Digital Construction Week (DCW) organisers aim to build on the strong 2017 performance and cement their place at the heart of the Digital Construction community
2017 was considered by many as the year Digital Construction Week ‘came of age’. Now, as they plan for the 2018 instalment, the show organisers look to build on this success by providing additional content, exciting new features and expanded floor space at London’s ExCel.
Across the board, DCW 2017 felt bigger, better and busier, so it’s no surprise that the figures suggest significant growth on previous years. Exhibitor numbers increased 40% year-on-year, visitor numbers nearly doubled and there was an 80% re-book for 2018. The show also boasted a variety of new features along with industry leading speakers sharing their expertise on the main stage and across the themed ‘theatres’ and ‘villages’ on the exhibition floor.
Commenting on the 2017 show success, DCW Director Ollie Hughes (@OllieDCW) said: “As a small team, we’ve been positively overwhelmed by the feedback we’ve received from exhibitors, sponsors, speakers and visitors, and we’re obviously delighted with the post-show growth figures we’re reporting. Of course, we’re not getting complacent and we have plenty to make DCW all it can be for 2018 and beyond to help cement our place at the heart of the dynamic and growing Digital Construction community.”
So what’s next for Digital Construction Week?
As ever, DCW 2018 will boast hundreds of hours of content presented by thought leaders from across the industry. The organisers also promise more exciting new features, demonstrations, installations and workshops to bring digital technology and innovation to life on the show floor. New features for 2018 will include:
The DCW app village
The App village will be a showcase of the latest Apps currently being utilised in and set to disrupt the industry. The Village will also host a mini hackathon exploring the current construction challenges that applications may be able to help solve. Attendees will also have the chance to work with a team of experts to ‘create an app in a day’.
The transformation hub
2018 will see the introduction of a brand-new workshop theatre called the Transformation Hub. Workshops will focus on the challenges and opportunities associated with digitisation and business transformation. Sessions will explore digital strategy, business transformation/digitisation, collaboration, innovation, information management, project controls & EPR, emerging technologies (cloud, blockchain, big data, etc.), regulation, legal, insurance and more.
Hack the construction site
‘Hack the Construction Site’ is a two-day hackathon that will take place on the show floor. Challengers will be tasked to solve one of three issues focussed around productivity, health and safety, and sustainability. Teams will be welcomed to present their ideas to the visitors at the DCW drinks reception and the winning team will receive funding and support to help take their idea to market.
DCW on-site arena
On the show floor will be a replica construction site where exhibitors and partners will showcase their technology ‘in the field’. The Arena will play host to live drone and UAV flights, autonomous vehicle and machine control demos, and showcase the latest mapping and geospatial technologies.
The DfMA workshop
The DfMA Workshop will explore the potential for Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DfMA) solutions to revolutionise the way we design and build in order to meet the targets set out in the Government’s Construction Strategy.
Workforce of the future
The Workforce of the Future hub will feature 2 days of live workshops and classes focussed on skills development. Sessions will provide genuine training, up-skilling and CPD opportunities for visitors.
Speaking about the new developments for 2018, DCW Director Luke Collings said: “The industry certainly can’t afford to stand still and neither can we. Our ambition is to bring the most cutting edge, thought provoking and, most importantly, relevant content and features to the show floor. Only by doing this will we achieve our mission, which is to bring people together to share and collaborate to build a more digitally enabled industry.”
Find out how you can get involved with DCW 2018
To keep up to date with information about the show, which takes place on 17 and 18 October at London’s ExCel, follow Digital Construction Week on Twitter (@DigiConWeek).
