The 105-year-old Interbuild show in Birmingham has been cancelled after organiser EMAP said it “could not guarantee the scale or scope of event that customers demand and expect”.
The decision follows a poor turnout at last year’s event, when the exhibition ditched the Interbuild name from the main part of the event and re-launched it as the BEST show (Built Environment Solutions and Technologies).
“Market conditions are very tough and the industry needs a more targeted event which reflects the challenges of today’s UK construction industry,” said Richard Baker, managing director of EMAP Connect’s Construction portfolio.
“We will now be fully engaging with all parts of the market about plans we have to better serve the construction industry moving forwards.
“We still believe there is a need for a clearly targeted construction show of significant scale in the Midlands, and we will now consult openly with trade associations, potential exhibitors and visitors as to the precise format this should take in 2012.”
The exhibition had experienced steadily declining numbers and had also been faced with the exponential growth of competitor London show Ecobuild.
The Infrastructure Show, which concentrates on the civil engineering sector and formed part of BEST in 2010, is enjoying strong bookings and will continue as planned at the NEC this October.
Reaction to Interbuild’s cancellation will follow in the next issue of TTJ.
