Subcon 2006 to attract over 200 exhibitors

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Dec 20, 2005

More than 200 exhibitors are expected to sign up for the Subcon 2006 subcontracting event, which will be held at the NEC, Birmingham, from 16th to 18th May.

More than 200 exhibitors are expected to sign up for the Subcon 2006 subcontracting event, which will be held at the NEC, Birmingham, from 16th to 18th May.

This year saw Subcon's first ever outing as an annual event and the scope of the show extends beyond the traditional areas of machining and metal forming to cover all aspects of subcontract manufacture - including areas such as electrical and electronic assembly, design and development, surface engineering, plastic moulding, casting, forging and rapid prototyping.

Because many exhibitors booked during Subcon 2005, premium stand sites are already in short supply.

Chris Carter, MD of Barker Collins, a new exhibitor in 2005, booked for 2006 on the spot.

"It was absolutely superb," he said.

"It far surpassed any expectations I'd had".

"People we have been cold calling for three years with no response came up to see us on the stand".

Chris Laycock, Sales Director of CCP, said 2005 led to enquiries worth over £20m.

Subcon 2006 has also attracted organisations in the subcontracting world, including the West Midlands automotive initiative - Accelerate, FI Information and trade associations such as the Confederation of British Metalforming and the Surface Engineering Association.

Accelerate Project Manager Rob Lott said: "We are delighted to be supporting the Subcon exhibition again; it has proven to be an extremely valuable event for West Midlands SMEs".

Visitors and exhibitors come to the show from all over the world.

As well as individual companies from Europe and Asia, regional and national stands have been booked from France, Italy - including nine companies from the Brescia Chamber of Commerce, Taiwan, Latvia and the Czech Republic.

Event Director Jon Hughes explained: " Subcontracting is a fast-changing global market and buyers need constantly to update their knowledge of what is available on the market".

Subcon 2006 takes place alongside Mach, Drives and Controls, Electrex and Airtech, Environmental Technology and Solid Modelling.