Railtex/Infrarail announced its satisfaction for the success of the trade fair, which allowed companies to resume business contacts in-person.
A total of 5,000 visitors have attended the last edition of Railtex/Infrarail, which took place in Birmingham (UK) from 7th to 9th
September. Railtex, the 15th International Exhibition of Railway Equipment, Systems and Services, and Infrarail, the 13th
International Railway Infrastructure Exhibition, have attracted to their joint trade fair over 3,000 visitors from management, engineering, planning and technical design backgrounds, with real purchasing decision powers and investment plans.
“We are so delighted with the outcome of our first show after eighteen months without face-to-face events. There is nothing like meeting in person to forge lasting relationships, meet colleagues and renew acquaintances. These last three days have provided the whole industry with an opportunity to get back on track through meaningful encounters and content both current and crucially relevant. And that in itself is a huge success,” stated Olaf Freier, Railtex/Infrarail Portfolio Director on behalf of Mack-Brooks Exhibitions.
The exhibitor feedback showed that companies were very satisfied with the results obtained at the fair. Most of them were able to reach their target audience and appreciated the high quality of trade visitors who, on the other hand, praised the product demonstrations and the on-track display. Many exhibitors also reported that they acquired new business contacts and positive sales enquiries. Finally, all the participating companies expressed their enthusiasm at being in-person again.
Railtex/Infrarial allowed companies to showcase a variety of new and innovative products, all with a clear focus on greener solutions, sustainability and decarbonisation, as well as digitalisation. The trade programme also included two conferences streams: “The Future Focus Conference” and “Unlocking Innovation Zone”, organised by the exhibition’s Main Show Partner RIA – the Railway Industry Association.
During the Opening Ceremony, Nicola Hamann – Managing Director of Mack-Brooks Exhibitions – welcomed all attendees and expressed her gratitude to everyone. The opening ceremony continued with a message from Darren Caplan, Chief Executive at Railway Industry Association (RIA). Later, Andrew Stephenson MP, Minister of State at the Department for Transport expressed his views on the future of the industry and upcoming projects, including HS2 and other development plans in northern regions of the UK. Keith Williams, Chair of the Williams Rail Review, discussed the Williams-Shapps plan for rail and how the Government aims to turn the UK rail network into the backbone of a cleaner, more modern and more environmentally friendly public transport system across the country.
Railtex and Infrarail together again in 2022
Mack-Brooks Exhibitions, the organiser of the event, has also announced that the two exhibitions would be co-located once again from 10th to 12th
May 2022 at Olympia London. By doing so, Railtex and Infrarail will provide the right business platform to support the levelling up of UK towns, cities and regions. The trade fair will offer several specialised components, from rolling stock to infrastructures, signalling technologies, station equipment and passenger information systems, in order to allow a coherent, functional and modern network to emerge all across the British territory.
Railtex and Infrarail are part of a series of targeted trade exhibitions that include EXPO Ferroviaria in Italy and SIFER in France. Together, the four trade shows have continued to receive strong support from major organisations shaping the European rail industry since their first editions and are set to use these same connections to provide a recovery platform for companies that have been affected by the pandemic.
After Railtex/Infrarail, the next fairs will be in Milan from 28th
to 30th September 2021 for EXPO Ferroviaria and in Lille from 26th
to 28th October 2021 for SIFER.