REVIEW 2019
PLANTWORX 2019 PROVED TO BE A TRIUMPHANT SHOW industry’s heritage. More than 20 items of classic machinery were on display which included vintage JCB and Caterpillar machines in addition to classic Perkins Engines.
The 4th biennial Plantworx Construction Machinery Show, incorporating Railworx, hosted by the CEA (Construction Equipment Association), fell victim once again to monsoon weather conditions, although the show was blessed with a brief respite on the middle day of the event. However, the rain did not ‘stop play, and hardy visitors braved the elements and flocked through the gates to see the plethora of brand-new equipment and products on display, at the show’s new home at the East of England Arena, Peterborough. One visitor via twitter said, “We are not made of paper in our industry - a bit of rain won’t put me off” – and this proved to be true. The Plantworx team revealed that footfall reached in excess of 13,700 over the three-days of the event, despite the biblical conditions. The show was 20% larger than the 2017 event and was home to more than 450 exhibitors, including Railworx exhibitors, and was the biggest Plantworx to date. The new ‘all weather’ venue was a big hit with both visitors and exhibitors alike – and the Plantworx team received a host of positive comments via the telephone, email and social media platforms.
New initiatives This year’s event was packed with new initiatives and innovations which represented the current demands in the ever-evolving
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construction sector. The show saw major launches including the new CEA and HMG commissioned Sector Report. The CEA and Datatag also launched the latest incarnation of the CESAR Scheme – the innovative Emissions Compliance Verification (ECV) functionality. The CESAR ECV is an invaluable ‘bolt-on’ product which complements the existing CESAR Security System and additionally allows quick and easy verification of a machines emissions category. Railworx, which was co-located with Plantworx, was a welcome addition to the event. It was the first time that rail has had such a significant presence at the show, and - with CP6 and major projects such as HS2 - it reflected the growing importance of rail infrastructure to the UK construction industry. New zones included the Classic Plant Arena where the show celebrated the construction
Also new was the Get SET (Skills, Employment, Education and Training) Zone, which proved a popular destination for visitors who were looking to explore job openings, training courses, apprenticeships, get support and advice about skills education, employment and training opportunities across the rail and construction sectors. The Department of International Trade’s Export Hub truck came to Plantworx for the first time this year, bringing DIT’s own rail, infrastructure and mining teams along - as well as colleagues from Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, and Ukraine. It also hosted UK Export Finance and colleagues from DIT Latin America. Mark Smith, Department for International Trade’s, Mining Sector Manager for Infrastructure, Global Trade and Investment, said: “The Export Hub and DIT stand generated strong interest from UK equipment and service companies looking to do business overseas and learn more about the DIT support available. And our buyers from Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia and Ukraine as well as DIT’s commercial officers were impressed by the range and number of participating companies, with a number of good meetings, and opportunities to follow up on. We look forward to Plantworx 2021!”
