When FIT Show returns next May it will mark a decade since the event launched. We chat to FIT Show event director Nickie West to find out why FIT Show 2023 will be unmissable for the whole industry. 

GT: You’ve spent the last couple of months analysing the data from the 2022 event. Overall, how successful do you think the show was?

Nickie West (NW): “I’m really pleased with how the show went this May. Yes, it was smaller, but I hadn’t anticipated we would return to pre-Covid figures so close to restrictions being lifted. We battled through months of uncertainty, multiple date changes, all combined with the backdrop of supply chain issues. This, understandably, made for a very challenging trading period for all.

“I think the support, enthusiasm and success of our 2022 event reinforces why FIT Show is such a crucial fixture in the calendar. There really is no other tried and tested platform like FIT Show when it comes to delivering the best possible ROI for exhibitors, and a compelling and rewarding experience for visitors.

GT: 2023 will mark a ten-year milestone for FIT how – how are you planning to celebrate this?

NW: We’re using our 2023 campaign as an opportunity to shine a spotlight on the great case studies from our FIT Show Family. We are directly appealing to exhibitors and visitors alike to share their FIT Show memories.

There will also be lots of ‘ten’ themed content in the run up to and during the show. But more will be revealed over the coming weeks…

GT: How is the floorplan looking for 2023 – have you had a lot of interest from potential exhibitors or is it proving difficult running the show back-to-back with 2022?

NW: We’re already ahead of our sales forecast, with a strong mixture of heritage and new brands already sitting on the floorplan. Brands such as Haffner, ODL, Glazpart, Selecta Systems, Renolit, Konig UK and Profitmaker have signed up to 2023 and, in doing so, have done every single show with us since we started.

I think most people realise that 2022 was actually our delayed 2021 event. There is no FIT Show in 2024 to allow us to get back in step with Fensterbau which means there will be a two-year gap before we return in 2025. I think people are embracing our anniversary event and throwing their support behind us after a tough couple of years.

GT: How will FIT Show 2023 be different from past events?

NW: There is always something new to see at FIT Show, another reason to exhibit, something different to enhance a visit. We are working really hard with our stakeholders to enhance key show features and material presence. For example, timber is a big area we want to grow and we are working directly with the likes of West-Port Timber, the BWA and timber specific media to ensure that we meet this target.

We are developing brand new features, demos and interactive elements that are designed to increase visitor dwell time. No matter which brands are on the floorplan, whether they are bringing new products or not, FIT Show has to serve as a true destination for our visitors.

It’s our job as organisers to deliver the right audience for exhibitors and the best possible experience for visitors when they walk through the halls. From an exhibitor perspective, we are working up a new customer charter which is designed to help them have a first-class experience from the minute they join the show.

For our visitors, we’ll also be improving our customer service, but more importantly we will be broadening the breadth of content they can access at the show, developing the right features and demos and creating new opportunities for them to network and do business.

GT: Finally, if you could sum up why FIT Show 2023 will be unmissable for the whole industry, what would you say?

NW: Aside from the fact that it’s our 10 year anniversary, and a key milestone for the whole industry, I’d remind people that it’s another two years until FIT Show returns in 2025. With more turbulence predicted by way of slowing consumer demand and rising costs, people should grasp the opportunity to do business at their industry’s main event.

But above all else, we want everyone to come together and help celebrate everything that we have achieved together over the past decade.