UK Construction Week will be launching Workwear & PPE Live by PCIAW® at London ExCel on 7-9th May 2025, offering a dedicated show for construction clothing, footwear, and accessories for the first time. This strategic and exclusive partnership with the Professional Clothing Industry Association Worldwide (PCIAW®) comes at a time
Government ministers Lord Callanan and Nusrat Ghani, and MP Caroline Nokes, have all been announced as keynote speakers at this week’s UK Construction Week London, the UK’s largest event for the built environment, which makes a welcome return to London’s ExCeL from today, 2-4 May 2023. Registration is now live.
The UK’s largest event for the built environment, UK Construction Week (UKCW) Birmingham, made a welcome return to the NEC last week, with visitor numbers up 19% from last year. The show drew over 23,900 visitors from as far afield as Turkey, Brazil, Australia and Canada, and included a host
The 2019 UK Construction Week is turning its attention to more innovative forms of building work. Since the UK is facing the biggest decrease in new work since 2009, more building companies are starting to embrace emerging technologies, especially since digital construction innovations are on the cusp of taking off across the world. This
The future success of digital construction lies with improved planning, more consistent procurement by Government, integrated software systems, the education of the young and the development of hybrid solutions that don’t scare the industry, according to the opening debate at this year’s UK Construction Week (UKCW). Chaired by architect
UK Construction Week will be launching Workwear & PPE Live by PCIAW® at London ExCel on 7-9th May 2025, offering a dedicated show for construction clothing, footwear, and accessories for the first time. This strategic and exclusive partnership with the Professional Clothing Industry Association Worldwide (PCIAW®) comes at a time of growth for UK Construction Week with the co-location of the Natural Stone & Hard Surfaces event announced earlier this year. PCIAW® is the world’s only non-profit, member-driven trade association for the uniform, workwear and PPE supply chains – from the manufacturers to end-user buyers. The association connects the professional clothing industry to offer a collective voice across the value chain, facilitating collaborative education and support on shared market challenges. Workwear & PPE Live 2025 will cover topics such as inclusive PPE design, female fit, development of sustainable materials and the latest regulations and legislation affecting workwear manufacturers and buyers. This inaugural event will feature seminar sessions and a catwalk show, showcasing solutions to the biggest issues in workwear procurement. Workwear & PPE Live is part of UK Construction Week, the largest event for the built environment market and covers areas dedicated to infrastructure, industrialisation, digital construction, build, net zero and onsite on hire. Sam Patel, UK Construction Week, Divisional Director, confirmed: “We are delighted to partner with PCIAW® to deliver the UK’s premier dedicated workwear and PPE exhibition. This event represents an opportunity not just for the construction sector and our existing visitor community but for any industry that buys and specifies workwear to see the latest developments in fabrics and designs from market leaders across the globe.” Yvette Ashby, CEO & Founder of PCIAW®, commented: “This partnership with UK Construction Week and the launch of Workwear and PPE Live comes at a pivotal moment for the professional clothing industry as our association works to ensure that lifesaving equipment is made, purchased, and used responsibly. There is incoming legislation and social pressures for buyers to incorporate sustainability and responsible design in their workwear, and to meet these requirements it is essential to find trustworthy suppliers through an event such as this. “In a recent study by Frost & Sullivan the global industrial workwear and PPE industry was valued at $100b, so with an industry as large and essential as ours it is high time the UK had a dedicated event to this key market.” For enquiries and to find out more about Workwear & PPE Live, please contact harry@pciaw.org & workwearppe@ukconstructionweek.com Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Government ministers Lord Callanan and Nusrat Ghani, and MP Caroline Nokes, have all been announced as keynote speakers at this week’s UK Construction Week London, the UK’s largest event for the built environment, which makes a welcome return to London’s ExCeL from today, 2-4 May 2023. Registration is now live. Lord Callanan, who was appointed Minister for Energy Efficiency and Green Finance earlier this year, will appear with TV presenter and architect George Clarke on the UKCW Main Stage at 10.45am on the first day (May 2nd) for Net Zero Countdown – Keynote Intro and Question Time. Nusrat Ghani MP, Construction Minister, will speak as part of a discussion on the UKCW Main Stage at 11.15am on May 2nd – The 5th CO2NSTRUCTZERO Report. Caroline Nokes MP, Chair of the Women and Equalities Committee, will be part of an Employment Panel appearing at the Culture Change Hub at 11.30am on May 3rd to discuss How To Identify Diverse Talent for Promotion – what does the industry need? Nathan Garnett, UKCW event director, commented: “It’s testament to the show’s standing and reputation that UKCW London has been able to attract such a high calibre of speaker as these three politicians, who are part of a prestigious line-up of experts from across the sector who’ll be appearing at this year’s show. We can’t wait to hear what they all have to say.” With over 10,000 products on display from over 300 exciting exhibitors including Rointe Kingspan, Google, Sevadis, HP, Celsa UK, Houzz Pro, Hanson Plywood and many more, the multi award-winning show attracts a wealth of overseas exhibitors from as far afield as Australia, China, India, Norway, Turkey and the UAE. Celebrating Culture Change in Construction, UKCW London will host three days of debate and discussion from top speakers on how the industry can move forward to tackle its biggest issues, including quality, fire safety, sustainability, offsite manufacturing, mental health, and improving diversity and inclusion. Visitors will also be able to find sections dedicated to Digital Construction, Infrastructure, Offsite, Surfaces, Net Zero including Renewables, HVAC, Energy Management; Build Show including Roofing, Cladding and Insulation; Tools; Health & Safety; Fire Prevention; Future Lab; and a Careers Trail. Officially opened by architect and Channel 4 presenter George Clarke, UKCW London will also feature sessions and seminars led by industry experts across the show’s six stages; the show will feature an incredible 300 speakers, with over 150 hours of CPD seminars available. Register for UKCW London for free – ukcw-london-2023.reg.buzz/cab-campaign-pr Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The UK’s largest event for the built environment, UK Construction Week (UKCW) Birmingham, made a welcome return to the NEC last week, with visitor numbers up 19% from last year. The show drew over 23,900 visitors from as far afield as Turkey, Brazil, Australia and Canada, and included a host of high-profile names including West Midlands Mayor Andy Street, Channel 4 presenter George Clarke, and BBC journalist and presenter Simon Jack. UKCW Birmingham celebrated culture change in construction with three days of debate and discussion from top speakers across seven stages, with issues covered including Net Zero, sustainability, offsite manufacturing, mental health, and improving diversity and inclusion. Mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street took time from his busy schedule to visit the show, where he was a keynote speaker on the Main Stage, facing a Question Time from an audience of industry professionals. Andy Howe, founder and managing director of CareersForce, was named UKCW Role Model 2022; CareersForce helps UK key workers such as those from the armed forces, police and NHS to forge a new career in a range of new sectors including construction. The winning exhibitors of this year’s Stand Awards included: Rolec (best 50m+ space stand), Harwoods (best space under 50m), Restec (best shell scheme), Tough CAD (best use of marketing), Zero Hub (most interactive) and Celsa (for innovation). Nathan Garnett, UKCW event director, commented after the show: “There is so much happening in the construction industry right now that has put UK Construction Week into a unique position, whereby it can inform and educate the sector as it moves forward. There is a real sense of momentum now as we plan the next one, especially on meeting our next zero targets and creating long lasting culture change. A record number of companies have signed up for 2023 so we look forward to really growing the UKs largest trade show for construction” Chloe Donovan, Chief Exec of Natural Building Systems, said: “We’ve had an amazing time – met everyone from potential suppliers, industrial partners, contractors and investors; I can’t recommend it highly enough.” Gary Scott, managing director at Hanson Plywood, commented: “We were at UKCW Birmingham because it’s the hub of the UK construction industry. We get a lot out of it; we don’t do many shows, but UKCW Birmingham does work.” With over 6,000 products on display from over 300 exciting exhibitors including Bosch, Schneider Electric, Google, Graco Distribution, Wavin, Hanson Plywood and many more, the multi award-winning show attracted an abundance of overseas exhibitors from as far afield as Australia, India, Norway, Turkey and the UAE. Dates for next year’s two shows have already been announced: UKCW London will take place from 2-4 May 2023 at ExCeL; UKCW Birmingham will run from 3-5 October 2023 at the NEC.
The 2019 UK Construction Week is turning its attention to more innovative forms of building work. Since the UK is facing the biggest decrease in new work since 2009, more building companies are starting to embrace emerging technologies, especially since digital construction innovations are on the cusp of taking off across the world. This year’s Construction Week, held in the NEC in Birmingham, will dedicate more time than ever to this niche within the building industry. Builders will utilise digital construction to create a new slim-design concept hotel, planned to be located opposite Birmingham’s Grand Central Station, which aims to inspire building planners and nudge them towards the implementation of digital construction in more UK construction projects. A Call for Investment in Modern Equipment It is no secret that construction work within the UK lacks the vigour of a few years ago. With the continuing uncertainty of the UK’s departure from the European Union and a fear of investment from both the government and private companies, construction projects seem to have slowed or come to a halt entirely. In particular, there seems to be a lack of excitement when it comes to new building projects. This is why there are calls to focus on modernisation at UK Construction Week in a bid to inspire more foreign investors to take part in influencing the market. New technologies and digital services are a great way to boost investment in building work. For instance, startup construction companies can use a skylift rental service to build tall structures even with limited funds, while 3D printing is offering an increasingly cheap method of architectural design. These innovative products and services are exactly what’s needed to stimulate innovation in Britain’s construction industry and to draw investors to new projects. What is Digital Construction? Digital tools are far more efficient and cost-effective when it comes to construction. Digital construction is simply the application of such tools in the building process. This could include the use of online platforms that reduce the need for travel and improve communication, thereby lowering costs and speeding up the completion of a building project. Beyond this, it may go as far as using artificial intelligence to design buildings and using robots to build them. Automating as much of the process as possible cuts down on mistakes while lowering costs and speeding up construction rates. Naturally, this will lead to crucial debates about the job security of employees in the construction industry. The rate of building work in the UK is lacking, with a general sense of uncertainty negatively impacting on investment. New technology can help to lower the costs of construction and improve results. At the same time, digitisation will inject some excitement into the industry and help Britain to be a leader when it comes to modern building techniques. While UK Construction Week will focus on the digitisation of building design, the industry will need to balance this with the needs of construction workers.
The future success of digital construction lies with improved planning, more consistent procurement by Government, integrated software systems, the education of the young and the development of hybrid solutions that don’t scare the industry, according to the opening debate at this year’s UK Construction Week (UKCW). Chaired by architect and TV presenter George Clarke, a panel of digital construction experts took the discussion on digital to a new level compared to previous years. Offsite construction, BIM and even the use of robotic technologies on site were all acknowledged as established solutions – but what matters now is how these are applied and approached with a completely different mindset, the panellists agreed. “We are at a point of acceptance of BIM”, said David Clark, head of manufacture and innovation at offsite specialists McAvoy. “We all want to take digital data and bring this to the front line of manufacturing. But we need a long-term pipeline coming through – a guaranteed demand which unlocks investment,” he said. The role of Government was central to this, as the industry’s largest client responsible for 40% of the sector’s capital expenditure, explained Mark Bew, chairman of PCSG. It’s hard to be a client, Mark acknowledged, but he told the packed auditorium about what he described as “the first glimmer of hope” – outcome-based contracting and new forms of procurement which are now starting to be used and which lift the requirements around data. “It’s now an adult-to-adult conversation, not adult-to-child approach,” he said. He also urged greater Government uptake of common components which, just as in the car industry, allow a huge variety of customisable products for the end-user but essentially all stem from a simple, standardised portfolio of parts. Lara Ayris, managing director of Waste Plan Solutions, expressed concern about disjointed software solutions which were still not talking to each other and the problems of getting BIM models to reflect the real world, but Raphael Scheps, CEO of Converge, explained how sensors inbuilt into building materials are now starting to cross-reference and validate the on-site reality with the digital models used at design stage. In the strong international line-up on the UKCW stage, Grant van Wyk, founder of Future Construct and Automation, also told of robotic scanners which check for performance against design, and SAM – the Semi-Automatic Mason – which is possibly a more culturally acceptable form of automation in construction. “SAM is a co-bot, not a robot,” he explained. “It works alongside traditional trades and makes their work more interesting and enjoyable. These are the incremental steps we need, otherwise the shift is too large. We need easy-to-use interfaces.” From Eindhoven University of Technology, Theo Salet emphasised the essential role of education, and the way companies and students are increasingly working, exploring and learning together about the best ways to apply digital construction. “It’s multi-skilled workers we will be looking for in the future,” he said. Again hybrid solutions appear to work best at the moment – George Clarke himself admitted that MOBIE, his new education initiative, is developing courses which integrate traditional construction with digital, in order to gain wider housebuilder take-up. Despite their continued frustration at the pace of change, the panel provided plenty of evidence of the take up of digital construction and ended with a strong call for increased R&D, based on data and learning from what is currently happening. “We need to look at how it performs and listen to how these new systems, and system of systems, really work,” said Mark Bew. This virtuous circle and learning loop came up in other presentations too. Elsewhere at the show, building quality and safety were hot topics across the UKCW seminar and CPD programme and culminated in RIBA’s official launch of its Building in Quality tracker. Developed in partnership with the Chartered Institute of Building and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, RIBA president Ben Derbyshire introduced the tracker and details of the five-month pilot set to transform building safety forever. Other show highlights included: Lord David Blunkett, Heathrow Skills Taskforce, talking about strategies to address the skills gap in construction; Property expert and TV presenter Kunle Barker leading a vibrant panel discussion on diversity, equality and inclusion; and The launch of the Passivhaus 2019 student competition, aiming to arm the next generation of architects and designers with the tools and design skills needed to deliver sustainable buildings. Nathan Garnett, UKCW event director, said: “Today has been a powerful opening day. The calibre of debate has been higher, more detailed and more positive than in previous years, and the examples of innovation and best practice are more plentiful. Combined with record numbers for a first day, I’m confident that this show is delivering on its promise to make visible the future of construction.” The top sessions tomorrow are expected to be: Keynote speaker Barbara Res, who will discuss her experience as a female engineer working on Trump Tower, the renovation of New York’s Plaza Hotel and the successes and challenges of working with Donald Trump; A major debate on solving the UK’s housing crisis, looking at the long-term strategy for housing growth and what roles will be adopted by planning authorities, councils, housing associations, developers and others. The seminar on ‘Quality in construction post-Grenfell’, looking at the outcomes from the Hackitt Review as well as the latest updates on product testing regimes and use of combustible materials in high-rise construction. All these events are happening on the UKCW stage and will be chaired by TV presenter Steph McGovern. On display is the EksoWorks exoskeleton in action as featured on BBC Breakfast, and more than other 650 exhibitors to visit, seminars to attend, lots of networking opportunities and all of this under one roof. UKCW continues until Thursday with nine shows: Build Show, Energy 2018, Timber Expo, Building Tech Live, Surface & Materials Show, HVAC
