We take a look at the event and find out what the exhibitors had to say…
We take a look at the Eco Technology Show, which took place June 15th – 16th at the AMEX Stadium in Brighton. It is a national showcase of the latest technologies, which perform a crucial role in protecting the environment and making your daily business and home lives more efficient.
Technology integrates into every facet of modern life from buildings to energy to home to transport and to lifestyle. Utilising eco technology has the additional benefits of minimising waste, saving energy, reducing environmental impact and not to mention saving you money.
The show brought together a unique blend of business, decision makers, subject specialists, policy makers and buyers from both business and the general public over the two days. The Eco Technology Show has been designed to create a space where you can be inspired by new ideas and
technologies, grow your business and knowledge, connect with industry experts and customers, learn new practical skills and most importantly innovate!
The Eco Technology Show enabled visitors to:
Be inspired by new ideas
Be clear on the regulations, incentives and opportunities
Retrofit their commercial building, home and life
See all the latest eco cars and bikes
Attend two days of free workshops and talks
Attend the SMART Business Conference
Shop in the local sustainable food and drink market
Experience the interactive zones, cafes and bars
Connect with the experts
Try out new gadgets
Experience new technologies
Have a go on the latest electric and solar powered bikes at the test track
Make real savings
The show was attended by over 100 exhibitors and 4,000 visitors. It was the south east’s first show to focus on sustainable products and services for the home and business. High points over the two days included the ‘transport zone’ which showcased a huge range of the latest electric cars (worth over £1 million) including the emission free Lightning Car and ultra-slick Tesla Electric sports-car. The latest electric and solar powered bikes were also on show and were tested by the many visitors.
Visitors picked up practical sustainable living tips and business advice from the free seminars taking place on the exhibition floor. They learnt how to lower their carbon emissions, reduce waste and live a more sustainable existence in the home and workplace.
New products were also launched at the show including the grow your own oyster mushroom pack from the Espresso Mushroom Company, which recycles disused coffee granules from coffee shops and uses them as a breeding ground for the mushrooms.
Nicola Gunstone, Commercial Director at the Eco Technology Show said: “We’re delighted with the success and feedback from exhibitors and visitors to the south east’s very first Eco Technology Show. Local home-owners learnt how to reduce their carbon footprint and live in a more sustainable way and business owners picked up tips on creating more environmentally friendly business practices. We will definitely be back next year with a bigger show with more features for visitors to enjoy. We plan to confirm the June date and venue within the next couple of months.”
Smart Business Conference
Running alongside the show was the new trade event, The Smart Business Conference, which investigated sustainable growth opportunities for the private and public sectors. A lively debate looking at if we can have growth in a resource constrained world took place on the morning with MPs from all lead parties: Caroline Lucas MP (Green), Greg Barker MP (Conservative) who is Minister of State for Energy and Climate Change and Norman Baker MP (Lib Dems).
Caroline Lucas kicked off by saying: “… if everything is growing, well, we’re on a planet of finite resources, so we can’t go on growing all times in all sectors. We need to reduce our consumption to allow developing companies to develop. We need less stuff, but more efficiently produced. Just having more and more stuff, even if it’s efficient, is no good.”
The Government’s Green Deal was also debated and Greg Barker emphasised the important role of SMEs who are the real engines for growth. He later presented details of the Green Deal in a seminar on the main exhibition floor.
Leader of the Brighton and Hove Council, Jason Kitcat, was one of the seminar leaders, his session covered building digital and ICT in the city and developing the environmental industries sector.
The conference was closed on the Friday by new Brighton and Hove mayor Bill Randall. The full conference programme can be viewed online at www.smartbusinessconference.co.uk.
Alex Hunt, Director at The Green Building Partnership said: “This has been a great show with a good range of people looking for better environmental and sustainable approaches to improving their home. We’ve enjoyed the Eco Technology Show and are looking forward to returning next year.”
Phil Edwards, Owner at Weald Electric Vehicle Technology says: “We’ve had a great time at the Eco Technology Show – an amazing first event here in Brighton. The best thing has been the real mixture of visitors who are interested in our products for motorcycles, we’ve been consistently busy talking to local businesses and the public. We’re also delighted with the amount of press that have turned up and shown an interest in Weald Electric Vehicle Technology. We’d definitely like to return next year!”
Alex Georgiou, Co-Founder at Espresso Mushroom Company said: “The Eco Tech Show was the perfect occasion for Espresso Mushroom Company to launch our Kitchen Garden, an innovative product that allows people to grow their own oyster mushrooms on used coffee grounds. As a Brighton based micro-business we are grateful to the organisers for their support, allowing us to showcase our product alongside the nation’s leading green enterprises”
James Clarke, Director at Pulse Eco Showers said: “We’ve had a brilliant show. We’ve signed three new distributors already and sold far more stock than we expected too. A very busy stand and great new contacts – we’re really pleased with the result and hope to return again.”
Michael Yeoman, Managing Director at South Downs Solar said: “I thought the show started well with great attendance on the first day, lots of interest on the solar side and generally a good mix of businesses showcasing the latest in green technology. The show has gone really well for South Downs Solar.”
Nick Gant, Co-Founder at Community21 (social network and planning tool for sustainable communities) added: “We’ve had a fantastic first show. To have a show like this in Brighton has been great – there’s been a huge range of both visitors and exhibitors with an active interest in ecology and energy saving, which is really good to see. The Eco Technology Show offers something different to what I’ve experienced before – a fantastic variety of people, products and industries.”
