 IMHX 2013 attracted record numbers of visitors and exhibitors. |
The International Materials Handling Exhibition (IMHX 2013), which was staged at Birmingham's NEC on 19-22 March, had the highest attendance ever, with over 19,500 visitors attending the triennial show.
Besides attracting 19,526 visitors, the UK logistics industry's flagship event also drew the highest-ever number of exhibitors (412) who showcased their products and services in four halls.
 Rob Fisher |
Rob Fisher, director of the Materials Handling Group of organiser Informa, says: "The feedback we've had from exhibitors shows that the quality of the visitor profile is excellent, resulting in a large volume of high-quality leads from senior people."
British Industrial Truck Association (BITA), the show's co-organiser, was also happy with the exhibition. James Clark, secretary general of BITA, says many of the association's members enjoyed "serious and positive discussions" at the event.
Paul Watson, general sales manager for Doosan Industrial Vehicles, boasts his company had one of the biggest and most impressive stands with a huge range of products. "We believe that it was well worth our investment."
Doosan UK director Tim Waples says the company has had "fantastic feedback from our dealers, customers and special guests".
 Doosan had one of the largest stands at IMHX 2013. |
Doosan has traditionally used the IMHX show as a launch pad for new initiatives, a tradition it continued this year with the launch of a new reach truck, warehouse equipment range and low-emission diesel engines.
"We received several quality enquiries from potential customers, plus valuable enquiries for larger fleets, all of which makes the effort well worthwhile," Waples adds.
Belgian-based TVH has attended all previous editions of IMHX. This year, its 216 sqm (2,325 sqft.) stand was bigger than in past years. The forklift parts and accessories supplier displayed its liftCam, a wireless camera; and Femco, an oil change system. TVH also raised over GBP600 (USD906) for the Marie Curie Cancer Care charity at its stand.
PowerCell is so pleased with this year's show that it has already booked a place for IMHX 2016. Managing director Derek Anderson says the industrial battery supplier gave away miniature rugby balls as promotional items that genuinely reflected the core values of its business. "...each [rugby] player relies on the player behind to back him up. Similarly, in our industry, a company must be able to trust us implicitly to support them every step of the way."
A large number of forklift models made their début at IMHX 2013. Toyota Material Handling UK previewed its latest products - due for release later in the year - including the new Traigo80 electric-powered forklift and the Lithium Ion warehouse range. Linde Material Handling UK officially unveiled its new reach truck range on the opening morning of the show. Crown Lift Trucks displayed not only the nine new products it has introduced in the UK during the past year but also QuickPick Remote, its new semi-automated low-level order picker.
Combilift chose IMHX for the world première of its first pedestrian truck, the new Combi-WR Walkie Reach. The company also showcased its new C4000E multi-directional model, an electric forklift that offers indoor and outdoor operation. Yale Europe Materials Handling showed its 'V' series of electric counterbalance forklifts for the first time in the UK, while Doosan unveiled the brand-new 1.4T and 1.6T capacity models in its recently launched 7-series of reach trucks. Translift Bendi used IMHX to launch the world's first articulated order picking truck, the Bendi Order Picker, which combines man-up order picking with conventional stacking in 1.6 m (5.3 ft.) wide aisles. Jungheinrich, too, staged the world première of its brand-new reach truck, the ETV 318, at IMHX 2013.
Also making their débuts at IMHX were the French brand, Manitou, the forklift range of which is now available in the UK; CESAB Material Handling, which exhibited for the first time at IMHX with its European-manufactured range of counterbalance, reach, powered pallet and hand pallet trucks; and HC Forklifts UK, recently established to import and distribute the HC range of forklifts from the Chinese manufacturer Hangcha.
Besides the forklifts, other displays ranged from the gigantic, world-first hybrid reach stacker towering over the stand of Cooper Specialised to EnerSys Motive Power's new model in its Hawker XFC battery range that features advanced Lithium-Ion technology.
Sponsored by BNP Paribas Leasing Solutions, IMHX 2013 was opened by world land speed record breaker, Richard Noble OBE, who is project director for the latest record-attempting vehicle, the Bloodhound SSC (SuperSonic Car). The 14 m (46 ft.) jet- and rocket-powered car was displayed at IMHX in the show's Skills & Apprenticeships Zone.
The Skills & Apprenticeships Zone also featured one of the vehicles entering the 'Enduro Challenge' engineering competition for schools organised by the BITA Academy, BITA's dedicated apprenticeship training facility. The challenge, held later this year, is for secondary school teams to design, build and race an electrically powered vehicle.
IMHX provided a packed program of free seminars to help companies improve their materials handling. The IMHX Logistics Excellence Conference featured presentations at strategic level delivered by industry experts, while the IMHX Logistics Case Study Conference offered sessions that outlined best practice from a range of blue-chip companies.
 Design 4 Safety winners pose with their certificates. |
The Automated Material Handling Systems Association (AMHSA) offered visitors insight into a range of logistics automation topics with its 'Meet the Expert' presentations in the AMHSA Pavilion.
A brand-new feature area at IMHX was the UKWA 3PL Zone, hosted by the United Kingdom Warehousing Association (UKWA). Roger Williams, CEO of UKWA, says the association showcased the wide range of products and services offered by its membership of over 600 companies.
Winners in six categories for the Design 4 Safety competition, recognising product design in improving safety in the materials handling industry, were announced during the expo.
The winners in each of the six categories:
- OCME Auriga Laser Guided Vehicle in the Automation category
- Hörmann Light Grille in the Goods-in, Goods-out category
- Crown WT 3040 rider powered pallet truck in the Industrial Vehicles & Ancillary Products category
- KASTOunitower in the Racking & Storage category
- Sentry Protection Products Collision Sentry in the Technology category
- "Taking Care with Toyota - A Year of Safety" in the Safety Practices category
Another contest that was featured was the RTITB Operator of the Year Competition - the heats of which took place over the four days of the show. Skilled forklift operators from the UK and Ireland competed in a special arena for the chance to move forward to the Grand Final in September. The 10 grand finalists are Philip Contento, Richard Whiteley, Andrew McCormick, Simon Bottomley, Colin Price, Anthony O'Reilly, John Lawson Jnr, Ryszard Janus, Jonathan Morgan and Graham Fitter.
 The Social Media Zone was a brand-new feature at IMHX 2013. |
A new feature that sparked interest at the show was the Social Media Zone, which featured a giant iPhone that displayed the IMHX Twitter feed and which was the focus for a lively 'Tweet-up' on the last morning of the exhibition.
Exhibitors provided a wealth of competitions and entertainment to make the IMHX experience enjoyable for visitors.
Battery specialist GNB Industrial Power held daily competitions to win a pair of tickets to a Porsche Carrera race meeting, with a Porsche GT3 Cup Car - sponsored by GNB's parent group, Exide Technologies - displayed on the stand.
Visitors to the stand of racking and storage specialist APEX Linvar had the chance to win an iPad; logistics software supplier AEB had an iPod shuffle up for grabs; and logistics systems supplier SSI Schaefer held a prize draw to win four tickets to the DTM German Touring Cars racing at UK race circuit Brands Hatch.
LPG supplier Calor Gas offered visitors the chance to drive some remote-controlled forklifts and win on-the-spot prizes by guiding them through a series of obstacles. Meanwhile, energy specialist Hoppecke Industrial Batteries invited visitors to take part in the Extra Mile challenge using a state-of-the-art Wattbike training bike, with contestants' names added to a 'Top Gear'-style leader board.
 Linde treated the crowds to an aerial acrobatic display. |
Linde Material Handling UK treated the crowds to an aerial acrobatic display at the launch of its new reach truck, Toyota Material Handling UK gave visitors the opportunity to try out its new and unique forklift simulator for the first time and Briggs Equipment UK challenged visitors to a Scalextric (electric car racing game) contest.
IMHX 2016 is moving to an autumn slot and new halls. Fisher says the show will take place on 13-16 September in halls 9 to 12 of the NEC.