During the 10 years of Ecobuild, the UK has pioneered the toughest sustainability legislation in the world and the business case for a more sustainable built environment has become ever stronger.
Championing this, the Ecobuild 2014 programme of events features debates, discussions and demonstrations connecting industry professionals in order to help them network, learn, and discover new products and solutions.
An unrivalled information programme and displays of thousands of new products form the basis of the three-day event, but other highlights this year include the 2014 Climate Week Launch, the Regeneration Film Festival, and a large, centrally located UKG-GBC networking area.
The BREEAM Awards will take place on the Tuesday of Ecobuild. Entrants include all high-scoring buildings certified in 2013 and will be judged by a panel of eminent industry judges. The panel will also present awards for assessor and assessor organisation of the year at the ceremony.
Also occurring is the Enterprise Europe B2B matchmaking event for the Wednesday of Ecobuild, allowing exhibitors and visitors to pre-arrange 30 minute one-on-one meetings to find potential commercial and technology partners from all over Europe. For those interested in this opportunity, profile submissions will be accepted until late February; more information about the matchmaking event can be found on the Ecobuild website.
Ecobuild will itself be striving for greener outcomes as it hopes to achieve the ISO 20121 standard for Sustainable Event Management; reducing its carbon footprint by better management of resources and sourcing more sustainable options.
The entire event is free to attend, including the interactive education programme which will see over 100 industry experts, ministers and VIPs take centre stage in the Ecobuild arenas and a further 600 speakers take part in tailored seminars.
When the show opens its doors, thousands of industry experts will be in attendance including manufacturers, merchants, suppliers, Government officials and a smattering of celebrities.
But with all this going on in such a huge venue, how do visitors plan so they can get the most from their visit? Ecobuild’s new InstallerTOURS could be the answer.
The tours run three times a day at 10am, 11am and noon, and kick off at stand N1951. The aim is to give installers a flavour of the show and highlight the areas that are most relevant to them. Each one lasts for approximately 40 minutes, so the rest of the day is free to visit the show.
Visitors will head to leading manufacturer stands including Fernox, Grant UK, Zenex Solar, Baxi, Worcester Bosch, the Glow-Worm Refurbishment and Retrofit zone, and Plumb Center. At each one a company representative will give a short overview of what’s on offer, so installers can return at their leisure when the tour is finished.
There will also be a stop at one of Ecobuild’s most popular attractions Practical Installer, which is a unique ‘working’ showcase.
This year it’ll be split into four areas, focussing on solar, biomass, heat pumps and water efficiency, and 17 of the industry’s top suppliers have teamed-up with Plumb and Parts Center to showcase the latest sustainable technologies, and talk face-to-face with visitors.
“Ecobuild can be a real game changer for installers, and the tours are a great way to ensure they get the most from their visit” said Alison Jackson, Group Director of Sustainability & Construction, Ecobuild.
