More than 12,000 visitors came through the doors of this year’s Ecobuild and Futurebuild shows, which were billed as a showcase for sustainable design and construction products.
Held under the new banner of “Innovations for the Built Environment”, the exhibition was double the size of last year’s event, when 6,144 visitors and 200 exhibitors were recorded.
Organiser International Business Events Ltd said the 2007 show, which also included Regenex, Cityscape and Building for Health, attracted about 300 exhibitors.
Companies in the timber sector gave the thumbs up to the show, with Arnold Laver‘s Rachel Irving describing the atmosphere around Ecobuild as “fantastic”. “The whole event was a complete success for us,” she said.
“We were happy with the size of the Futurebuild show and the number of quality attendees,” said BSW Timber group marketing manager Bryan Crennell.
“The seminars proved to be an effective tool of communicating the key messages for BSW Alouette timber frame manufacturing and we are certain to return to Futurebuild next year.”
The exhibition saw timber suppliers, joinery companies and timber frame house manufacturers rub shoulders with solar panel suppliers, green roofing companies, manufactures of wind turbines and alternative insulation products, as well as the rival steel and concrete sectors.
Timber industry representatives played their part in the comprehensive seminar programme, with Eleco, UKTFA, TRADA and Stewart Milne among those taking part. One of the seminar theatres was built using structural insulated panels.
“The sustainable design and construction sector is growing rapidly in the UK and Ecobuild and Futurebuild 2007 provided a great opportunity for UK companies to promote their cutting-edge expertise to the rest of the world,” said Andrew Cahn, chief executive, UK trade and investment.
The launch of the Green Building Council saw 36 founder members, including Kingspan and Barratt Homes, team up to improve environmental performance in UK construction.
