Your Guide to UK Engineering Exhibitions in 2022

Many engineering suppliers recognise the value of exhibiting when it comes to increasing brand awareness and growing their customer base. From a buying perspective, exhibitions offer a valuable opportunity to meet multiple suppliers under one roof, allowing purchasers to see which companies are a good fit for their business.

Here in the UK, we are lucky to have plenty of great events to choose from, with some catering to specific niches and others offering a broader range of services. The COVID-19 pandemic has been responsible for many of the UK's engineering exhibitions being cancelled in the past couple of years, but with the worst behind us, we can look forward to a lot of amazing events this year.

If you're looking to exhibit at a UK engineering exhibition, or if you would like to attend one or two in order to source new suppliers, then here are some dates for your 2022 diary:

**Please note that all of these dates are correct at the time of publishing. However, the current health climate may result in changes to this year's exhibition schedule. Please check the event website before attending.**

Southern Manufacturing & Electronics:

When: 8th-10th February 2022
Where: Farnborough International Exhibition Centre

• Caters for all subcontract engineering services, as well as offering a dedicated electronics zone.
• The UK's largest regional subcontract engineering show.
• Co-located with AutoAero, which caters specifically to the automotive and aerospace industries.

Southern Manufacturing is the largest regional subcontract engineering show, making it a great fit with buyers and suppliers who are based within South England. Taking place at the Farnborough International Exhibition Centre, Southern Manufacturing caters for the full spectrum of subcontract engineering services, as well as offering a dedicated electronics zone.

Those within the automotive and aerospace industries may find Southern Manufacturing to be particularly useful, thanks to its co-location with AutoAero, which caters specifically to these sectors.

With over 800 exhibitors and 9000 visitors per year, Southern Manufacturing promises to be a great way to kickstart your sales and sourcing efforts in 2022.

For more information, please visit www.industrysouth.co.uk.

MACH 2022:

When: 4th-8th April 2022
Where: NEC, Birmingham

• Affords visitors the opportunity to sample the latest innovations within manufacturing technology.
• Large-scale event that spans over 5 days, attracting over 600 exhibitors and 25,000 visitors.
• Co-located with a number of other shows including Drives & Controls, Engineering Supply Chain Show and Plant & Asset Management 2022.

MACH's popularity is not without good reason - it's a large-scale show that spans over 5 days, offering visitors unique insights into the latest innovation within manufacturing technology. Traditionally, MACH takes place once every two years; however, the COVID-19 pandemic hampered 2020's efforts, meaning that 2022's show is MACH's first offering since 2018.

So much so is MACH's popularity that it attracts over 600 exhibitors and 25,000 visitors across its duration, and its co-location with a number of other shows offers exhibitors a chance to address numerous purchasing requirements under one roof. With a focus on manufacturing technology, MACH is very much an interactive event with plenty for visitors to see, so make sure not to miss out.

For more information, please visit www.machexhibition.com.

Northern Ireland High-Tech Manufacturing & Precision Engineering Expo:

When: 7th April 2022
Where: Titanic Exhibition Centre, Belfast.

• One-day event with 50 exhibitors, 30 speakers and over 1000 senior management visitors.
• Caters to a wide range of vertical sectors.
• Addresses a number of topics affecting the industry.

With a focus on both networking and the exchange of important industry information, the Northern Ireland High-Tech Manufacturing & Precision Engineering Expo offers visitors the opportunity to both meet potential suppliers and hear from key industry experts. For exhibitors, this show offers a valuable opportunity to increase brand awareness amongst senior management from a wide range of vertical industries.

For a one-day event, the Northern Ireland High-Tech Manufacturing & Precision Engineering Expo has an impressive number of keynote speakers, with over 30 giving informative insight into a variety of industry topics throughout the show's duration. This makes it especially well-suited to those who are looking for more than networking opportunities - instead, visitors are sure to leave feeling enlightened about the current market and latest industry trends.

For more information, please visit www.hightechmanufacturing-northernireland.com.

Subcon:

When: 7th-9th June 2022
Where: NEC, Birmingham

• High senior management attendance - 80% of visitors are CEOs, managing directors, or managers.
• Co-location with The Engineer Expo and the Manufacturing Management Show.
• Over 200 exhibitors and a range of informative industry seminars on offer.

Subcon is an extremely well-established show which offers visitors the opportunity to meet over 200 engineering suppliers in one place. There are a range of industry seminars on offer, meaning that visitors can enjoy the opportunity to both network and learn over the course of 3 days.

Addressing all corners of the subcontract engineering industry, Subcon caters for buyers and visitors of all types and sizes. From precision machining and fabrication through to injection moulding, casting, profiling, machine tools, software and services (to name but a few), Subcon is extremely comprehensive. Further compounded by its co-location with The Engineer Expo and the Manufacturing Management Show, there really is something on offer for everyone.

For more information, please visit www.subconshow.co.uk.

TCT 3Sixty:

When: 8th-9th June 2022
Where: NEC, Birmingham

• The UK's premier additive manufacturing event.
• Plenty of live 3D printing demonstrations, as well as over 80 conferences exploring the different applications of additive manufacturing.

Taking up an earlier slot in the year than usual, TCT 3Sixty returns to the NEC in Birmingham from the 8th to the 9th of June 2022. As the UK's premier event dedicated to additive manufacturing and 3D printing, TCT 3Sixty offers its visitors access to a wide range of suppliers who either specialise in additive manufacturing themselves, or offer 3D printers and supporting services and software. Therefore, this event is a more-than-worthwhile visit for those who are looking to source 3D printing suppliers, or those who are looking to undertake additive manufacturing processes in-house.

With over 80 conferences on offer throughout the course of the show's two days, TCT 3Sixty also offers fascinating insight into the various applications for additive manufacturing - both current and potential. Visitors will also be able to see 3D printing in action, as well as seeing for themselves the full scope of capabilities that additive manufacturing has to offer.

For more information, please visit www.tct3sixty.com.

Northern Manufacturing & Electronics:

When: TBA
Where: EventCity, Manchester

• Small-but-mighty regional show with 250 engineering & electronics exhibitors.
• 3000 visitors across the span of the show.
• Counterpart show to Southern Manufacturing & Electronics, with the same focus.

Although the dates for Northern Manufacturing & Electronics have yet to be released, the organisers have reassured the industry that 2022's show will go ahead after the previous year was cancelled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Traditionally, Northern Manufacturing & Electronics is a two-day event which takes place in October, although would-be exhibitors and visitors are encouraged to check the show's website directly for updates.

As the northerly counterpart for Southern Manufacturing & Electronics, Northern Manufacturing & Electronics holds the same focus, but on a slightly smaller scale. Nonetheless, this show enjoys a very high footfall of visitors from across the industry, making it a great place for engineering companies to meet potential new customers. With over 250 exhibitors, Northern Manufacturing & Electronics packs a lot into its offering, meaning visitors will be sure to leave armed with plenty of potential solutions to their supply chain headaches.

For more information, please visit www.industrynorth.co.uk.

Engineering Design Show:

When: 12th-13th October 2022
Where: Coventry Building Society Arena

• The UK's biggest exhibition dedicated to engineering design.
• Provides an opportunity for design engineers to sample the latest products and services on offer.
• Over 4,000 visitors, with 79% in attendance to source new suppliers.

The Engineering Design Show is the UK's biggest event dedicated to engineering design, providing visitors with the opportunity to access the latest products and services within this arena. With over 200 exhibitors, there are plenty of stands for visitors to peruse, as well as a range of conference sessions offering insights into the latest innovations. 

For exhibitors, the Engineering Design Show provides an unparalleled opportunity to reach over 4,000 visitors, with 79% having specified that their attendance is with the sole aim of sourcing new suppliers. What's more, 2022's instalment will mark the Engineering Design Show's 10th year, promising exhibitors and visitors alike even more features than usual.

For more information, please visit www.engineeringdesignshow.co.uk.

Advanced Engineering:

When: 2nd-3rd November 2022
Where: NEC, Birmingham

• Large-scale show with dedicated 'zones' for vertical sectors and niches.
• Frequented by well-known OEMs such as Airbus, Dyson and Rolls-Royce.
• Hundreds of exhibitors, as well as a packed conference schedule.

Advanced Engineering is undoubtedly one of the largest engineering shows that the UK has to offer. In fact, it is so large that the show is split up into dedicated supplier zones for easier navigation, allowing visitors to locate suppliers of their choosing with ease. With zones such as automotive, space and satellite, aero engineering, composites engineering and connected manufacturing, it would be quicker to tell you what Advanced Engineering doesn't offer.

Visitors can also enjoy a packed conference schedule addressing all manner of topics, with each zone boasting its own stage for relevant seminars to take place. Exhibitors will benefit from a high volume of visitor traffic, with OEMs such as Airbus, Dyson, Rolls-Royce and BMW in attendance year-on-year. Advanced Engineering really is one of the best opportunities to get in front of buyers from well-known companies and is sure to impress exhibitors of all shapes and sizes.

For more information, please visit www.advancedengineeringuk.com.