Made in Britain is back on the trade show circuit. Chief executive John Pearce reports on what the organisation is sharing about members’ resilience and optimism
I’M in the unfamiliar position of being ‘in demand’. As the in-person events sector emerges from its enforced hibernation, trade shows are coming up thick and fast and it seems a lot of them want a piece of me. Perhaps that’s immodest, what they want is a piece of all of you: positive stories from British manufacturers who have ridden out the storm and are ready to build back stronger.
Of course, I’m happy to oblige. My first speaking engagement in as long as I can remember came in mid-September at SUBCON 2021, where I was asked to speak about SME manufacturing growth. With 372 members in the engineering sector, Made in Britain is keen to share some lessons learned from last year and make the case for cautious optimism in the sub-contracting sector more broadly.
We have numerous examples of members helping to fulfil the PPE shortage. Mowbray Leather Goods converted half its factory to produce face shields, all made from re-usable and recyclable clear PET. Member Swanline Print diverted resources into the design and production of face visors, Lancashire Textiles switched from producing mattresses and bed-linen to making surgical masks. Kemp Sails in Wareham worked with the McLaren F1 team and medical staff from the University of Southampton to produce personal respirators for frontline healthcare staff.
Another member on the south coast, Excell Metal Spinning Ltd of Portsmouth, supported behind-the-scenes, providing its customers in the construction, medical and civil engineering sectors with vital components such as HEPA filters used in ventilation extraction and valves for medical gas pipe systems - a key part of the hospital infrastructure. The efforts of our manufacturing colleagues are exemplary and speak volumes about the strength of innovation, adaptability, and resilience in our sector.
I answered questions from the audience on the importance of sustainability and circular economy for manufacturing in general. We also discussed the potential for new sales channels and direct-to-client selling post-pandemic.
Making the best use of this new in-person trade event world, it’s vital that all marketing professionals get back to demonstrating their products and manufacturing services to clients, even if everyone is still slightly hesitant to shake hands or may still prefer to be wearing a mask.
John Pearce will be speaking at Advanced Engineering on Wednesday 3 November at the NEC.
By Made in Britain 2 years ago | By Made in Britain