Expo Builds Enthusiasm for Forward Focused Construction

We like to keep our ear to the ground for construction sector insights here at CME and our eyes on future trends. Last week’s London Build Expo gave us a great barometer of market confidence and a fantastic opportunity to engage with some of the latest innovations and forward focused thinking that characterise the industry we all work in.

The first thing we noticed was that the show was busy.  Really busy. Not just packed with a diverse range of exhibitors - including technology and financial service providers as well as building products suppliers, contractors and consultants – but also buzzing with delegates and packed out with industry professionals that had taken time out for networking, research and learning at the many seminars and CPDs.

The event may have been billed as the ‘London’ Build Expo but this was more of a national event located in London.  We had travelled down from the North West so that we can genuinely advise clients on the opportunities the show holds for them in future years and ours were not the only regional accents we heard as we made our way around. The exhibitors and seminar speakers were also drawn from across the country and across Europe, because there is opportunity here and a keen appetite for fresh construction products, methods and thinking.

BIM dominated many of the seminar sessions and was a key topic of conversation around the exhibition. The consensus seems to be that take up of BIM has not been as rapid or dynamic as many would like but it is starting to have a major impact of the way we design and build. Contractors are seeing the benefits in terms of cost, time and quality assurance and it’s clear that they want to carry the whole supply chain with them on that journey.

Amongst the appointments on our list was the ‘Women in Construction’ networking event. While it’s a shame that there’s still a perceived need for a women only gathering, the fact that the session was so incredibly busy demonstrates that there is genuine change in the number of women working in the sector. From established business leaders to trainee QS and young engineers, the Women in Construction event was amongst the busiest areas of the whole Expo.

People visit these events for different reasons, many are there to sell, others to learn, some to network and, for us, there was a significant research and fact-finding element.  Whatever the reason, it was certainly very worthwhile and we’re looking forward to advising our clients on how to make the most of London Build Expo when it returns next year.