Interbuild’s international flavour is to grow with news that UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) is backing the show and plans to promote the UK construction industry to a team of eight foreign dignitaries.
Almost 300 international companies exhibited at Interbuild ’07, a 20% increase on 2006.
Organisers are expecting this figure to grow again at this year’s show, with 15 French companies gathering in their own pavilion and around 40 German firms across the three halls.
Many European timber firms will be among this overseas contingent, including Germans Ante-Holz, Hess Wohnwerk, Nordlam and Pollmeier Massivholz; Austria’s Kaufmann Holz and Klausner Trading International; Belgium’s Woodlam SA; and Precious Woods Europe from the Netherlands.
The UKTI’s eight guests, from China, India, Mexico, Brazil, Canada, France, the UAE and South Africa, will be part of an “inward mission” to expose them to the UK’s construction products and services.
“The UK construction industry already exports more than £7bn-worth of products every year,” said UKTI chief executive Andrew Cahn.
“Through this mission, we hope to introduce overseas buyers to the best of the UK construction products industry and also see UK expertise helping other nations develop their infrastructure.”
Interbuild runs from October 26-30 at the NEC in Birmingham.
