In perhaps what was to be expected, UK Construction Week has announced that their 2020 show due to be held in October has been postponed to 2021. They have also announced an additional show in London at the start of May 2021.

This was the statement made on their website:

UK Construction Week to stage London and Birmingham editions in 2021 in 18-month plan to capitalise on Government construction commitments

The UK is entering a period of unparalleled government investment in homes and infrastructure. With £40bn committed to infrastructure and housing in recent weeks, it is clear this government sees the construction industry as a key driver to economic recovery.

As the leading event platform for the construction industry, UK Construction Week (UKCW) have been working with key stakeholders to create an 18 month UKCW road to recovery that capitalises on the government commitments made towards the construction industry through major infrastructure investment and the new green homes grants.

NEW: UK Construction Week London

The UKCW road to recovery will feature a new UK Construction Week set to take place in May in London. Coming at a time of unprecedented investment in the construction industry, this event will be backed by government as we look to facilitate an economic recovery driven by the construction industry.

UK Construction Week London (4th – 6th May 2021) will connect the whole supply chain in an event designed to oil the wheels of construction commerce. With Government support and education on how to tap into major investment opportunities in Housing and Infrastructure, UKCW London will be the must attend construction event next Spring.

Co-located with Grand Designs Live, the UK’s leading self-build and custom build home show, UKCW London will provide a way for sustainable construction products to capitalise on the consumer demand created by the £3bn Green Homes Grant.

UKCW London will benefit from 4 established Construction Summits staged at the same time, Quality, Wellbeing, Diversity and Marketing, as well as a Lean in Construction Training Workshop.

UK Construction Week Birmingham (5th – 7th October 2021) will return with a bang in 2021 as we deliver the UK’s largest built environment event at the NEC Birmingham. Along with four conferences, 15 CPD and Workshop hubs and three major award presentations, UK Construction Week Birmingham 2021 will mark a celebratory focal point as construction can share learnings from the recovery and look to a bright future.

The UKCW roadmap to recovery will also be partnered by The Times, with editorial support for the event.

Nathan Garnett, Director for UK Construction Week said “The pandemic has put construction in the spotlight, from building NHS hospitals to pioneering COVID secure sites, and it has met all of the challenges head on. Now it has been asked to be the catalyst for the economy, and drive the recovery, and we will use all of our events and digital communities to assist in meeting that challenge head on as well”.

David Hancock, Construction Director of the Infrastructure Projects Authority said: “Government is embarking on one of the most substantial periods of investment in construction and infrastructure in history, with projects across the UK designed to improve the infrastructure of our country. These were important prior to the pandemic, but now take on the added importance of supporting our economic recovery. The IPA is therefore delighted to be involved in events like UK Construction Week designed to boost construction activity in these areas”.

Purdie Proudman, Marketing Manager, Merchant & Contractor of Geberit said: “Geberit will be taking part in UK Construction Week’s Roadmap to recovery plans as we continue to invest and innovate across our bathrooms portfolio looking to support our customers adapt and recover in their new normal. We will be exhibiting at the new UKCW London as we see this as a real opportunity to drive demand for Geberit, a brand with a long tradition of quality, reliability and innovation in what we see as a pivotal time in our industry.  We are keen to increase our use of digital platforms like the Construction Buzz daily newsletter, to keep our customers informed as well as complementing our event activity in the Spring for UKCW London, and in the Autumn for UKCW Birmingham” 

Peter Caplehorn, CEO of the Construction Products Association said “The Government has looked upon construction as a key part of the economy to keep going through the pandemic and ensure vital assets supporting the nation and NHS have continued to function. The industry now has to build on that considerable success of the last 4 months, and now is readying itself to support the growth in construction output that the government’s financial stimulus will generate. There is a significant job to do and UK Construction Week in London and Birmingham in the Spring and Autumn will assist in further connecting an industry that has come together like never before. If construction is to live up to the Prime Ministers mantra of build build build we will need every bit of the strength tenacity and expertise the industry has to offer. Coalescing around the UKCW will undoubtedly assist in establishing the new normal. CPA are pleased to be part of this exciting programme.”

John Newcomb, CEO of Builders Merchants Federation and a member of the CLC Task Force added: “BMF members have been exceptionally busy over the lock down and have provided a crucial service to keep things moving. We are delighted that UK Construction Week will be providing an 18-month plan that allows us all to recover and adapt to the new normal, and capitalise on the opportunities now appearing for the sector”.

The October 2020 edition of UK Construction Week has been postponed to 5-7 October 2021. Pilot events will be taking place to assess the viability of running exhibitions in September, but the organisers took the view that the re-start date of 1 October has come too late for an event on the scale of UK Construction Week to run successfully.

Exhibitor stands have been transferred to the October 2021 edition ensuring no exhibitor has incurred any financial penalty from the postponement.

There will be an online conference and event programme running 5-9 October 2020 where industry leaders will debate and scope out what a successful recovery looks like.

After the postponement of pretty much every other physical show, for me this was an inevitable decision. The pandemic continues to cause problems for all sorts of sectors, and the decision to move the 2020 show to 2021 is the right one. The addition of an extra London show in May is a confident move. Organisers seem to be assured that come May next year we will be at a point where the virus is either under significant control or a vaccine has allowed regular life to resume. So, as with anything being planned in 2021, the above will be subject to COVID and the situation at the time.

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