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Attendees at the entrance of the UK Construction Week in Birmingham

Big brands and high profile names come together as UKCW makes welcome return to Birmingham

BIG BRANDS AND HIGH PROFILE NAMES COME TOGETHER AS UKCW MAKES WELCOME RETURN TO BIRMINGHAM

The UK’s largest event for the built environment, UK Construction Week (UKCW) Birmingham made a welcome return to the NEC last week, with a string of exclusive launches, a star-studded line-up of speakers, international pavilions from across the globe, and a host of new features.

The three-day show included high-profile names including the Mayors of the West and East Midlands, Richard Parker and Claire Ward; Mace Chief Executive Mark Reynolds; architect and Channel 4 presenter George Clarke, and Amanda Long, Chief Executive, Code for Construction Product Information (CCPi).

Featuring six shows under one roof – Infrastructure, Roofing Cladding and Insulation Expo (RCI Expo), Build X, Net Zero, Digital Construction, and Onsite On Hire, UKCW Birmingham was sponsored and supported by some of the industry’s biggest names, including MERS, HotelPlanner, Reconomy, Build Warranty and The Hire Exchange

With over 7,000 products on display from over 300 exciting exhibitors including Saint-Gobain, JCB, Swisspearl, and Don & Low, the multi award-winning show attracted a wealth of overseas exhibitors and visitors.

UKCW Birmingham highlights included:

  • The Net Zero Hub, sponsored by Reconomy and partnering with National Retrofit Hub, made its UKCW debut at the Birmingham show. Alongside this, the new Net Zero Trail showcased the latest innovations and sustainable practices driving the construction industry toward a Net Zero future.
  • The Mayors of the West Midlands and East Midlands both made highly anticipated appearances as keynote speakers at UKCW. Richard Parker (Tuesday 1st) and Claire Ward (Wednesday 2nd) both gave a ‘fireside chat’ Q&A session, discussing their regions’ own commitments and priorities when it comes to the construction industry.
  • Also making its debut at the Birmingham show, Onsite On Hire showcased the very best tools, compact plant and equipment that can either be hired via independent hire/rental outlets or purchased direct. Big name exhibitors include Speedy Hire, Hire Exchange, Milwaukee, JCB, and Makita.
  • An array of over 300 high-profile speakers across seven hubs, including Trudi Sully, UK and Europe Lead – Industrialised Design & Construction, Mott MacDonald, Michael O’Hagen, Keltbray Managing Director, and Nick Smallwood, Infrastructure Projects Authority Chief Executive.
  • Also making its first appearance at UKCW was the Roofing, Cladding and Insulation (RCI) Expo, which showcased over 50 exhibitors including Insulfix, Easy-Trim, Frénéhard, SIG and Bové. Speakers include representatives from Tata Steel Building Systems, Vector Leak Consultants and Wates Construction.
  • Shining a spotlight on the unsung heroes and talented professionals in the construction industry, the Role Models Campaign, now in its seventh year, announced its three worthy winners:
    • Rising Star – Bethany Collins from BPS Builders Merchants (Building & Plumbing Supplies Ltd). Since joining the LEAP apprenticeship in 2022, she has swiftly advanced to Area Support Manager, inspiring the next generation of construction professionals.
    • Pioneer – James Brown, Head of Digital Manufacturing at As a true innovator, he drives digital transformation and helps companies embrace technologies like BIM and offsite construction.
    • Icon – Paula McMahon, Chartered Civil Engineer at Sir Robert McAlpine. As Lead Engineer for Hinkley Point, she passionately champions sustainability and empowers professionals through her roles with ICE and WES.
  • The winning exhibitors for this year’s Stand Awards were announced, and included:
    • Sustainability Initiative Award- Enterprise Estonia (Trade with Estonia)
    • Best Space Only Stand – Reader Cement Products
    • Most Interactive Stand – Saint-Gobain
    • Best Shell Scheme Stand – Xylem Water Solutions

Sam Patel, Divisional Director – Construction, said after the show: “It’s been another incredible UK Construction Week; the new Onsite On Hire and RCI features have been really well received, and the feedback from exhibitors and visitors alike has been great. Deals have been done, new contacts made and plenty of knowledge learned through our myriad of talks and panel discussions.”

Paul Long, Director, FindItIn, commented: “We have met some really great businesses and people which led to some really positive leads, I barely left my stand all day as I was so busy due to the footfall. This is the biggest stand we have had to date and, and we plan to have an even bigger one at the next show.”

Troy Williams, Job Site Solutions, Milwaukee, said: “We have a partnership with Speedy Hire who are one of our biggest distributors; with shows like this it’s good to get on the ground floor and speak to end users. It’s been a good few days, with some really conversations and leads. It was definitely worth us visiting. We’ve spoken to everyone from one man bands to big companies like Hinkley Point.

It’s great to get that mix and every viewpoint.”

Chris Cartwright, Sales Manager, Gunn JCB added: “Interest has been phenomenal from a wide range of industries and applications, and every level from one man band to directors. It’s nice to have a show where visitors have so much interest.”

Julie Bean, head of business development, PB Safety Consultancy, said: “This is our first time exhibiting at UKCW and honestly it has been far better than our expectations. Each day of the three day show we’ve taken at least 15 positive leads away out of probably 40 interesting conversations. Halfway through the show we actually had to send a member of our team back to the office to get to work on some immediate converted leads. UKCW has opened up a whole new audience for us and we’ve already booked for the next show in London and will be back to Birmingham again next year too.”

Dates for the next two UKCW shows have already been announced – UKCW London runs from 7 to 9 May 2025 at ExCeL, while UKCW Birmingham returns to the NEC from 30 September to 2 October 2025.

For more information, contact the UKCW press team at [email protected]. Please include any interview requests you might have for the show.

Notes to editors

About UKCW

Organised by Media 10 – the multi award-winning events and publishing company, UK Construction Week (UKCW) is the UK’s largest built environment event. Running twice per year in London (7-9 May 2024, Excel London) and Birmingham (Sep 30-Oct 2 2025, NEC Birmingham), the event attracts an engaged audience from all sectors of the construction industry to share knowledge, solve problems, and explore new, sustainable ways of working.

UKCW also plays host to 100s of companies showcasing their latest innovation, products and services. For stand and sponsorship enquiries visit www.ukconstructionweek.com/exhibit

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