12.11.2010

SED closes its doors

We now have official confirmation that the UK’s earthmoving and equipment show SED has closed permanently.

At the same time the owners, RBI have closed the magazine SEM and web site SED 360 with immediate effect. This latter move follows the closing of Contract Journal last year.

The organisers have issued a statement that says: “Recession in construction has continued to affect suppliers’ marketing budgets and despite the hard work of the sales team and goodwill from the market, the current level of commitment to next year's show is not what we had hoped and our feeling is the show is unlikely to meet our expectations. We therefore feel that we have no alternative but to cancel the show.”

The show was due to take place in May at its site in Corby.

The UK construction equipment association has put out a brief announcement saying that it is considering its options in relation to organising an earthmoving event going forward.

CEA chief executive, Rob Oliver, said:“With a track record that goes back over 40 years it is sad to hear that the event will not take place. However, with ever restricted marketing budgets, exhibitions must have a clear focus – which, perhaps, SED lost with its move to Rockingham. Certainly many of our member companies felt the venue was not ideal in that the extensive demonstration facilities, the original rationale for SED, were no longer available. We will now be working with our members to see how we may be able to help them with a suitable showcase in 2011 and beyond”.


Vertikal Comment

While SED had strayed a long way from its original format it remained a very popular show until its fateful move to a new location in Corby. The first year there saw huge problems with traffic and many found it less than convenient to get to in the first place.

Amazingly the organisers chose Corby due to the fact that they were able to sign a 20 year contract to hold the show on the site, whereas the alternative – Silverstone – would only give a five year guarantee due to uncertainty over the hosting of Formula One races.

Silverstone would have been a far more popular location and as it turns out the Formula one contract is now secure. It’s all about decisions and the one to move to Corby was taken for all the wrong reasons and now a much appreciated show has died as a result.