is already making an impact in the market through its innovative products and a unique approach to the on-site recycling of concrete, brick, asphalt, and paving.
Milwaukee and Speedy announced an exclusivity deal within the UK hire industry for the MX Fuel product range. As part of the new deal, Speedy will now invest across the low carbon MX Fuel product range, which includes the demolition hammer, cut-off saw and diamond core drill among a great many other MX Fuel tools.
There were a record amount of new product launches at the show with a strong focus on environmental solutions including a huge increase in electric and hybrid machines on display.
Those that explored new power options or introduced technologies that improved safety, security and productivity in the workplace were celebrated on the Innovation Trail: ECO Live stage, which was presented by construction industry specialist Peter Haddock. This year’s Innovation Trail was sponsored by MHM Group.
Italian lighting manufacturer Trime was pushing the net-zero agenda. The company has been quick to embrace battery, solar and hybrid technologies too. All of which are embodied in the X-Solar Hybrid lighting tower it showcased on the Innovation Trail
In combining a 335W solar panel, a 24V AGM battery and a fuel-efficient diesel engine, the new unit is able to run for an impressive 3,000 hours before the 300 litre tank needs to be refilled. Even more impressive is the X-Solar Hybrid produces low noise and CO2 emissions, and it is able to illuminate an area of 2,400m².
JCB’s product selection was firmly focused on electrical equipment. Several such items were prominently displayed, and its substantial new battery-powered E-Tech telehandler took pride of place.
As in previous years, the EHS team has spent the past few days qualifying and verifying attendance figures, removing non-exhibiting-suppliers, members of the press, and other visitor types.
Commenting on the attendance of the Show, Chris Moore Executive Hire Show, publishing and events director, said: “After going through the visitor list with a fine-tooth comb, we are delighted to confirm that the 2022 show attracted 1,901 relevant hire industry visitors, which is 23 higher than the 2020 show. All hire industry visitors were from national and independent operations, which is again consistent with previous years. This re-confirms the pivotal role of the Show and its continued ability to attract relevant, quality hire professionals.”
Chris, added: “It was great to be able to reunite passionate hirers with innovative manufacturers and suppliers. There was a real buzz around the show and, by the time it had concluded, many exhibitors were already reporting best-ever sales.”
Lighting manufacturer, NightSearcher had a phenomenal event and had nothing left to ‘break down’ – all the contents on its stand were sold!
It was the very first time at the show for Elite GSS, who were proud to say that it was an excellent opportunity being able to get back to some normality and get face-to-face with some highly valued professionals. They were partnering on their stand with MultiMatts, to offer more value in their product range, and all their staff that attended were thoroughly impressed with the organisation of the event!
Duro Yokota Ltd reported that it had had the best show in a decade and the quality of the visitors was fantastic. These comments were echoed by Demon international, who said the company had a fantastic show and thanked the organisers for putting on such a great event – and they are already looking forward to next year. And the praise for the 15th annual hire event didn’t stop there…
Lee Harris Business Development Director Sany UK & Ireland, said: “We are so grateful to all who visited us at Executive Hire Show. We have had a fantastic two days and were blown away by the response to our machines. It’s going to be a busy year for Sany UK & Ireland.”
Snorkel reported that the show was great, Scott McCall, Net Zero Specialist & Business Development Manager at Snorkel, said: “We did an awful lot of business, not the pre-arranged show order type either, and met some new people. The whole team were really happy with the event.”
Kerry Jones, Business Development Manager IKAR GB Limited, said: “This was our first ever show and the attendance was very good. The right people came through the door – the decision-makers – who were happy to engage with us. We have done good business, therefore a good return on our investment, which is exactly what you want from a Show.”
This year’s Passionate Hirer Awards was presented by publishing & event director Chris Moore. Congratulations go to Clements Plant & Access Hire for winning in the Outstanding Single Depot category, while Beaver Tool Hire achieved the Outstanding Multi Depot Hire Company accolade.
Clements Plant & Access Hire Chairman Jim Longstaff commented on winning the single depot award, he said: “We are not the biggest hirer and have no aspirations to be. I’m honoured to have a fantastic team that are dedicated and focused on customer service. The EHS judges saw that we stood out from hundreds of fellow Hire Companies for our service, knowledge, attention to detail and customer care and I am humbled by this award as it is judged by fellow Hirers in the UK.”
Jim, continued: “As an industry-leading independent hire company, visiting the Executive Hire Show is an important part of our strategic fleet planning process. Being able to see the latest, most innovative equipment in one place allows us to effectively compare and select the most appropriate machines to stock. In turn, we can continue to supply the most up-to-date machinery available to our customers, whilst keeping ahead of our competitors.”
Building on the success of the 2022 event, the dates have now been confirmed for the 2023 show, which will return to the Coventry Building Society Arena on Wednesday 8 and Thursday 9 February 2023.
