The International Materials Handling Exhibition (IMHX) 2019 has already allocated 50% of its available floor space, proving that manufacturers and suppliers of materials handling equipment are confident in the future of the British economy despite the political uncertainty over Brexit.

“We are on target to attract over 400 exhibiting companies and, from the feedback we are getting, exhibitors are planning to increase their investment in 2019 which should make for a great event,” argues Rob Fisher, Event Director for IMHX 2019. The event organisers are confident in the future strength of demand for logistics infrastructure, technology, and equipment.

A ‘Future Technology Zone’ will be launched at next year’s event and it will promote the huge advances that are being made in artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, and SaaS solutions. “Machine Learning and AI are already having a major impact on the way supply chains operate and together with the rapid advances taking place in robotics, the distribution and fulfilment centres of today will look very different in the near future. We want to capture that excitement in these ‘Future Technology Zones’ at IMHX 2019,” explained Rob Fisher.

The logistics industry brings in a turnover of £1 trillion, which makes it critically important for the UK economy, contributing with over £124 billion Gross Value Added. The fact that exhibitors are eager to book or reserve a space at the event means that they are looking forward to the future and how to meet the demands of consumers and the increasingly scarce labour resources.

The tri annual event will see major forklift manufacturers, information technology suppliers, automation specialist, and storage companies. IMHX is the largest and longest running exhibition in the UK for the logistics and supply chain industries. The 2019 edition will take place at the NEC in Birmingham between 24th and 26th of September.