FIT Show – Home To Opportunities

Some conversations simply work better in person, writes Forel’s Joe Hague. You exchange ideas that often lead to the biggest opportunities. That’s why I like the FIT Show.

Bringing people together in one place, building relationships and seeing technology first-hand. That is the power of face-to-face engagement. It is exactly why trade shows matter.

I’ve been involved with every edition of FIT Show and I’ve seen first-hand how much the event has developed over the years. I’ve also seen what happens when major industry shows disappear.

When an event closes its doors, the impact is much bigger than losing a few days in the diary. The industry loses a meeting place, a shop window, a source of information and an opportunity for the whole supply chain to come together.

Not to be taken for granted

FIT Show is the only dedicated UK event bringing together the fenestration, glass, glazing, building and installation communities in one place. That is something we cannot take for granted. Forel will be there again in May 2027.

Taking opportunities

There is uncertainty in the market, pressure on margins, ongoing regulatory change and constant demands to work more efficiently. Yet difficult conditions do not mean we should step back from the opportunities available to us. In many cases, they make those opportunities more important.

A trade show gives businesses the chance to step away from the day-to-day, see what is changing, understand what is coming next and have meaningful conversations with the people who can help them move forward.

FIT Show only works when every part of the industry gets behind it.

Who do I think should be there?

Machinery manufacturers like Forel, of course. The trade press – Fabrication & Glazing Eye is a must along with sister title, Installation Eye. Systems companies and component and hardware manufacturers. Glass processors and suppliers. Software and technology providers and training providers. Trade bodies and industry associations. Fabricators. Distributors and service providers. And I’d like to see fabricators there as exhibitors as well as visitors. And we could not do without installers and fitters.

Every link has a role to play and every link benefits when the industry has a strong, relevant and properly supported meeting place.

FIT Show is an opportunity for exhibitors to demonstrate what they are delivering for customers. It is a chance to show how products, machinery, services and expertise can help businesses improve productivity, solve problems, meet new requirements and take advantage of emerging opportunities.

This is particularly important now, when businesses are making careful decisions about where to invest their time and money.

We need visitors

FIT Show is about finding practical answers to the issues businesses are facing every day. It is about understanding the latest standards and regulations, seeing new machinery and processing solutions, exploring products from existing and potential suppliers and learning from likeminded people who are dealing with the same challenges.

You may come to the show looking for one particular product or supplier, but you often leave with ideas, knowledge and contacts that can influence your business well beyond the event itself.

If manufacturers want a platform to launch products, suppliers want access to customers, installers want relevant education and visitors want to see the latest solutions, then we all have a responsibility to support the event.

That means exhibiting, visiting, sharing information, encouraging colleagues to attend and being prepared to have an open conversation about what the industry needs next.

FIT Show is an opportunity to lift our heads, share what is working, understand what is changing and help shape the future of the industry.

50 years

As Forel reaches its 50th anniversary, it feels especially significant to be part of an event that connects our experience and innovation with the future of the UK market. We believe in supporting the industry, meeting customers face to face and demonstrating the technologies that can help businesses move forward. FIT Show is not just another event in the calendar. It is our industry’s UK meeting place. Everybody should be planning to be there.

Picture: Joe Hague, International Business Development Manager, Forel.

www.forelspa.com/forel-uk

www.fitshow.co.uk