DesignBUILD 2012 - A Thriving Success

Trades, professionals and exhibitors thrived at DesignBUILD

This year's DesignBUILD was labelled a success by visitors and exhibitors alike, commended for it's ability to bring together all the important elements of design, building and construction and showcase them all in an interesting and engaging environment, all under one roof.

Held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, visitors sourced new innovations and ideas to save them time and money and win more contracts, while exhibitors were busy explaining specifications and genuinely engaging with potential customers said Exhibition Manager, Frank Matus.

"There was a real buzz onsite throughout the expo, especially during Thursday's late night opening, cemented by stronger registration and attendance figures than 2010, when the expo was last in Melbourne," he said.

The DesignBUILD expo will return to Melbourne in 2014, sharing the expo experience next year with Sydney.

"Walking around the DesignBUILD show floor, it was actually quite hard to speak directly with exhibitors because they always seem to be engaged with visitors - whether they are talking about specifications or demonstrating how a tool or product works.

"Exhibitors that I have spoken to seem particularly impressed with the high standard of relevant industry visitors, while visitors are telling us that the exhibitor mix is not just appropriate but inspiring," he said.

Mr Matus said it was incredibly important for DesignBUILD to get the mix exactly right, so that industry professionals had easy access to one location to see all the elements important to building and designing innovatively, sustainably and successfully.

"We're not just about Green Building, but we do have the largest ever Green Building Zone, and we're not just about new tools, but we do have Live Demo Stations showcasing leading brands.

"We also run a CPD accredited seminar series and showcase work vehicles with the Mazda BT-50 on show this year, as well as an International Pavilion for those who want to see what's trending around the globe," he said.

Mr Matus added that the seminar series had also been popular with speakers such as Cameron Rosen from Australian Living attracting a sell-out audience.

"DesignBUILD is developed to deliver content relevant to trades and professionals who want to stay on the leading edge of construction skills and design innovations that continue to drive the industry forward.

"These are industry leaders who embrace the opportunity to see new Australian and international products, hear from industry experts on trends and new developments and talk to leading manufacturers and suppliers.

"They are positioning themselves to win more work and deliver better building outcomes and DesignBUILD offers that opportunity in one easy location," he said.

The DesignBUILD expo will open at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre 8 - 10 May, 2013 and will return to Melbourne in 2014.

Attendance to the expo remains free for industry trades and professionals who register online www.designbuildexpo.com.au