The exhibition (September 27-28), backed by TRADA, was sold out and next year’s event is expanding into an adjacent hall at Coventry’s Ricoh Arena and will be 50% larger. Attendance on the first day was about 2,000 people – a mix of construction professionals, architects, specifiers and timber industry visitors.

As well as UK traders, an international presence included companies and associations from Belgium, Canada, Germany, Austria, Ireland, Ghana and Malaysia. Irish sawmills Glennon Brothers, Murray Timber Products and Graingers shared an Irish stand along with Coillte.

Organisers say 40% of next year’s expanded event has already been booked.

“The positivity in the hall is fantastic,” Loretta Sales, event director, said on the second day of the show.

“Everyone is really happy with the quality of people that have come. The visitors have liked the fact it’s a focused event on timber and all its applications and they like the content of the seminars.”

Leading timber product distributor James Latham has already booked a 50% bigger stand for next year’s event.

“There has been a lot of high quality leads from people who are genuinely interested in timber and we have received a lot of enquiries,” said Chris Sutton, Lathams director.

Meanwhile, Timbmet marketing director Liz Richards said the company’s initial feedback was that the show attracted the “right audience” – a mix of existing and new customers.

Robert Bruce, director of MH Southern, reported a great number of visitors and quality leads, “which is the purpose of us coming to an event like this”.

 “This is key for us,” said Richard Lowe, head of sales and marketing at Coillte’s forest division. “We are delighted to be over here. We’ve had a lot of throughput here and the right sort of people.”

International Timber used the show to highlight its new joinery product – Accoya redwood components – a redwood laminated window component faced with durable Accoya modified wood. The product is expected to be priced around 30% cheaper than a comparable solid Accoya product.

Meanwhile Edinburgh Napier University revealed the first UK-produced cross laminated panels, made from British timber.

German panel/door blank producer SWL Tischlerplatten Betriebs, along with its Indonesian-based supply partner BBP told T&SB they are looking for a UK agent/distributor, while Italian laminated wood producer Albertani Corporates spa used Timber Expo as part of its new European marketing campaign.

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