DAC102021

58 n D&C SHOW PREVIEW October 2021 www.drivesncontrols.com Countdown to April 2022 T he Drives & Controls Show and its cluster of associated events return to the Birmingham NEC next April after a Covid-enforced absence of four long years. Judging by the healthy attendance at the recent PPMA Show – despite the petrol shortages that week – there seems to be considerable pent-up demand for live face-to- face industrial events. Exhibitors are also showing their confidence in the return of physical events with more than 85% of the available space for the Drives & Controls Show already having been booked six months before the event. Alongside Drives & Controls will the co- located events: Smart Industry Expo; Air- Tech; Fluid Power & Systems; and Plant & Asset Management. Also running at the same time at the NEC, will be the Manufacturing Technologies Association’s Mach manufacturing event, as well as the new Engineering Supply Chain Show, also organised by the MTA, which is intended to tap into the painfully topical subject of supply chains. The 2022 Drives Show will see the return of the live robotic demonstration area, as well as pavilions hosted by Gambica and the EPTDA. There will also been an extensive seminar programme and, for the first time, the popular Talking Industry Webinar events will move from the digital sphere to three days of live panel discussions under the Talking Industry Live brand. As a CPD member, Talking Industry Live will include accredited seminars that reflect the global transformation to smart manufacturing, and provide panel discussions and insights into potential plants of the future. The seminars will cover all aspects of the digital transformation across the manufacturing spectrum, as well as looking at how digitalisation has helped during the Coronavirus pandemic and its importance in any future outbreak. Leading experts will address the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), discussing the practicalities, technologies and issues surrounding transition and implementation of digitalisation in UK manufacturing. The Manufacturing Technology Centre, which will have a significant presence at the show, will lead the discussion on the changing manufacturing landscape, including the challenges and opportunities, suggesting practical steps that manufacturers can take on the journey to embrace digitalisation in the post-Covid era. Other Talking Industry Live panel discussions will focus on how the growth of robotics can help to generate better ROIs and productivity, improve health and safety, enhance skills, and more. A returning feature, The Knowledge Hub, will emphasise technologies such as robotics and automation, energy efficiency, machine safety, drives, motion control, legislation, plant and asset management, and fluid power. It will bring together representatives from across industry including government agencies, research bodies, trade associations, and manufacturers. In one presentation, Nikesh Mistry, Gambica’s sector head for industrial automation, will explore why demand for automation technology is set to grow in the coming years, as well as examining automation trends in the UK. There will also be presentations fromMade Smarter, UKRI, BFPA, BCAS, Primary Engineer and many others, with full details appearing on the Drives ShowWeb site soon. Over the course of the three-day co- located events, both Talking Industry Live and The Knowledge Hub seminar programmes, will offer visitors the opportunity to seize the opportunities that exist and promote the benefits of adopting emerging digital technologies. A range of technical and practical case studies and seminars will cover topics related to the events. n We are now just six months away from the return to the NEC of the Drives & Controls Show and its associated events. We look ahead at what visitors can expect to find – including the launch of the new Talking Industry Live seminars. The 2022 Drives & Controls Show and its associated events will see the return of many familiar names from earlier editions of the Show. SHOW FACTS Where: NEC, Birmingham When: 5–7 April, 2022 Entry: Free Websites: https://www.drives-expo.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/drivesncontrols Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrivesnControls