Last year heralded the start of a partnership between Qimtek and the Subcon show – one of the most prominent events in the engineering industry’s calendar.
Subcon invited exhibition veterans Qimtek to become a show partner, as they felt that their network could provide the show with an additional facet of industry knowledge, as well as the opportunity for extensive networking amongst Qimtek’s purchasers and vendors.
The success of 2016’s show proved this correct. Qimtek worked closely with Subcon to promote the event, resulting in a high representation from companies within Qimtek’s network. Their representatives mingled at the invite-only drinks reception, putting faces to names and being introduced to new contacts. In addition, Qimtek members enjoyed preferential rates on stands within the Qimtek village, situated in a high-footfall location designed to maximise the exposure of those exhibiting. Purchasers utilised the Qimtek-sponsored Buyer’s Lounge as either a venue for discussing opportunities with potential suppliers, or for regrouping between meetings. All of these exclusive benefits were conducive to a productive show and due to its now-proven success, Subcon have invited Qimtek to continue their collaboration into 2017.
Running from the 6th to the 8th of June at the NEC in Birmingham, Subcon 2017 will co-locate with the Advanced Manufacturing Show, as well as The Engineer Design and Innovation Show. This will optimise attendance figures, resulting in a wider-reaching audience than that of its predecessor. Qimtek is working hard on their contribution, with a number of members already booking stands within the 2017 Qimtek village.
The Buyer’s Lounge will open its doors for the entire duration the event. In addition to offering refreshments to purchasing affiliates of Qimtek, it will also provide them with the opportunity to receive a demonstration of the free Drag, Drop, Source! service, designed to save buying staff both time and resources in identifying the right suppliers for their subcontract needs.
Following the positive feedback from last year’s reception, Qimtek will host an invite-only drinks event for its buyers and subcontract suppliers, providing a chance to discuss upcoming business opportunities.
‘Although Qimtek has been exhibiting since the late Nineties, 2016 was the first time that we put together the Qimtek Manufacturing Village to maximise potential business from the buyers using our sourcing service,’ Dean Munkley, Qimtek’s UK Marketing Manager explains. ‘I’m pleased to say that most of the members who joined us have reported that they won work from the introductions we brought them.’
‘We are very excited about 2017. This year there will be three shows in one, which should naturally produce a higher footfall for us and our members to engage with even more buyers,’ he continues. ‘Combined with the design of the Buyer’s Lounge – in which we’ve invested a significant amount of time and money – we hope that this year’s event will revolutionise the way our members exhibit.’