Don’t miss out on MACH 2020, says MTA at official launch presentation

The Manufacturing Technologies Association (MTA) officially launched its lead-up to MACH 2020. Ed Hill reports.

At a press conference held at the University of Wolverhampton School of Engineering’s Innovation Campus in Telford, the MTA revealed some of the improvements it will implement for both visitors and exhibitors at MACH 2020 due to be held at the NEC in Birmingham from 20-24 April.

The association is looking to build on the success of the show in 2018, which has already had upwards of £200 million worth of business attributed to it.

Speaking at the University of Wolverhampton School of Engineering’s £10 million Innovation Campus in Telford, James Fudge, head of events at the MTA said: “MACH remains the market leader in the UK for manufacturing technologies exhibitions because we continue to refine our show and create a fertile environment for our exhibitors to do business.

“For the 2020 event we have added new zones to the floor plans, so you will be able to continue to see a complete picture of the UK’s manufacturing sector. We have listened to our visitors and exhibitors to ensure we have the right balance of technologies.”

Demand for space at MACH 2020 is already in excess of the 2018 show at the same time. According to the MTA more than 70% of the space available for MACH 2020 has already been allocated to companies, so time is running out to book the remaining stands.

Comment from the coal face

The MTA also invited companies who attend the exhibition to talk about their experience of the show and how they make the most of exhibiting.

Edward James, managing director at Citizen Machinery UK, said: “We attend MACH to continue our ethos of lifelong customer support – to reaffirm these relationships, and to make new ones.

“Our investment at MACH not only starts with stand space, but the consideration of what we will be exhibiting and what it will be making, as there is no point taking a machine if it is not cutting in a live demonstration. You can’t just pitch-up to the NEC and expect it to work. If you expect a lot out of the show, then you need to invest more into it. We use MACH as a springboard to launch a lot of our new technology to market. We want there to be something different and exciting about coming to visit us on the Citizen stand.

“MACH 2018 for Citizen was an outstanding success. We sold 52 machines worth approximately £6.8 million. We invested a record amount of money into the exhibition, but we also got a great deal out of it. This has given us the confidence to decide to invest in an even larger stand in 2020.”

George Dingley of Sub CNC Precision, who also spoke at the launch event said: “I have been visiting MACH first as an apprentice and now as a company owner and director in a purchasing and exhibiting capacity. It wasn’t until I first visited the show that I became aware of the sheer volume of manufacturing technology that is available and it really fed my hunger to learn more.

“Now as a company director I go for much the same reasons, using the latest technology is a strong factor in our company’s growth. We are always seeking the next technology to keep us ahead of the competition and looking for ways to improve our productivity and efficiency. To see all of this on display in a live metal cutting environment is really important to us. We can qualify what we are looking at and realise how we can utilise that in our everyday operations.”

He added: “As a regular exhibitor we’ve built some solid relationships. By exhibiting with like-minded companies, we can learn a lot from them and share our knowledge. Also, by presenting ourselves in front of the purchasing community, we have gained some longstanding customers. For that we are thankful to MACH.”

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New initiatives

The new zones at MACH 2020 include an Automation Zone, as well as a branded Training Zone.

The former will build on the automation systems that can already be seen on exhibitors’ stands with a focus for visitors on retrofitting and integrating systems to manufacturers’ current processes at a cost-effective price.

The Training Zone, alongside the already established education and development zone, will enable visitors to get a flavour of what a career in advanced engineering is like. The MTA also says it hopes to attract universities and other training bodies with a particular focus on helping companies to upskill their staff in the fast-changing world of modern manufacturing.

The University of Wolverhampton’s School of Engineering, is the first institution to sign‐up for the show.

The university has reputation for excellence in aerospace engineering and motorsport and is the only university race team to compete in the national Formula 3 championship. Its facilities include a high value manufacturing suite, composite lab, wind tunnel and additive manufacturing suite.

James Selka, CEO of the MTA, said: “It is our mission to keep pushing boundaries within the sector, and the only way to do this is through high-quality education and application of those skills. Wolverhampton has a growing reputation as a top-class institution and shares our values for promoting, developing and harnessing the skills of UK engineers.”

Syed Hasan, head of the School of Engineering at the University of Wolverhampton, added: “MACH 2020 is the perfect platform for us to showcase the excellent facilities and the range of engineering and manufacturing courses we offer at our Telford Innovation Campus. Exhibiting at the UK’s market-leading exhibition will provide additional opportunities for us to engage with future talent in order to help address the skills gap in the manufacturing and engineering sectors.”

The MTA says MACH remains the foremost manufacturing show because of the amount of live working machinery running at the event and the fact it has the widest selection of equipment on display. It says the show provides exhibitors with a genuine return on their investment by delivering an engaged audience with real purchasing power.

MTA www.mta.org.uk