Taking place on 18-20 June 2019 at ExCeL London, IFSEC and the other shows demonstrated notable visitor growth, representing 39 188 unique visitors, including thousands of international visitors from 128 countries – boasting an overall combined budget of £45,7 billion.
IFSEC International 2019 welcomed a total of 34 756 visitors, seeing growth in high-quality visitors representing 117 different countries and a combined annual purchasing budget of £23 billion, showing the potential scale of investment its visitors were in a position to make. IFSEC also saw a substantial increase in visitors coming in from neighbouring shows – FIREX International, Facilities Show and Safety & Health Expo – and engaging with exhibitors.
IFSEC’s growth was also demonstrated in a greater increase of distributors and channel partnerships, with the diverse range of international visitors allowing exhibitors to establish buying chains in a number of new territories.
The positive response to IFSEC International was driven by a number of key highlights, in particular the first ever Surveillance Camera Day, launched by Tony Porter, the UK’s Surveillance Camera Commissioner. This centred on a new minimum requirement for surveillance cameras – ‘Secure by Design’ – which was introduced and discussed by Porter across several well-attended keynote sessions.
FIREX International
FIREX International saw an impressive 4 percent increase in year-on-year visitors and a 13 percent increase in the visitor-to-exhibitor ratio. Visitors came from 73 countries, representing a broad cross-section of the fire safety profession: 16 percent of visitors came from the construction sector, reinforcing the interest seen in fire safety in the wake of Grenfell, and complementing the growth in attendance seen at the Tall Building Fire Safety Conference this year. A further 12 percent of the audience was involved with manufacturing, revealing a thriving sector bursting with innovation.
Safety & Health Expo
Safety & Health Expo saw steady visitor growth driven by an impressive selection of highlights, including a 75-hour CPD-accredited educational seminar programme, the brand-new Workplace Wellbeing Show and the new PPE Attack Zone.
Facilities Show
Facilities Show also demonstrated a 3 percent increase in visitors, continuing a three-year upward trend in attendance. As with the other shows, this resulted in a 4 percent increase in the number of visitors per exhibitor, giving every exhibitor an increased opportunity to meet the strong numbers of TFMs, facilities directors, C-suite executives, directors, owners and heads of departments. Demonstrating the importance of this sector, the visitors to Facilities Show boasted a combined annual purchasing budget of £9,2 billion.
Among the highlights driving such strong numbers was the Smart Buildings Expo – a new area dedicated to showcasing smart buildings technology, including a working replica of a smart office building, which attracted considerable attention from visitors. Facilities Show also benefited from increased footfall resulting from the inspirational speakers – a shared feature with Safety & Health Expo.
The year ahead
These strong numbers represented the four events’ continued centrality to their respective industries. Showcasing the most innovative products, providing education and helping connect thousands of professionals with hundreds of leading exhibitors, each has proved itself an essential part of the industry calendar, reflected in the visitor growth and their continued innovation.
Next year, IFSEC International, FIREX International, Safety & Health Expo and Facilities Show will take place on 19-21 May 2020.
Smart Buildings Expo will expand to become its own event alongside Facilities Show, and the Smart Buildings Experience in association with Vanti will return with a new, wider remit aiming to integrate even more suppliers into its programme.
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