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Showstopping Learning Programme Announced for FIT Show 2019

FIT Show, the UK’s only dedicated event for the glass and glazing industry, has announced the launch of its free three-day learning programme for its 2019 show (Birmingham NEC, May 21st – 23rd).

The showstopping programme is made up of over 20 hours of learning content, with 50 sessions that have been developed to reflect the wants and needs of the industry, as well as FIT Show’s broadened audience.

Sessions will tackle key industry issues such as the skills gap, and bring expert content in the form of CPD certified seminars. Alongside this, the programme will deliver practical advice through workshops, business clinics and practical product demonstrations.

The full schedule, which will kick start at 10.30am on the opening day of the show (Tuesday 21st May) can be accessed via the FIT Show website. Visitors can choose from two theatres, the ‘Insight Theatre’ and ‘Discovery Theatre’, with sessions running concurrently across the three days.

FIT Show 2019 visitors can expect a diverse mix of topics, including tackling mental health in construction, driving leads and making your business more profitable, guidance on legislative changes, upskilling, automation, flat glass processing, smart home technology and much more.

Practical product and tool demonstrations will be delivered by the likes of BBC Young Carpenter of the Year and multi-award-winning tradesman, Tibby Singh. Business clinics will be delivered by various exhibitors on their stands.

A special marketing village will be hosted across the three days by Insight Data and Purplex Marketing. Visitors will be able to access firsthand information about how to better market their business, generate more sales leads, how to maximise data, and receive support and practical guidance about on and offline marketing channels such as social media.

On the third and final day of the show (Thursday 23rd May), the learning programme will commence at 10.00am with the focus shifting to skills under the badge of ‘Skills Thursday’. Skills Thursday will include content specifically designed to attract new talent into the fenestration industry in partnership with a number of key training and education provides, as well as Building Our Skills.

Employers will be able to receive advice about attracting the right talent, salary banding, unlocking funding for schemes such as apprenticeships and then how to retain that talent and upskills the workforce they have.

For college leavers, ex servicemen and career changers, there will be seminars and panel debates designed to showcase the length and breadth of opportunities that a career within fenestrations presents. Content will include CV writing advice, guidance on apprenticeships and training initiatives and real life success stories from people within the industry.

FIT Show Event Director, Nickie West commented: “We’re extremely proud of the content that has been curated for the FIT Show 2019 learning programme. We’ve been inundated with support from our exhibitors and experts from across the industry who have offered their guidance on the topics that need to be covered.

“Across the two theatres, we have compiled a showstopping programme which has been designed to bring the right people together to debate key industry issues, such as the skills gap, as well as delivering CPD approved content that will help our visitors do better business when they leave the show.

“There is less focus on brands, and a stronger emphasis on delivering rich and diverse advice, support, guidance and engaging content that we know will really add value to our visitors. And unlike previous years, much of the content will be one-off so if visitors miss it, then they run the risk of missing out!”

For a full breakdown of the programme, visit www.fitshow.co.uk/sessions-2019

 

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Visit Glass: introducing a dynamic new event for the flat glass industry at the NEC

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The FIT Show team organises a brand new event for processors, specifiers and buyers of flat glass in all its forms.

Following increasing demand indicated by visitors to the FIT Show, the organisers have announced the launch of Visit Glass, which will take place alongside the FIT Show in May 2019 at the NEC.

Responding to a massive 40% of the 10,000 visitors to the 2017 FIT Show who declared their interest in seeing glass products and glass-related processing equipment and technology at the event, Visit Glass will become the first UK exhibition and forum dedicated to the manufacture, processing and application of flat glass for almost 15 years.

The event is designed to appeal to glass industry professionals, together with specifiers and buyers of flat glass products and systems. These include insulated glass units, architectural glass, processed flat glass for all non-glazing applications including kitchens, bedrooms, bathrooms and the furniture industry; and glass for interiors including offices and decorative interior design schemes.

Prompted by the visitor feedback the organisers of the FIT show carried out further research into the viability of such an event and were told that professionals operating in the sector would respond positively for something created specifically to address the unique needs of the UK flat glass industry, one that continues to undergo substantial technological and market changes. They also learned that, despite the success of the FIT Show, it did not serve the specific needs of flat glass manufacture, processing and technology. That will now be addressed by the launch of Visit Glass, according to organiser Nickie West.

“Despite glass being an obvious and essential component of almost everything that is shown at the FIT Show, the glass industry has needs that are quite distinct in almost every respect,” she said. “After analysis of visitor research at the 2017 FIT Show we realised that glass-related topics were some of the highest categories they wanted to see at the show. However, this was not reflected in what they saw there. Visit Glass will address this imbalance through a distinct, separate event alongside the FIT Show.

“With the numbers of visitors to the FIT Show indicating their interest in flat glass we can guarantee a very substantial attendance to Visit Glass,” added West. “In addition of course there will be a substantial marketing campaign to encourage a wide cross section of the glass industry, in addition to users and specifiers.”

Visit Glass will take place in its own clearly designated space at the NEC alongside the FIT Show, in a space that combines key exhibitors representing leading brands alongside a powerful, thought provoking and informative seminar programme dedicated to the glass industry and markets in the UK. To ensure an appropriate format for Visit Glass was created the event was ‘soft launched’, during which time a number of powerful, key brands were quick to reserve exhibition space. These include Pilkington, Saint-Gobain, Edgetech, Lisec, National Glass Group and Sapphire Glass Merchants, with others joining the floorplan as word of the event spreads.

A dedicated seminar theatre within Visit Glass will offer a comprehensive programme of seminars addressing UK and general issues relating to the manufacture, processing and application of flat glass. Industry experts are being consulted to ensure content that is highly relevant and current for the UK flat glass industry when the event takes place in May 2019.

Visitors will also be encouraged to network in the Visit Glass bar, access for which will be granted to Visit Glass pre-registered visitors who will automatically be granted VIP status. Visit Glass and FIT Show visitors will have full access to both events.

Visit Glass will take place at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) Birmingham, 21st to 23rd May 2019. Further information is available at: www.fitshow.co.uk/visitglass or for interest in exhibiting, by calling Freya Humphries on +44 7572 623457.
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Reynaers shows off new suite of products to the trade this FiT show

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Leading aluminium systems company Reynaers is showcasing its complete trade offering for the first time at this year’s FiT Show at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) from May 23 to 25

Transforming homes with SL 68

The theme of the first-ever appearance for Reynaers at this year’s show is ‘bigger, better, breathtakingly beautiful’ and it will be displaying its comprehensive range of aluminium window and door products on stand N10.

Designed for UK homes, Reynaers’ brand new Slim Line 68 window completes the range of specialist systems that are ideal for the trade market.

Rebecca Cope, marketing manager at Reynaers, said: “We are so excited to bring the new SL 68 system to the FiT show. It’s been specifically designed to meet the needs of UK households and the windows have incredibly slim frames with high performance. With sleek, clean lines, these beautifully designed windows can transform the appearance of any home.”

With a huge range of design options, the SL 68 has industry-leading thermal insulation and is one of the most secure windows available – meeting PAS24 and Secured by Design standards. This security is enhanced with hinge-side security brackets, a multi-point locking mechanism and lockable handles.

The window system is available with double and triple glazed options and benefits from U values as low as 1.1 W/m2K. Its window energy rating is up to A++ and innovative adjustable corner profiles for bay and bow windows are also possible.

Another trade-specific highlight on Reynaers’ stand is the Secured by Design-approved CF 68 folding door system, which has a unique adjustable side jamb for ease of installation.

Rebecca Cope said: “A unique adjustable profile on each side of the frame allows up to 9mm adjustment during installation, ensuring efficient assembly. Inward and outward opening doors use the same profiles, so less stock holding is required by our trade partners.”

Also on show will be the lift and slide CP 130 system, which boasts a high quality stainless steel mechanism, optional slim meeting section and industry-leading performance. This system also meets Secured by Design standards.

Further details are available from: Reynaers Limited on 0121 421 1999 or reynaersltd@reynaers.com.
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FIT Show 2017 reveals nearly 100 brand new exhibitors!

This year’s FIT Show is proving to be a massive hit with new exhibiting companies, who see the opportunities that they confidently expect will come from being present at one of the best trade shows in the business.

The show, which takes place at Birmingham’s NEC from 23rd to 25th May, has attracted no fewer than 99 new exhibiting companies, illustrating the huge interest it can generate within the industry.

FIT Show organisers are delighted that so many new companies have signed up to show off their products and services. Companies exhibiting for the first time include Gwent-based AluK, for whom – as the name suggests – aluminium lies at the heart of everything it does.

Door companies Longden Doors and Mexin Doors have both booked their spot for 2017, so too has the newly formed price comparison site for window prices for homeowners, Comparemywindows.com, as has sealants company European Chemical Industries.

The decision to move the show to the NEC has clearly proved popular with the industry, with its larger exhibition space and the added bonus of great facilities nearby, including bars, hotels, restaurants and health clubs.

The venue move, together with the thumbs-up from the industry, shows how the FIT Show is going from strength to strength.

And while remaining space is at a premium, there is still time to book a spot in which to showcase your product or service. But hurry, with all these new exhibitors coming on board, you’ll have to be quick!

Taking place 23-25th May 2017, to book a stand at FIT Show 2017 please contact Freya Humphries on: 07572 623457, or email: freya@fitshow.co.uk. To register as a visitor for FIT Show 2017 visit: www.livebuzzreg.co.uk/2017/fit17
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New innovations and market-leading products on show at FIT

CRL will be showcasing its wide range of architectural glass fixings and shower door hardware at FIT Show 2017, with many new innovations on display designed to make life easier for installers and fabricators.

During FIT Show, CRL will be adding to its very successful range of TAPER-LOC® frameless glass balustrade systems, with the new TAPER-LOC® ‘Adjustable’ System. Advantages of the new system include adjustable taper sets, which allow installers to adjust the angle of the glass forward/backwards, so they can be aligned with adjacent panels of glass, especially useful when cap and hand rails are not being used.

Available in a wide choice finishing including satin adonised and brushed nickel, the system makes it easy to replace broken and scratched panels. The quickest and safest way to install glass balustrades (with no scaffold required), the new system also enables installation to be completed from the safe side of the balustrade from start to finish.

Installers can also learn more about that CRL COMPACT-X, a compact sliding solution for frameless glass panels. Quick and easy to install, the system combines latest softbrake technology with minimalist design concealed within an upper track and can be used to create a seamless design on domestic and commercial applications.

Throughout the show, the CRL team will also be giving live demonstrations of the company’s Glass Detectors, the simple way to distinguish low emissivity coated glass from ordinary float glass. Fast and simple to use the Glass Detectors are an essential piece of kit for installers to ensure that the coated piece of glass is fitted on the inside of the unit, on the inner piece of glass.

Installers working on bathroom projects can also learn more about the large range of products for creating bespoke shower areas. From minimalistic hardware such as hinges, clamps, handles, door knobs and u-channels, to complete sliding shower door kits, available in a wide range of finishes including matt black, CRL has a full package of hardware and accessories for any space.

See CRL on Stand K60 at FIT Show 2017.

For more information please call 00 800 0421 6144, email crl@crlaurence.co.uk or visit www.crlaurence.co.uk.
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The best event for window & door specifiers for more than 20 years

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FIT Show moves to NEC with more than 200 exhibitors and dozens of aluminium exhibitors for the first time ever!

Taking place towards the end of May at the National Exhibition Centre, the Fabricator Installer Trade Show – or FIT for short – will have more than 200 exhibitors showing a huge range of the latest windows, doors and related products and equipment in a business-to-business event that has grown by more than 60% over last years event. But what makes this window and door exhibition the most exciting for at least 20 years is the sheer diversity of products.

Whilst ‘the FIT Show’ is now a household name amongst window and door manufacturers and installers especially in the home improvement sector, the ‘FIT’ acronym does not ring bells for everyone. And yet behind the brand lies the most powerful buying tool available in the UK for commercial buyers and specifiers of residential windows and doors.

With more than 200 exhibitors showing the vast majority of major and minor brands serving the UK market, the event provides a fertile buying ground for design and procurement professionals from all sectors. But what marks out this year’s event is the huge contingent of exhibitors showing aluminium window and door systems and finished products in addition to virtually every PVC-U systems supplier in the UK.

An estimated 30% of exhibitors are showing aluminium window and doors, more than at any other similar UK event for at least 20 years, providing a huge choice for visitors from all sectors. And emphasising the continued buoyancy in the market and the success of the FIT Show in satisfying the needs of buyers hungry for innovation and choice, for 2017 the event moves to the NEC for the first time, taking place from 23rd to 25th May in halls 6, 7 and 8.

 

A look at the current exhibitor list will more than justify the decision to attend, with more exhibitors signing for the last few available stands on a daily basis.

The Fabricator Installer Trade (FIT) Show, 23rd, 24th, 25th May 2017, Halls 6, 7, 8 The National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham. Register now to visit here.
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Windows and doors: time to review your suppliers?

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Residential windows and doors have an impact on a building that is completely disproportionate to their cost and the overall value of the project. Of course they are essential to the function and performance of the building but the aesthetic and even emotional impact they have on a residential property, for tenents and owners, should never be underestimated.

The process of opening every project out to the market is not practical which means that a hardcore of window suppliers and brands will supply most specifiers’ needs. But there is also a great deal to be said for shaking the tree now and again to see what else is out there. After all, that is probably how you met your present suppliers…all those years ago.

Still the most effective way of identifying new potential suppliers are exhibitions. However, the failure of Interbuild and decline of other events means there is quite simply no comprehensive ‘one-stop-shop’ exhibition for professional specifiers currently.

However windows, doors, glass and other elements of residential glazing such as conservatories and porches particularly for the private and public sector housing markets, have commanded their own exhibitions and forums for almost 40 years.

Following the demise of a specialist show alongside Interbuild, a new event with the unlikely title of ‘The FIT Show’ – it is an acronym of ‘Fabricator Installer Trade’ – now provides the most comprehensive buyers guide to windows, door, roofs and anything to do with (mostly) residential glazing there has been for perhaps 10 years or more. Although its core visitor base are the companies and individuals that manufacture and fit the stuff, it is thorough and the most comprehensive and useful event around through which an effective review of glazing products and suppliers may be carried out.

With its maiden outing almost three years ago The FIT Show, which takes place this April at The International Centre, Telford, has now grown into a substantial event that will feature around 180 exhibitors in four halls representing most of the major brands of windows and doors – including composite, sliding and bi-folding – available in the UK. Add in legions of hardware, manufacturing machinery, widgets and support services and it is pretty much everything a window ‘professional’ could possibly need.

After a break of almost two years since the last FIT Show the majority of exhibitors will have something new on their stands that is being shown for the first time anywhere, so planning is recommended rather than a simple stroll around the aisles; there is much to detain the unprepared visitor.

Despite the propensity of exhibitors to keep their new wares under wraps until the event some details have leaked out. We know, for example at least four brand new window systems will be revealed at The FIT Show although one of these, a product called Lumi, has been seen at public shows over the past year. Called ‘a product that truly reinvents the window’ by the judges of a recent awards programme, Lumi offers virtually seamless, edge-to-edge glazing through windows, and residential, sliding and bi-folding doors. In fact doors, especially those of the composite and bi-folding persuasions are at The FIT Show in droves.

A spectacular must-see is the electronically tintable glass being show for the first time anywhere in the UK. Tintable in stages using amongst other things a smartphone app, it is the product of US manufacturer SageGlass, a Saint-Gobain company. And here’s the rub: the firm has replaced the whole of one curtain-walled end of an exhibition hall – no less than 314 metres2 – with its product, in what is the ultimate exhibition demo. Clayton Glass, with a stand in that very same exhibition hall, is the UK agent for the product.

If you are serious about windows, doors and glass and glazing then The Fabricator Installer Trade (FIT) Show really should not be missed. 12th, 13th 14th April 2016, at The International Centre Telford. www.fitshow.co.uk.
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To get ‘FIT’, go to Telford in April

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The full benefit of this workout will be for window and door specifiers, producers and installers…It’s a B2B exhibition and seminar in Telford with 175 exhibitors.

The FIT – ‘Fabricator Installer Trade’ – Show is the UK’s only specialist event for anyone involved with the £4.5 billion + fenestration industry, or what was known in another age, as the double-glazing business.

For in addition to the hard core of manufacturers and installers of windows, doors and conservatories for the private home improvement sector the event provides a fertile buying ground for housebuilders and public sector landlords, who may be looking for that extra touch that will sell more private homes, or bring public sector estates up to scratch. The options for both are simply staggering….

The FIT Show, launched in 2013 and taking place for the third time at The International Centre Telford, takes place in its third iteration in April this year. And no less than 175 exhibitors will be taking part in four sizeable halls at this modern and airy exhibition centre, just a few miles north of the NEC.

On show will be quite literally thousands of products in a showcase that provides evidence of the relative health and vitality of a sector that, despite almost 90% of UK homes now having been fitted with double glazing of one sort or another, continues to thrive. The fact of the matter is that the latest windows and doors offer levels of performance that were simply not a twinkle in the eyes of the most ardent home improver or estates manager twenty years ago. Security and especially energy efficiency have taken giant leaps forward whilst costs, in real terms, have fallen significantly.

As a few hours at this extraordinary event will demonstrate…

The Fabricator Installer Trade (FIT) Show takes place at The International Centre Telford on 12th, 13th and 14th April 2016. For more information including FREE registration go to: www.fitshow.co.uk.

For details of the FREE Seminar programme go here: www.fitshow.co.uk/seminars

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FIT Show opened the right doors for Carlisle-based finesse group

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Previous FIT Shows have offered installers valuable new opportunities, even when those companies are already considered top of their game, it has emerged.

One such company is Carlisle-based Finesse Group, which offers a full range of home improvement services. But despite the broad reach of the company, owners Ian Milburn and Kevin McGarr believe in the power of exhibitions to help keep them on top of their game – and not just for the products.

“It is one of the most exciting times in our company’s history,” Ian said, “and we need good trade shows not only to find the newest products but also to meet the people that are selling them. We don’t just buy products; we seek trading partners – companies that we can grow with.”

Ian said that he missed the first FIT Show in 2013, but was impressed with the second event in 2014, which he attended with an open mind. While he didn’t have a written plan, he had mentally noted a number of companies that he wanted to see, including Northern Ireland based door and window manufacturer Apeer.

“We were aware of the company through its marketing and advertising so we wanted to meet them, to see their products, and get a feel for the people behind them,” he said. “We came away believing that we could grow our business with them.”

Apeer is headed by Asa McGillian, and exhibitions are a vital tool in achieving his stated goal of achieving sales of £20 million by the end of 2016.

“We have attended both FIT Shows because the event is the natural successor to Glassex, which we always found worked for us,” Asa said.

“At the 2013 FIT Show we launched our Modo contemporary door range; we always go to a show with something new to launch and we are constantly developing and introducing new products. We need good shows to seek out a very special sort of customer; we are selective and meeting people face to face is the best way to find them.”

Apeer followed up Finesse’s enquiry within a few days after the FIT Show, and the subsequent relationship has worked out extremely well.

“Our foam-filled composite doors are leading the way not just through their superb quality, but also through the design and exciting sales campaigns we have done on the back of the new options,” Ian said. “We like to work with companies that strive to meet the standards that we attain and offer a service that helps us to continue to support our customers in the very best way possible. Apeer do that, and more.”

More than 175 further exhibitors can be seen at The Fabricator Installer Trade (FIT) Show which takes place at The International Centre Telford on the 12th, 13th and 14th April 2016. Entry is free but avoid the queues by registering early at www.fitshow.co.uk.

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Future FIT Show dates and venue announced

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Window, Door and Conservatory Trade event moves to NEC in 2017

FIT Events Ltd, organisers of The Fabricator Installer Trade (FIT) Show, has announced the dates and venue of events to take place after 2016.

From 2017 The FIT Show moves to the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) Birmingham, the UK’s premier exhibition venue, taking place in Halls 6 and 7. May 23rd, 24th and 25th have been chosen for 2017, with the following FIT Show to take place two years later at the same venue on 21st, 22nd and 23rd May 2019.

The decision to move to the NEC comes after extensive research to find another venue as the event had outgrown its original Telford location. A spokesman for the organisers said: “A move was inevitable to handle the continuing demand for exhibition space and to allow the development of the event generally, including visitor numbers. For now however our focus and priority in every respect remains the April 2016 FIT Show which takes place at The International Centre Telford on 12th, 13th and 14th April.”

The Fabricator Installer Trade (FIT) Show takes place at The International Centre Telford on 12th, 13th 14th April 2016. General information on The FIT Show can be found at: www.fitshow.co.uk.

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