UK Construction Week to make welcome return to London in May
A host of new features, interactive demos, international pavilions from across the globe, and a charity Gumball Rally across the country have all been announced by the organisers of the UK’s largest event for the built environment, UK Construction Week (UKCW), which makes a welcome return to London’s ExCeL from 7-9 May 2024.
The multi award-winning show will see the debut of a new Live Demo Theatre; Skills and Training Hub; a construction-specific Recruitment Zone; new C-Suite Summits; a ‘Gumball Rally’ which finishes at UKCW London; a host of international exhibitors housed in pavilions from India, China, Turkey, Italy, Spain, Germany and France.
UKCW London is once again co-located with Concrete Expo and The Offsite Show, as well as the UK’s premier event for the self-build sector, Grand Designs Live.
New features at UKCW London include:
- Live Demo Theatre – a showcase of the latest construction products, techniques and innovations from across the world, the Demo Theatre will bring them to life in front of a live audience of industry professionals looking to be ahead of the curve.
- C-suite Summits – an exclusive new area for the sector’s top decision makers, the C-suite Summits will see top execs offering their invaluable insights and forecasts to their peers. The new zone will also be a top-level networking forum for dialogue and debate.
- Skills and Training Hub – a first-time collaboration with the CITB (Construction Industry Training Board), the new hub will address the Skills Shortage head-on with a three-day programme featuring a myriad talks and workshops to support skills development within the industry and ultimately, build better.
- Careers and Recruitment Zone – another new area created in response to exhibitor and visitor feedback, this will not only be a focal point for all those working in recruitment, or simply looking for that next new role. Visitors will have face to face access to specialist recruiters from the construction sector, with discreet interview rooms allowing candidates to have onsite consultations.
- Construction Sport Gumball Rally – spearheaded by UKCW regulars Construction Sport, a charity which supports construction workers’ mental and physical health through sport, the Gumball Rally will see teams of drivers navigate their way across the UK, stopping off at famous infrastructure projects – raising funds along the way. Two rallies will take place in 2024, each in the week prior to the UK Construction Week shows in London (May) and Birmingham (October). More details will follow in the coming months.
- International Pavilions – the largest international representation of manufacturers to date at any UK construction event. Businesses from India, China, Turkey, Italy, Spain, Germany and France will take centre stage at UK Construction Week London, bringing together myriad innovations from across the world.
Sam Patel, UKCW event director, commented: “Construction is a fast-paced and evolving industry, and so our show needs to reflect that – hence the new areas which focus on skills, training and recruitment to address the skills gap which we all know has been affecting the sector for a number of years.”
Registration for UKCW London is now live (and free) through the new-look website.
The London show is complemented by its sister event, UKCW Birmingham, which takes place at the NEC from October 1-3.
The NEC was the birthplace of UK Construction Week in 2015 and the trade show has grown to become the UK’s largest built environment event. Details on the Birmingham programme of events and speakers will be announced in due course, but exhibition space is already filling up.
To find out more about both shows here.
