{"id":1711,"date":"2018-07-24T15:46:38","date_gmt":"2018-07-24T14:46:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.constructionplantworld.com\/news\/?p=1711"},"modified":"2018-07-24T15:46:38","modified_gmt":"2018-07-24T14:46:38","slug":"hillhead-2018-an-industry-showpiece","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.constructionplantworld.com\/news\/2018\/07\/hillhead-2018-an-industry-showpiece\/","title":{"rendered":"Hillhead 2018 – An Industry Showpiece"},"content":{"rendered":"

With an unprecedented 546 exhibitors and almost 20,000 trade visitors in attendance, Hillhead 2018 was the biggest and most successful show to date<\/em><\/p>\n

For three gloriously sunny days at the end of June, as Britain sweltered in simmering summer temperatures, Tarmac\u2019s Hillhead Quarry, near Buxton, Derbyshire, once again became the focal point for the international mineral products, recycling and construction equipment industries with the staging of Hillhead 2018 \u2013 the world\u2019s biggest working quarry show.<\/p>\n

With every square metre of exhibition space fully occupied, this year\u2019s trade fair registered an all-time high for the overall number of exhibitors (546), while the total attendance amounted to a record-breaking 19,687 unique visitors \u2013 surpassing the show\u2019s previous highest attendance record set in 2005.<\/p>\n

\"\"Regular attendees would have noticed the new layout inside the Registration Pavilion, which had been expanded (again) to boost its capacity to 90 exhibitors, to meet the strong demand for exhibition space at the show. The Registration demonstration area at the top of the showground was also redesigned to accommodate additional static stands and demonstrations showcasing working plant. And providing a spectacular focal point to this newly expanded area was the \u2018Man Engine\u2019, Britain\u2019s largest mechanical puppet, which proved to be a real crowd-puller \u2013 wowing audiences during the three-day event.<\/p>\n

The general consensus among the exhibitors and visitors at this year\u2019s Hillhead was that this was perhaps the best show yet with more live plant and equipment demonstrations, more new product and service launches, and more technological innovations than ever before.<\/p>\n

Expressing his delight at the show, Simon Kennedy, national sales manager for Bomag (GB), said the company had had one of its most successful Hillhead appearances to date. \u2018The response to our heavy compaction equipment, product innovations and aftermarket developments has been absolutely phenomenal,\u2019 he commented. \u2018It\u2019s been a very positive and productive event for us, with many orders taken and, unexpectedly, a number of machines on display were sold to customers visiting the stand. We had a lot of enquiries and received excellent feedback. It really could not have gone any better, so much so that we are keen to take a bigger stand at the next Hillhead show.\u2019<\/p>\n

Likewise, Amy Metcalfe marketing manager of SMT GB, the UK distributors of Volvo CE products, said the company\u2019s presence at Hillhead 2018 had been \u2018highly successful\u2019. She added: \u2018Intermat was quiet and we thought perhaps people are getting fed up with shows, but Hillhead has been really busy.\u2019<\/p>\n

In a similar vein, David Kinloch, regional manger for UK & Ireland at CDE Global, said he was very pleased with the huge interest shown in the company\u2019s newest products at Hillhead, most notably the AggMax 163SR log-washer and two brand new Infinity screen models. \u2018It\u2019s been an excellent show for us, as we\u2019ve picked up a substantial number of positive leads and even closed a number of deals on the stand,\u2019 he enthused.<\/p>\n

Importantly, Hillhead offers overseas companies an ideal opportunity to break into the UK and Ireland markets, and first-time exhibitors Superior Industries, based in Minnesota, in the US, were highly enthusiastic about the show. \u2018As a foreign business trying to break into the UK and European bulk materials handling markets, we had to exhibit at the show,\u2019 said Michael Dunne, who oversees the company\u2019s international business development. \u2018Hillhead is the largest exhibition of its kind in the world and we were impressed with the scale and quality of visitors to our stand. As a result, we have received a number of excellent leads and made a lot of contacts, which will help us promote our brand and products to a wider UK and international audience.\u2019<\/p>\n

The middle day of Hillhead (Wednesday) is usually the busiest of the three days and by the end of the morning on 27 June, most exhibitors were reporting packed stands with lots of business activity, none more so than Finning, who described this year\u2019s exhibition as \u2018the best and busiest Hillhead they have ever experienced\u2019.<\/p>\n

As well as impressive outdoor exhibits \u2013 which included a Cat 745 articulated dumptruck and Cat 320 excavator \u2013 indoor exhibits on the Finning\/Sitech stand focused on future technological developments and solutions for the construction equipment industry. These ranged from state-of-the-art simulators and aerial survey drones to sophisticated 2D and 3D grade-control software, all designed to help fleet operators to manage their machines efficiently while improving safety and reducing operational costs.<\/p>\n

\u2018The response to the VR technology, remote-controlled bulldozers and other heavy equipment has been very positive,\u2019 said Phil Lewis, head of Finning Managed Solutions (FMS). \u2018Hillhead has provided a future-forward showcase that allows attendees to see and test what is out there now for companies like ourselves, and what\u2019s possible. There has been a lot of footfall on our stand during the show and we\u2019ve been busy all day, every day. We couldn\u2019t have asked for a better exhibition, particularly in terms of the quality of visitors.\u2019<\/p>\n

Among the other exhibitors keen to show off their latest technology were Keestrack, who presented their revolutionary H4e mobile cone crusher at Hillhead 2018. Making its UK debut, the highly compact plant with optional integrated pre-screen and three-deck hanging screen was displayed as a fully hybrid electric version capable of offering significant energy savings in secondary or tertiary crushing. Michael Brookshaw, Keestrack\u2019s global distributor manager, said: \u2018We were really impressed by the large international attendance at this year\u2019s show. We met numerous expert visitors from all over Europe and our overseas market regions, including the Americas and Asia.\u2019<\/p>\n

Case Construction Equipment were equally positive about the benefits of exhibiting at this year\u2019s event, as Crispin Turner, marketing manager for Case Northern Europe, explained: \u2018We had a very good show and were incredibly busy throughout \u2013 helped, of course, by the fine weather. It is key for us to exhibit at Hillhead because it is the premier event for the quarrying and construction equipment industries.<\/p>\n

On the Atlas Copco stand, marketing assistant Rebecca Donovan said Hillhead 2018 was the perfect show for bringing people up to speed with the company\u2019s extensive line of new products, from generators and portable compressors to pumps and lighting towers. \u2018This is my first ever Hillhead and I have been particularly impressed with the scale and quality of visitors to our stand,\u2019 she commented. \u2018It is a unique trade show, but more importantly it gives us an opportunity to build relationships with prospective and existing customers. We\u2019ve had a lot of top-level people on the stand enquiring about our new technologies and we have a number of good leads to follow up. Overall, it has been a fantastic show.\u2019<\/p>\n

Also attending Hillhead for the first time, recently formed Epiroc (formerly part of Atlas Copco) offered visitors the chance to view their SpeedCut 100 diamond wire cutting machine aimed at the dimension stone industry, alongside hydraulic breakers from the marketing-leading SB range right up to the HB 10000, which is said to be the largest breaker in the world. Emma Crump, product-marketing manager (hydraulic attachment tools) for Epiroc, said the show was very positive with the company\u2019s new brand identity and recently rebranded products. \u2018Following our separation from Atlas Copco, it was important to send out the message to customers that Epiroc products come from the same production, distribution and sales centres as they did under the Atlas Copco name,\u2019 she commented.<\/p>\n

Another exhibitor who used this year\u2019s Hillhead show to unveil their new brand identity were Brammer Buck & Hickman, one of the UK\u2019s leading industrial supplies specialists. The company\u2019s brighter and bolder logo has been designed to further unify the Brammer and Buck & Hickman brands and to create a simpler and more modern brand identity. Chris McLaren, national key account manager \u2013 aggregates sector, for Brammer Buck & Hickman, said: \u2018For me, Hillhead is the best trade fair to capture an audience; the size and scale of this show are outstanding. We couldn\u2019t have asked for a better venue to launch our new brand logo and we hope to reinforce the brand in the minds of new and existing customers. The visitor response to the vast range of products we supply has, again, been tremendous.\u2019<\/p>\n

Echoing these sentiments was Ian Griffiths, managing director of Berkshire Engineering Supplies, who decided to relocate and take a bigger stand at this year\u2019s Hillhead. \u2018We took the decision to book a larger plot just outside the Registration Pavilion to showcase the full spectrum of products that we offer and it has clearly paid dividends,\u2019 he said. \u2018Visitor footfall on our stand has increased enormously and, as a result, we\u2019ve received numerous leads, some of which will hopefully be turned into orders.\u2019<\/p>\n

\"\"No Hillhead show would be complete without its working demonstrations. Indeed, the sights and sounds of the various live demonstration areas set in a real quarry are what make the show unique. Having the opportunity to demonstrate and witness plant and equipment doing a real \u2018job of work\u2019 in an actual quarry environment is invaluable for both exhibitors and visitors alike, and this year there was more live action than ever with more than 80 machines in action in Hillhead\u2019s four demo areas, with several companies putting on demonstrations for the first time, alongside a whole host of regulars. The Quarry Face demonstration area alone \u2013 always one of Hillhead\u2019s biggest attractions \u2013 hosted more than 35 machines, including mobile crushers, excavators, wheel loaders, dumptrucks, dozers, cold planers, hydraulic breakers, screening buckets and mist cannons.<\/p>\n

Hillhead is also well known for attracting visitors from around the world and this year\u2019s event was no exception. In fact, 2018 proved to be the most international show to date with visitors from 88 countries contributing to a 28% show-on-show increase in overseas attendees.<\/p>\n

TEMA Isenmann were just one exhibitor amongst many who noted that their stand had welcomed more overseas visitors than at previous shows. Marketing manager Darren Bassingthwaighte remarked: \u2018There seemed to be more international interest in our screening media solutions this year, which shows Hillhead is recognized worldwide. We have welcomed visitors from Australia, Canada, Norway, Iceland and the Falkland Islands.\u2019<\/p>\n

Likewise, Reuben Bruce, managing director of Northern Ireland-based Bruce Engineering, was equally full of praise for this year\u2019s show and commented on the high-calibre international audience. \u2018Footfall on the stand was up on previous shows, the number of enquiries was up and the quality of the conversations was also up,\u2019 he remarked, adding that his stand had attracted visitors from the UK, France, Germany, Israel and Iran, and even from countries as far afield as South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Quite apart from the number of visitors, Mr Bruce had further reason to be cheerful, having completed the sale of the BWPOD 100 Bruce WashPod \u2013 the centrepiece of the company\u2019s stand \u2013 during the show.<\/p>\n

Summing up this year\u2019s show, exhibition director Richard Bradbury said: \u2018I\u2019m delighted that Hillhead is still setting attendance records 36 years after it was launched and would like to thank all of our exhibitors and visitors for making it our most successful edition yet.\u2019<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

With an unprecedented 546 exhibitors and almost 20,000 trade visitors in attendance, Hillhead 2018 was the biggest and most successful <\/p>\nRead more<\/a>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1712,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1711","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-plant-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.constructionplantworld.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1711","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.constructionplantworld.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.constructionplantworld.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.constructionplantworld.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.constructionplantworld.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1711"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.constructionplantworld.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1711\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1715,"href":"https:\/\/www.constructionplantworld.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1711\/revisions\/1715"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.constructionplantworld.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1712"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.constructionplantworld.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1711"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.constructionplantworld.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1711"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.constructionplantworld.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1711"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}