Looking forward to the Global Manufacturing Festival: Sheffield 2012 with a preview of its purpose and participants.
In March 2011 The Global Manufacturing Festival: Sheffield made a hit with industry representatives, policy drivers and industry service providers alike. Across eight major events the weeklong festival welcomed almost 2000 visitors from organisation’s large and small, uniting them as a community which recognises the excellence of UK manufacturing and which is committed to seeing it rise further.
A lot has changed in the 12 months since March 2011 but this community is still united and in March 2012 Sheffield, an iconic manufacturing heartland, will once again welcome supporters of UK manufacturing for a variety of factory tours, debates, workshops and conferences. Epitomising the collaborative approach between education industry and industry services which the Global Manufacturing Festival encourage, headline sponsors this year include Siemens, The University of Sheffield and law firm Nabarro.
Sir Roger Bone, President of Boeing UK, will be the first high-profile guest speaker at this year’s Global Manufacturing Festival. He will officially launch the event with a lecture organised by the University of Sheffield, which will be held at the institution’s Octagon Centre on March 21, in association with Sheffield Hallam University.
“Sir Roger Bone, President of Boeing UK, will be the first highprofile guest speaker at this year’s Global Manufacturing Festival”
Boeing was the founding member of the University of Sheffield’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre in 2001. Responsible for coordinating allBoeing business activities in the UK, Sir Roger was appointed an honorary ambassador for British business by the Prime Minister in 2010. His appearance will commence a programme of activity at the festival which will reaffirm the UK’s position as a global leader in advanced manufacturing and innovation.
It is now well recognised that skills development, education and an alteration of public perception around the UK’s manufacturing industry is key to lending meaning to this affirmation. Reflecting this, one of the first items on the agenda for the 2012 festival will be the Get Up To Speed Skills and Education Show, which will be open to young people, schools, parents and students who wish to meet with local engineering and manufacturing businesses. This event will take place at the The Blue Shed, Ekspan, Compass Works, Brightside Lane, Sheffield, between 11am-6pm.
Combining lessons from both these events and the benefit of wider experience an international convention and trade show will take place at the City Hall, Sheffield on March 22. Business leaders from around the globe will attend, providing ampleopportunity for UK manufacturers to network with potential foreign customers and partners as as well as time for discussion of national approaches to industrial support.
The three key areas of focus for this convention will be UK strategy and support, new markets and opportunities, and technology and commercialisation. Speakers confirmed to share their insight on these topics include Ric Parker from Rolls-Royce, Dr. Alan McLelland from Namtec, Alan Cumming of EDF Energy, Andrew Peters from Siemens Drive Technologies, Sir Chris O’Donnell former CEO of Smith & Nephew and Professor Keith Ridgway CBE Executive Dean of the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Institute.
After the pragmatic business focus of the convention participants will however, have the chance to unwind at the culmination of 2012 festival, the Made in Sheffield awards dinner. This event will be held at the Cutlers’ Hall and it will provide a chance to celebrate all that is good in manufacturing companies from the Sheffield City Region and their success in supplying their products throughout the world.
To find out more about the Global Manufacturing Festival: Sheffield 2012 go here.
Attendance at both the convention and management lecture over the two days can be purchased as a package ticket for £199 + VAT. Special packages are available for regional companies and exhibitors at a discounted rate.
