Get in the zone at IMHX

Many exhibitors use IMHX as the launch pad for new products and services and there will be lots of materials handling products and solutions to see and ample opportunity to talk to the companies that provide them at the show.

In addition, visitors to IMHX 2013 will experience many exciting and informative features including an expanded seminar programme. This article sums up the attractions that await IMHX visitors.

Seminars

This will have two streams: a themed series of seminars at strategic level delivered by industry experts, including Professors Alan Waller and Alan Braithwaite, from Cranfield School of Business. In addition, there will be a choice of case study presentations at operational level to demonstrate examples of logistics best practice.

These are broken down into four categories, which will be dealt with each day. Day 1 is Warehouse Efficiency, Day 2 Automated Projects, Day 3 Order Picking Solutions & Day 4 Storage Solutions.

Firms that will discuss their material handling solutions include Boots, Yeo Valley, Toolbank, John Lewis and Hafele UK.

Skills to pay the bills

The Skills & Apprenticeships Zone intends to bring together talented young people and companies needing new recruits. Situated in Hall 17, this area will be spearheaded by the BITA Academy, an apprenticeship forklift engineer training facility operated with City of Bristol College.

The Skills & Apprenticeships Zone will feature the winning vehicles from BITA's 'Enduro Challenge' engineering competition for secondary schools, some hands-on engineering activities and a consultation area for employers. The prizes for Endurance (furthest distance travelled), Design/Innovation and Entrepreneurship (£5,000 plus an expenses-paid visit to a European forklift truck manufacturing plant, £3,000 and £2,000 respectively) will be presented to the winners on the first morning of IMHX.

Third party zone

New to IMHX will be the UKWA 3PL (third party logistics) Zone, hosted by the United Kingdom Warehousing Association, and the International Visitors' Lounge, where visitors from overseas can relax or hold meetings with clients or suppliers.

Forklift operator fun

In addition, the heats of what promises to be another hotly contested RTITB Operator of the Year Competition will take place at IMHX 2013. Over the four days of the show, forklift operators from across the UK and Ireland will compete in a special arena designed to test their skills to the full, with the best then moving forward to the Grand Final, to be held at RTITB's headquarters in Telford, Shropshire, in September 2013, where they will have the chance to win a brandnew car.

AMHSA Pavilion

The show will once again feature the AMHSA Pavilion, hosted by the Automated Material Handling Systems Association. With a number of AMHSA member stands clustered around a hospitality and presentation area, the AMHSA Pavilion provides a focus for suppliers of automated handling systems.

Members will be giving short 'Meet the expert' presentations in the pavilion to give visitors an overview of key automation topics such as AGVs and voice picking technology.

Design 4 Safety Awards

Also returning to show are the Design 4 Safety Awards, which recognise the importance of product design in improving safety throughout the materials handling industry.

Awards will be given in seven

categories: industrial vehicles & ancillary products; automation; goods-in/goodsout; racking & storage; technology; safety practices; and apprentices (a special category in which industry apprentices can submit their ideas for how existing products and procedures could be improved). Visitors to IMHX will then be invited to vote for an overall 'People's Choice' award, to be announced at the exhibition.