The two-day event provides a unique forum for all those at the forefront of school rebuilding initiatives, from policy makers to suppliers. Now in its third year BSEC has already established itself as the major industry event. BSEC 07, which took place at Harrogate, was a sell out, with an audience of 1123 gathering to attend the conference and view the products and services available from over 120 exhibitors. This made BSEC by far the biggest, best attended and most authoritative school infrastructure event to date.
BSEC is a combined conference and exhibition. It aims to bring together all interested parties connected with school building from both the bidder side and the client side, creating invaluable opportunities for sharing ideas and information.
The BSEC conference addresses all the major issues surrounding the roll out of Britain’s school newbuild and refurbishment programmes. BSEC 08 will see the introduction of an increased number of discipline specific conference streams – with the key topics of ICT, education, School design, sustainability, supply chain integration, case studies, leadership in BSF and the recently launched CABE Design Panel covered through dedicated workshops.
These additions to the conference will serve to further enhance the content, profile and scope of the overall programme making BSEC the industry’s most comprehensive and wide ranging conference. More than 1,000 delegates are expected to attend, including senior figures from the government and institutional sector, as well as architects and leading figures in the construction industry. Keynote speakers will address the conference, with presentations from a range of organisations, including the DCSF, Local Authorities, Partnerships for Schools and the supply chain.
The BSEC exhibition will host over 120 companies from across the whole spectrum of the supply chain, in addition to public sector organisations such as: Department for Children, Schools & Families, Partnerships for Schools, BECTA, NCSL, CABE and RIBA. It will also include a Local Authority Village featuring many Wave 4, 5 and 6 authorities who are showcasing their education vision and just about to procure.
The schools rebuilding programme is likely to take up a substantial proportion of UK construction and service sector capacity for over a decade. The overall success of the scheme will depend on harnessing the capacity of major contractors who operate nationally and combining their talents with the ability of local suppliers to sustain high quality delivery at a reasonable cost.
Each project will require input from every sector of the supply chain. BSEC enables conference delegates and exhibitors to interact, sharing ideas and information about products and commercial opportunities. Delegates will have several opportunities throughout each of the two days to access the exhibition, at registration, mid-morning, lunch and tea breaks, and the first night drinks reception. Exhibitors will be provided with conference passes, allowing them to sit in on live conference sessions.
BSEC is a must attend for decision makers in schools in order to secure the very best contractors for redevelopment projects. Not only is it a highly suitable exhibition to network with these contractors but a source from which to digest information from the conferences and break out groups on offer to them throughout the two day event. This unique event is a rare opportunity to meet and listen to experts within the design and construction arena, for schools looking to position themselves as a top learning environment for their local area, attendance at BSEC is vital to achieve this status
