Acknowledged for connecting the offsite supply-chain with architects, engineers, consultants, contractors and clients who want to be “future-ready,” Offsite Expo took place recently in Coventry, boasting educational seminars, interactive panel debates, and factory tours, as part of Offsite Construction Week.
A UK-first, which took place from 16 – 20 September, Offsite Construction Week (OCW) is a multifaceted showcase that revolves around three major industry events – Offsite Expo, the Offsite Summit and the Offsite Awards, with a wide range of parallel activities taking place in the UK and overseas. Uniting industry leaders from different construction and material sectors, the newly-formed Advisory Group has curated the CPD-accredited Masterclass topics and panel debates agendas.
Uniting industry leaders from different construction and material sectors, the newly-formed Advisory Group curated the Masterclass topics and panel debates agendas, and nominated some of the most renowned voices in offsite construction as panel speakers. The Advisory Group acted as an unbiased Ambassador for Offsite Construction, ensuring that the key trends and challenges of the industry were addressed during the series of events that formed Offsite Construction Week.
Unanimous support
The brainchild of industry associations operating across the sector, Offsite Construction Week presented a unique proposition. Trade bodies, industry alliances and material groups including Buildoffsite (BOS), Building Engineering Services Association (BESA), Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists (CIAT,) Constructing Excellence (CE), Light Steel Frame Association (LSFA), MMC Ireland, Modular and Portable Building Association (MPBA), Offsite Alliance (OA), Steel Construction Institute (SCI), Structural Timber Association (STA) and others came together to support what was the most comprehensive series of offsite events the country has yet seen.
Pan-industry collaboration
Offsite Construction Week served as a pivotal platform for fostering collaboration amongst policymakers, clients, contractors and offsite manufacturers, by bringing these key stakeholders together to address shared challenges and present opportunities in the construction industry. Through a series of panel discussions, seminars, site tours and innovation competitions, participants shared knowledge and best practices, and exchanged project experiences and cohesive strategies to align with evolving regulatory frameworks and market demands.
This concentrated interaction not only enhances mutual understanding and trust, but also drives efficiency across vertical markets, ultimately leading to more collaborative and sustainable construction practices.
Accelerating the pace
The industry’s vertical markets are under ample pressure to deliver some very ambitious projects in the next decade, which requires the creation of production capacity today. Digital technology, including Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DfMA) can reduce build time by 50%; however, there is a marked disconnect between clients, specifiers, contractors, and the supply chain. A wider deployment of offsite construction methods requires a shared understanding and a common strategy for navigating the risks and challenges involved in utilising offsite technologies. Offsite Construction Week gave the floor to industry experts to present and discuss strategic investments intended to streamline planning, funding, standardisation, and quality assurance.
Events & themes
Organisers of the influential Offsite Expo and Offsite Awards have partnered with industry leaders with the specific goal of inspiring strategic collaboration across the offsite construction sector. Offsite Construction Week brought together clients, manufacturers, developers, architects, specifiers, project managers, legislative and accrediting bodies for a week-long series of events, debates, and discussions on how to accelerate sector growth by removing current barriers to MMC implementation. Sharing lessons learned at the Masterclass Seminars and providing insight into international best practices at the International Summit, Offsite Construction Week is a platform for launching common strategies for the wider adoption of industrialised construction.
Offsite Expo – the most comprehensive showcase of offsite technology in the UK
This year’s Offsite Expo had a precision focus on the technologies and trends that are bringing transformative change to the construction industry.
Visitors at Offsite Expo were invited to immerse themselves in the next big breakthroughs in sustainable construction, to experience 2D panelised, 3D volumetric modular and pod technologies and learn how revolutionary digital innovations are accelerating the pace of the industry. In addition to live demonstrations of offsite technologies’ success, there were plenty of opportunities for networking and knowledge-sharing.
Co-hosting with Buildoffsite (BOS), this year’s Offsite Expo ran a parallel two day International Offsite Construction Summit. Featuring talks from global expert speakers and an Innovation Challenge competition, the new Offsite Summit served as a platform for sharing international best practice and strategies for offsite success.
The ‘Masterclass Seminars’ programme at the Offsite Expo has been established to make accessible all the latest thinking from a comprehensive host of industry trailblazers – it featured those who are shaping the debate and at the forefront of developing panelised, volumetric modular and MEP technologies.
Knowledge-building environment
With an emphasis on construction industrialisation, kit of parts and platform design, skills and productivity challenges – the event brought together those who are focused firmly on the future. In an era dominated by remote and digital experiences, Offsite Expo offered unparalleled opportunities to escape the virtual world and chat face to face, and look to new horizons to address the sustainability challenges and productivity issues that have plagued the construction industry for decades.
For information about all the events that took place during Offsite Construction Week, view the Programme for the Masterclasses, International Summit and Panel Discussions by visiting here.
Article supplied by Offsite Construction Week