01.07.13
Railtex 2013
Source: Rail Technology Magazine June/July 2013
Adam Hewitt reports from Railtex 2013, the country’s biggest railway show, where 434 organisations exhibited in front of more than 8,000 visitors from the UK and around the world.
Rail minister Simon Burns, one of the keynote speakers at this year’s Railtex, hit the nail on the head when he said: “Industry needs trade shows, because they bring together people, they spark new ideas, and they help to build new working relationships.
“As our professional lives become increasingly dominated by digital communications, we need more opportunities to meet face-to-face: that’s what makes events like Railtex particularly valuable.”
More than 10,600 people took that opportunity, including 8,202 visitors and exhibitor personnel from 434 rail businesses, as well as 64 companies exhibiting for the first time.
Visitor numbers were up 19% on 2011, making it the biggest Railtex since 2007, and 7.5% of attendees had come from overseas. Held at Earl’s Court exhibition centre – for the final time, as the venue is disappearing – the event provided a massive showcase for both global giants and SMEs, while also featuring a packed session of speeches, seminars, talks and debates.
Stephen Brooks, chairman of organisers Mack Brooks Exhibitions told the audience at the opening ceremony: “In running those shows around the world, we learn a lot, also, about the UK. The UK is a pretty exciting place to be for the rail industry currently, with a great deal going on.”
More than 3,500 visitors stopped by the RTM stand to discuss the magazine, pick up the latest copy, and to discuss our newly-launched charity, the UK Rail Industry Training Trust (UKRITT).
More information about the charity, and the new UK Rail Industry Awards (UKRIA) can be found on page 28 and 29.
Coverage of the event, including the key speeches and seminars, as well as the first Railtex Awards, can be found over the following pages, as well as on p55, p60-61, p79 and p81. It was judged a huge success by both visitors and exhibitors, with glowing endorsements from senior attendees, including chairman and CEO of Hitachi Rail Europe, Alistair Dormer, who said: “I think Railtex is a very important show because it brings all of the various suppliers within the industry to not just show the wider market what we are up to – for us it’s a great opportunity to meet all the other people involved in the industry, to make connections and really keep the business going.”
Dave Bennett, business manager at Topcon GB, said: “The exhibition is a great place for rail industry professionals to come and network. It’s a fantastic opportunity to showcase the innovations that we’ve got. We’ve just had a fantastic amount of business leads from the show.”
Exhibition manager Heidi Cotsworth said: “This was a very successful show and we thank everyone who contributed to it – exhibitors, visitors, speakers and participants in all our supporting events, as well as our show partners and supporting organisations.”
She said the focus is now on Infrarail 2014, which will take place at Earl’s Court in London from 20 to 22 May 2014.