In-person trade shows favoured in new UK manufacturing survey

The survey was taken of previous attendees of Smart Factory Expo at Digital Manufacturing Week 2020. This figure is alongside 61% of attendees who intend to invest in 2021/22.

The responses gave three primary intentions for favouring in-person events:

• Investing and sourcing the latest technology innovation and solutions


• Seeing products and demonstrations live


• Conversing, networking and making new contacts

The 2020 event, which saw visitors attend online through a series of webinars proved to be a huge success, but surveyed visitors said that live demonstrations and face-to-face networking are the main reasons for wanting to return to in-person events in 2021.

Attendees were quoted in the survey, expressing their reasoning for an in-person Digital Manufacturing Week in 2021.

One attendee said: “My business is undergoing changes which are intended to make it a ‘Smart Factory’ and we are constantly looking for new ideas, attending in person makes that process so much easier and fruitful.”

Another said: “Meeting the technology- I like to see the solutions that I am interested in first hand.”

Across the 191 members of the audience surveyed, 82% consist of senior decision makers in the UK manufacturing industry and are collectively responsible for £25.8 billion turnover.

The findings provide great hope for Digital Manufacturing Week, which is scheduled for in-person attendance across 8-12th November 2021. The event, which brings together all technologies enabling the digital manufacturing revolution, is working closely with event host Liverpool Exhibition Centre to ensure safe attendance for all, with hygiene and space measures in place.

Smart Factory Expo www.digital-manufacturing-week.com/expo