McMullin Harrington Limited

It’s now less than a month to Cevisama and I’ll be heading to Valencia for my annual pilgrimage to the tile show.  Last year there was a lot of space around and between stands and half full echoing car parks where there used to be exhibitors. It will be interesting to see if it is better attended by both exhibitors and the British trade this year given the uncertainty following the government cuts and VAT hike, and the contradictory nature of downbeat sentiment combined with statistics showing some increases in construction etc.  The reports of Cersaie, which I didn’t attend this year, being “buzzier” and busier than before, would encourage me to hope that Cevisama may well follow suit.
In any case it will be good to catch up with the latest trends, although I’m not expecting anything earth shattering given the depressed conditions – just improvements on what we had before e.g. advances in ink jet technology allowing even better imitations of nature etc.  It will also be good to see some of the old faces and find out what is happening in the wider world, doubtless over a beer or two or even perhaps three.
There seems to be a rash of trade shows in the UK this spring and with the build up to the London Olympics meaning that there will be a lot of construction taking place in the area over the next year, now might be a good time to consider exhibiting to those all important architects and contractors.  The Surface Design Show was highly thought of by those that exhibited last year, and Ecobuild was also a big success, but is making the transfer to Excel which is considered more difficult to get the notoriously travel shy architects to visit.  The Natural Stone Show and KBB London, though less relevant to the Olympic construction industry will both also take place at Excel early in the year.