IMHX 2016: Bringing you face-to-face with the future

IMHX 2016, the intralogistics event for supply chain professionals, is taking place from 13-16 September 2016 at the NEC Birmingham.

Sponsored by leading financial services provider Investec, this free-to-attend event will feature over 400 exhibitors in the ultimate materials handling supermarket, connecting buyers with suppliers – with all the latest products and services on show.

Logistics is a vitally important industry. Worth over *£93 billion to the UK economy, it employs one in twelve of the working population – some 2.3 million people across 196,000 companies – and is set to go from strength to strength as the UK’s economy further recovers and e-commerce experiences even greater growth.

According to figures from IMRG, in 2013 UK shoppers spent £91 billion online, with an anticipated spend of £107 billion in 2014, a predicted year-on-year growth of 17%. As internet retailing continues to grow, supply chain operators face even greater pressure as customers demand faster delivery times – and of course need a connected supply chain that can also handle returns quickly.

In response to this growth, for the first time, IMHX 2016 will feature a dedicated Supply Chain IT Village where providers will be on hand to help visitors meet these challenges – and discover the latest e-commerce solutions.

The last IMHX in 2013, which was attended by over 19,500 visitors, saw 77% of attendees stating that visiting IMHX would influence their buying decisions – and £94 million worth of orders can be attributed to buyers visiting the show.

Covering 30,000 square metres, approximately the area of four Wembley pitches, IMHX is the largest show of its kind in the UK and the only event where visitors can view a substantial number of live and dynamic demonstrations.

Rob Fisher, Director of Informa Exhibitions’ Materials Handling Group explains: “Despite the rise in digital communications, some might say because of it, face-to-face communication and interaction in business has rarely been more important.

“Research** has found that 80% of those interviewed agree that live events deliver a better return on investment than other media – making IMHX a must-attend event.”

After its successful debut in 2013, 2016 sees the return of the seminar programme, featuring leading speakers from the world of logistics, providing the ultimate networking and ideas exchange. IMHX 2016 will also feature pavilions from AMHSA (Automated Handling Systems Association) and the UKWA (United Kingdom Warehousing Association) as well as the regional heats of the RTITB “Operator of the year” competition, and the Design 4 Safety Awards.

“We are experiencing unprecedented levels of bookings with the majority of the sectors key players committed to IMHX 2016. We have already allocated over 70% of the available floor space which is remarkable given that we are still over 20 months away from the show”, said Rob Fisher.

“IMHX is attended by high quality decision makers with real purchasing power, alongside the absolute leaders in supply chain management and intralogistics who will showcase their latest solutions and cutting edge technology. This is where business happens, and the plans for IMHX 2016 are gathering real momentum”, he concluded.