Leading suppliers report good business at NO-DIG LIVE 2004 and PIPELINES 2004

View photographs of the events

The first combined NO-DIG LIVE 2004 and PIPELINES 2004 exhibition, held at the Midlands venue of Stoneleigh Park on 28-30 September, kicked off to a flying start, with many exhibitors reporting brisk business, exceptionally high quality attendees and some significant sales.

Visitors from 24 countries also demonstrated their enthusiastic commitment to the event, with high numbers attending the varied and informative programme of demonstrations, seminars and competitions that were held during the three days.

The experimental early morning Breakfast Forum on the first morning attracted some 80 delegates who turned out at 8.00 a.m. to hear the session on ‘Reducing streetworks disruption and achieving co-ordinated objectives’. Attendees were treated to three excellent presentations by the high-profile keynote speakers: Sir John Parker (Chairman of National Grid Transco), James Brayshaw (Director of Ordnance Survey) and Ian Elliott (Director of Severn Trent Water).

Following the session, Sir John Parker officially opened the event and then spent time touring the show where he met with several exhibitors, discussing their products with particular reference to NGT’s trenchless technology programme.

Later in the day, HRH The Duke of York undertook an official engagement in his capacity as Special Representative for International Trade and Investment. After a briefing and reception with representatives of the leading sponsors, including the Pipeline Industries Guild (PIG) and the United Kingdom Society for Trenchless Technology (UKSTT), he spent over an hour visiting stands in both the internal and external exhibition areas, discussing exhibitors’ products and learning about their export activities.

"We are delighted that this first combined presentation of NO-DIG LIVE and PIPELINES has attracted a favourable reaction from exhibitors and visitors alike," commented Caroline Prescot, Director of No-Dig Conferences & Exhibitions Ltd who organised the event. "This is a solid foundation for building the definitive utilities engineering show in future years." NO-DIG LIVE 2004 was the seventh in a biennial series, and the most successful to date. As Caroline Prescot remarked, "We were pleased to receive very favourable comments from regular supporters, many of whom told us that this was their ‘best show ever’"

This was the first year in which No-Dig Conferences & Exhibitions has managed the PIPELINES event as well as NO-DIG LIVE, and Caroline Prescot believes that this is the right way forward. "Feedback from exhibitors has endorsed the concept of combining the two shows to provide an enhanced platform for their promotion, as well as a wider profile of visitors than it attracted in its previous format,"she said. "It has been widely recognised that the two shows have a great degree of synergy, and the combination has also received overwhelming approval from visitors."

A popular feature of the show was the large number of practical demonstrations in the outdoor exhibition area and on the indoor stands, enabling visitors to see equipment and products in action. Many additional attractions were on offer during the three days, including: a varied educational seminar programme on trenchless techniques; the 16th international Drilling and Tapping competition hosted by IWO, which drew audiences to watch water company personnel contesting fiercely for this year’s title; the Pipeline Industries Guild Young Persons Network, in which a group of young engineers toured the show before forming two teams to compete in a timed competition to construct a complicated network of pipes.

On the day after the show, those with some remaining energy rounded off a busy few days with a golf tournament in which 60 competitors took part in a Stableford match at Stoneleigh Deer Park. Competition was intense, with Mertic Maxitrol taking the team prize by one point. The individual winner was Phil Dyke from Haswells. The day concluded with prize-giving and promises to return in two years time for another crack at the title.

The next NO-DIG LIVE and PIPELINES is scheduled to take place in the autumn of 2006 at Stoneleigh Park.

Press Enquiries
Caroline Prescot
NO-DIG CONFERENCES & EXHIBITIONS LTD
PO Box 574
Rickmansworth
Herts WD3 7XG

Direct Tel: 020 8876 1881
Fax: 01923 777810
Email: no-dig@westrade.co.uk

No Dig 2004 Sponsors

		Pipelines Industries Guild
		SBGI
		International Institution of Gas and Engineering Managers
		IWO
		Plastic Pipes Group
		Society of British Water & Wastewater Industries
		UK Trade & Investment