Last week, some of the team were down in Birmingham with our client FEIN Power Tools for The Health and Safety Event 2023. Read the full story from FEIN’s account manager, Naomi…
Stepping into the NEC on the first day of the safety and security event series in Birmingham this year, I was met with crowds of safety enthusiasts waiting for the event doors to open.
Once inside the Health and Safety Event, I could see what everybody was waiting for. The room was packed with experts, waiting to share their company’s latest safety innovations – with bigger, better and bolder stands than previous years.
At Refresh, where we work with clients from many diverse sectors who want to capture the attention of lots of different decision makers, the Health and Safety Event is the perfect place to immerse in the safety concerns and developments of many industries in one place! It was also great to see the event returning to its expected lively atmosphere following a slightly quieter post-Covid turn out last year.
Here are some of my key learnings from the event…
Innovation
The topic on everyone’s mind – innovation. I spoke to many attendees throughout the day to see what had attracted them to the event in the first place. Innovation came up in every single conversation I had.
Overall, attendees were really keen to see the latest developments both from the brands they already had experience with, and crucially, those they had not encountered before. Whether to fulfil the safety standards in their own business or to ensure that they had the latest market information for their upcoming customer consultations, innovation and differentiation were key.
With budget constraints and rising costs impacting almost every sector in 2023, it would be natural to expect this to hamper innovation and hurt the businesses who are currently investing in bringing newer products to the market – however, conversations with attendees revealed quite the opposite. Ultimately, the feedback I received showed that safety cannot be compromised for cost and if the product’s value can be demonstrated, users are ready and willing to adapt!
Inclusion
Many attendees that I caught up with spoke very highly of the occasion for its inclusive nature, bringing together a huge, diverse range of safety solutions and experts into one room. This sparked really interesting conversations throughout the event because attendees from varied roles and sectors connected over shared responsibilities and the challenges that they each face in 2023.
It is great to be part of such a large, inclusive event, but as an exhibitor – how do you command attention on such a busy floor?
I put this question to the event attendees and although the answers were not entirely unexpected, I was surprised to see a few examples that were not adopting the basics on my walk around the show. I think this is best summed up by a health and safety manager who said:
“Physical demonstrations at these events always capture my attention; I ended up having a 20-minute conversation on a stand about a product I had never considered for my workplace before because I was so impressed with seeing it in action as I was walking past.”
He continued “Whereas, I have actually avoided a few stands that I had on my list to visit because when I approached, I could not even catch the eye of the exhibitors to ask any questions.”
International safety standards
At the event, I was also lucky enough to catch Ruth Wilkinson, head of policy at IOSH and Shelly Asquith, health and safety policy officer for the Trades Union Congress discussing the International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) adoption of a safe and healthy work environment as one of its five fundamental principles and rights at work, which occurred in June 2022.
Together, the experts provided the context around the adoption and ultimately, what it means for businesses in the UK.
Benefits included:
– Increased accountability for governments and employers in ensuring a safe and healthy working environment
– More attention paid to occupational safety and health
– The inclusion of health and safety requirements in future trade agreements
– Protection from the threat of legislation removal as a result of the REUL bill
The speakers concluded with the news that the International Labour Organisation will soon be revealing more about the latest fundamental right and how implementation looks – I’ll certainly be looking out for updates!
It was an informative day and I had a great time connecting with journalists, fellow attendees and the safety experts exhibiting. I was delighted to share the event insights with my clients and I’ll definitely be back next year!
Are you looking to exhibit at an upcoming trade show? Perhaps London Construction Week? Then get in touch via our contact us page here or check out our case studies here.