Electrical Contracting News (ECN) October 2016 | Page 3

Thousands of quality products Unbeatable prices Experts in lighting and electrical Free next day delivery on orders over £50 Shop online or visit one of our trade counters www.nationallighting.co.uk 0845 634 1515 10 15 contract news Who is putting what in where. VOLUME 36 NO. 10 • OCTOBER 2016 Lighting projects High profile case studies from the lighting sector. Competition Win a Sonos wireless music system courtesy of Timeguard. 28 46 SPECIAL FEATURE: Lighting WWW.ELECTRICALCONTRACTINGNEWS.CO.UK MAJOR NEW ELECTRICAL INDUSTRY EVENT ANNOUNCED FOR 2017 POSITIVE Q2 FOR BUILDING SERVICES FIRMS A brand new national exhibition, aimed at the entire electrical and electronics industry, will be held next year at the world renowned NEC in Birmingham by publishing and events group All Things Media (ATM). ‘The Electrical Design and Install Expo’ (ED&I) is being backed by leading electrical and building services trade body the Electrical Contractors’ Association (ECA), which will be the headline sponsor for the event. ED&I will aim to bring everyone involved in the installation, design, specification, inspection, manufacturing and distribution of electrical products together under one roof. The show will offer a unique opportunity to learn about and interact with the latest products and innovations, hear from industry experts, and network with thousands of industry professionals. Billed as ‘the electrical event the industry has been crying out for’, the show will be shaped around discovering new technologies and services that can help businesses to grow. Comprehensive seminars will offer valuable insights into the latest industry opportunities and trends, and the latest on policy and legislation, while an array of industry vendors will showcase their latest industry leading products and services on the exhibition floor. David Kitchener, managing director of ATM, commented, ‘The ED&I Expo represents a real watershed moment in the electrical sector, allowing everyone involved in the industry to get together, share ideas, unearth new business opportunities and drive the industry forward. We expect to attract visitors from all over the UK and are extremely confident that the event will quickly become the “must attend” exhibition for senior level decision makers, contractors, specifiers, consultants, architects and designers, distributors, training providers, facilities managers and other key influencers.’ Steve Bratt, CEO of the ECA, added, ‘The ECA is very pleased to be working with ATM on the ED&I Expo, which presents a unique opportunity for designers, installers, suppliers and manufacturers from across the industry, as well as showcasing what the industry has to offer to important clients and specifiers. With the ED&I Expo being held at the UK’s leading exhibition venue – the NEC in Birmingham – all the ingredients are in place to deliver hugely important new industry event next autumn.’ The ED&I Expo will be held on 6th and 7th September 2017. To find out more, please visit www.edandiexpo.com. Glamox has supplied hundreds of LED wide beam floodlights for use on the Royal Navy’s two new aircraft carriers – the HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales. Almost eight in 10 (78 per cent) electrical and building services firms say turnover increased or remained steady in the second quarter of 2016, according to new research from the Electrical Contractors’ Association (ECA). The findings cover the period leading up to the EU referendum, and the week following the landmark result. ECA CEO Steve Bratt commented, ‘The ECA’s business survey for Q2 indicates that electrical and building services firms have been doing more business, despite potential challenges in the wider economy.’ Looking at Q2 2016, the ECA’s Building Engineering Business Survey, conducted in association with Scolmore, also found that: • Small businesses (turnover £201k – £1m) had a positive quarter, with nearly three in four firms (72 per cent) reporting turnover remaining steady or increasing, up seven per cent on the previous quarter. • Medium sized firms (turnover £1.1m to £5m) also enjoyed a strong quarter, with eight in 10 businesses (80 per cent) seeing turnover rise or remain steady, also up seven per cent on Q1. • Large companies (turnover £5.1m to £20m) had a fair Q2, with over eight in 10 firms (83 per cent) indicating that turnover increased or remained steady, up slightly on the last quarter. • Very large businesses (turnover over £20m) saw turnover hold steady, with over five in 10 firms (53 per cent) reporting turnover remaining the same, while 35 per cent had an increase. Looking to Q3 2016, the period immediately following the EU referendum result, the outlook from building services firms remained positive. Over eight out of 10 respondents (82 per cent) expected turnover