The UK coatings industry’s biennial trade show, Surfex, was held at the NEC on May 24-25.  A larger show floor and a growth in visitors signaled a triumph for the whole industry. 

The event was jointly organized by Vincentz Network (VN) and the British Coatings Federation (BCF), on behalf of the Oil and Colour Paint Chemists’ Association (OCCA).  There were 75 exhibitors from the coatings supply chain, filling a show floor which was 20% larger than in 2014; there was a 10% increase in registered visitors over 2014 too, with over 2,000 coatings experts gathered under one roof.  Exhibit spaces sold out in February, such was the anticipation of the show’s success.

Kevin Rafferty, Sales Director of Rakem, and Chair of the Surfex board said “We’re delighted the show was such a success – our industry has a thriving supply base, and many distributors and manufacturers made the most of the two day show to make new contacts and promote new technical innovations. Developing the next generation of products, to help add more value to applicators of coatings further down the supply chain, is crucial to any coatings company looking to find their competitive advantage, and Surfex provided a unique opportunity to discuss the latest innovations with a large variety of distributors and manufacturers under one roof.”

Jim Bury of Crown Paints and President of OCCA added “One of our main functions is to provide a platform for learning and it was very gratifying to see how well the presentations in the exhibition hall were supported and even more pleasing to receive the plaudits from those who attended the Technical Coatings Congress. We need to build on this and provide similar options again in 2018”.

Tom Bowtell, BCF’s CEO commented “An important part of our role as the coatings industry’s trade body is to promote the UK coatings industry, and having a healthy and well attended trade show is a vital part of showcasing our success.  We also made plenty of good contacts, both with existing and potential new members, and we look forward to following up those leads.”

Surfex 2018 takes place on May 22-23 at the NEC – and following feedback from this year’s show, plans are already being made to make that an even bigger and better event.