With over 3000 visitors attending BSEC 2008, this year's show looks set to be even bigger as the education sector receives more funding.
"The Government is set to invest around £100 billion from now until 2020 in the rebuilding and renewal of all schools in the UK," explains Rob Lozowski, Event Director of BSEC. "This surely represents one of the best opportunities for suppliers to the construction industry, particularly in the current climate. BSEC is the only event to bring together everyone at the forefront of school rebuilding initiatives."
BSEC ‘09 will also see a record number of local authorities attending the event including London Borough of Camden, Doncaster LA, Halton Borough Council, Hull City Council and London Borough of Ealing. All will be exhibiting in the new Local Authority Village at the show, alongside many Wave 4, 5 and 6 authorities that will be showcasing their education vision.
Alongside the exhibition and central to the event is the renowned conference programme, which addresses the major issues surrounding the roll out of Britain's school newbuild and refurbishment programmes. As one of the most extensive conferences in the sector it is highly popular, attracting over 1000 delegates in 2008.
Reflecting how important the BSF programme is to the construction industry - the BSEC organisers have announced that Jim Knight, Minister for Schools and Learners, will be delivering one of the much-anticipated keynote presentations at BSEC ‘09. Jim Knight MP will be using the conference to announce the new national programme for Waves 7-15 of Building Schools for the Future, due to commence early in 2009.
Delivering the opening keynote presentation will be TV favourite Johnny Ball, the much-loved populariser of science and maths and Becta's next generation learning ambassador. Johnny will present his thoughts on the importance of science in education, future teaching methods and the ideal learning environment for the next generation to reach its full potential.
The BSEC 2009 conference will also feature its chairman Professor Stephen Heppell who commented: "This wonderful event is already an unmissable feature on a crowded landscape of discussion and debate about future learning."
Tim Byles, chief executive, Partnership for Schools, will be addressing the key lessons schools need to learn from prior BSF programmes and moving the BSF programme forward.
Ty Goddard, director, BCSE will then chair a panel of teachers, governors and local authorities who will have the opportunity to respond to the opening presentations and voice their opinions on the effects of Building Schools for the Future to date. Confirmed to speak on the panel are Malcolm Trobe, policy director, Association of School and College Leaders; Judith Bennett, chair, National Governors' Association; Clarissa Williams, national president, National Association of Headteachers.
Also presenting at the 2009 conference will be Sir Howard Bernstein, chief executive, Manchester City Council and Ken Shuttleworth, principal at MAKE, will lead a panel to discuss the key design learnings from previous BSF schemes.
This year's BSEC will not only be home to those building the schools - but the school children themselves. BSEC ‘09 will feature a new design competition that will see Year 5, 6, 7 and 8 pupils in the North of England invited to design their own learning space. All entries will be showcased at the event. The final winning entry will eventually be brought to life and implemented by EC Harris, ICT provider Northgate Systems and education specialist contractor Wates.
"The right learning environment can make a real difference to the outcome of a pupil's education," explained David Hughes, marketing manager at leading construction consultancy and partner for the competition - EC Harris. "The Design My Learning Space competition has been created to encourage pupils to take an active and positive role in creating their own environment in which to learn."
Supporting the event are platinum sponsors HBG/BAM and Skanska and gold sponsors Wolseley, Capita Symonds, Laing O'Rourke and Theobald & Gardiner. Among the many exhibitors at the event will be Atkins, Finnforest, Corus Kalzip, Telling Architecture, ICI Paints, Kingspan Insulation, White Horse Contractors, Apollo Education, Dimplex UK, HLM Architects and Goals Soccer Centres.
The exhibition features companies from across the supply chain and is supported by public sector organisations: Department for Children, Schools and Families, Partnerships for Schools, BECTA, BCSE, NCSL, CABE and RIBA.
With local authorities, contractors, architects, headteachers, school governors and ICT professionals all networking under one roof and increasing investment on improving the education sector - can you afford not to be at BSEC?
Tel: 0207 921 8234.
