UK Construction Week reveals roadmap to recovery

Organisers of construction industry event and exhibition platform UK Construction Week have been working with key stakeholders to create an 18 month UKCW Road to Recovery capitalising on the government commitments made towards the construction industry.

The roadmap to recovery includes a new UK Construction Week set to take place from May 4 to 6 2021 in London. It will connect the whole supply chain in “an event designed to oil the wheels of construction commerce”, the organisers say.

Co-located with Grand Designs Live, UKCW London will benefit from 4 established Construction Summits staged at the same time, Quality, Wellbeing, Diversity and Marketing, as well as a Lean in Construction Training Workshop.

UK Construction Week Birmingham will return from 5th – 7th October at the NEC Birmingham, along with four conferences, 15 CPD and Workshop hubs and three major award presentations.

The UKCW Road to Recovery will also be partnered by The Times, with editorial support for the event.

Nathan Garnett, Director for UK Construction Week, said “The pandemic has put construction in the spotlight, from building NHS hospitals to pioneering COVID secure sites, and it has met all of the challenges head on. Now it has been asked to be the catalyst for the economy, and drive the recovery, and we will use all of our events and digital communities to assist in meeting that challenge head on as well”.

John Newcomb, CEO of Builders Merchants Federation and a member of the CLC Task Force added: “BMF members have been exceptionally busy over the lock down and have provided a crucial service to keep things moving. We are delighted that UK Construction Week will be providing an 18-month plan that allows us all to recover and adapt to the new normal, and capitalise on the opportunities now appearing for the sector”.

Purdie Proudman, marketing manager, merchant & contractor of Geberit said: “Geberit will be taking part in UK Construction Week’s Roadmap to recovery plans as we continue to invest and innovate across our bathrooms portfolio looking to support our customers adapt and recover in their new normal. We will be exhibiting at the new UKCW London as we see this as a real opportunity to drive demand.”

Peter Caplehorn, CEO of the Construction Products Association said “The Government has looked upon construction as a key part of the economy to keep going through the pandemic and ensure vital assets supporting the nation and NHS have continued to function. The industry now has to build on that considerable success of the last 4 months, and now is readying itself to support the growth in construction output that the government’s financial stimulus will generate. There is a significant job to do and UK Construction Week in London and Birmingham in the Spring and Autumn will assist in further connecting an industry that has come together like never before. If construction is to live up to the Prime Ministers mantra of build build build we will need every bit of the strength tenacity and expertise the industry has to offer.”

David Hancock, Construction Director of the Infrastructure Projects Authority said: “Government is embarking on one of the most substantial periods of investment in construction and infrastructure in history, with projects across the UK designed to improve the infrastructure of our country. These were important prior to the pandemic, but now take on the added importance of supporting our economic recovery. The IPA is therefore delighted to be involved in events like UK Construction Week designed to boost construction activity in these areas”.

The October 2020 edition of UK Construction Week has been postponed to 5-7 October 2021. Pilot events will be taking place to assess the viability of running exhibitions in September, but the organisers took the view that the re-start date of 1 October has come too late for an event on the scale of UK Construction Week to run successfully.

Exhibitor stands have been transferred to the October 2021 edition ensuring no exhibitor has incurred any financial penalty from the postponement.

There will be an online conference and event programme running 5-9 October 2020 where industry leaders will debate and scope out what a successful recovery looks like.