Building Tech Live lights the way for smart buildings

As technology continues to disrupt and transform the construction industry, the sector will get its own trade show as Building Tech Live comes to the NEC on 9 to 11 October, as part of the construction industry’s largest event, UK Construction Week (UKCW).

Evolving from last year’s Smart Buildings show and following feedback from visitors and exhibitors, Building Tech Live will reportedly cover the very latest technological advancements in IoT (Internet of Things), lighting, automation, security, communication technology and more.

As this industry continues to boom, AMA Research indicates sectors such as lighting was estimated to be worth £2.4 billion in 2017 thanks to the growing popularity of LED lighting, with further expansion forecast for the year ahead. Li-Fi technologies for wireless communications via LED lighting is particularly exciting, promising data transfer speeds 100 times faster than Wi-Fi.

Nathan Garnett, UKCW event director, said: “Building Tech Live is at the heart of our innovation theme this year. What these architectural, communications and connectivity, smart lighting and security technologies offer for commercial and residential fit-outs is mind-blowing.

“This is such a forward-thinking sector, so Building Tech Live is an unmissable event for any electrotechnical expert, developer, architect or interior designer who wants to be up to date on the latest technology and to see exactly how it all works together.”

Visitors will get a real, practical experience of IoT in the Gooee IoT Arena. The arena will showcase Gooee’s award-winning IoT ecosystem with its partnered companies and includes a number of keynote speakers and interactive sessions.

The Building Tech Live Theatre will cover sessions on smart homes, cyber security, fire safety and prevention, and will showcase new examples of the sector’s use of augmented reality, virtual reality and artificial intelligence. Expert speakers will include Professor Prashant Pillai, professor of cyber security at the University of Wolverhampton; Steve Martin, director of technical at ECA; David Williams, head of strategic marketing at Schneider Electric, plus many more.

Linking in with UKCW’s ‘Future of Construction’ theme, the Innovation Trail will feature the latest thinking in products, systems and ideas for the building technology sector with exhibitors including Canon, GEWISS, Kore, My Smart Box, and Okappy.

Free CPD sessions will cover topics such as BIM and cyber security, while major debates around national and international construction issues will take place on the UKCW Stage. Speakers already confirmed include Phil Wilbraham, expansion programme director at Heathrow; Bridget Rosewell OBE, commissioner at the National Infrastructure Commission; Ben Derbyshire, RIBA president; and Ruth Davidson, National Housing Federation executive director.

Echoing the industry’s widespread call for greater efforts to attract new talent, this year’s event also aims to support the industry’s leaders of the future, celebrating them through the Role Models initiative.

Role models are taking part in an outreach programme, going to colleges and schools in the coming months to talk to students and teachers at key stages of their education to explain what inspired them to choose construction as a career and to bust any myths around the image of construction.

Thirty-seven inspiring men and women have recently been shortlisted for this campaign, and the overall Role Model of the Year will be announced on 10 October.