Lab Innovations 2019 trumped all previous events with more than 3,860 attendees and 84 per cent of stand space already booked for 2020.
More than 160 exhibitors displayed diverse and innovative products at what turned out to be the largest ever Lab Innovations, with visitors from more sectors than ever before.
Lab procurement decision-makers made up 75% of those in attendance at the Birmingham NEC event which also saw an increase in lab managers of 9%, scientists 9%, procurement managers 32%, chemists 65% and lab technicians 24%.
Josh Chapman, Managing Director, Scientific Laboratory Supplies, said : “Lab Innovations is an unmissable event for us as we are able to meet a wide variety of lab professionals from a multitude of sectors. Both SLS and our suppliers are able to make hundreds of new business connections and showcase products to thousands of people across two days, which would otherwise take months to do. Every year the event grows and the quality of visitors this year has been second to none.”
As one of the largest annual gatherings of the entire UK laboratory community, Lab Innovations invested in a new meetings concierge service for 2019, enabling visitors and exhibitors to pre-book meetings in advance and make business connections prior to the event. The new matchmaking tool added a further dimension to the available networking opportunities to maximise value for the entire industry.
With so many products under one roof, novel products were highlighted in brand new guided ‘Innovation Trails’ which included:
- SPECTRO’s SPECTROGREEN inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometer (ICP-OES) with Dual Side-On Interface (DSOI) technology.
- Shimadzu’s Nexera UHPLC with AI that detects and resolves issues automatically.
- SCP Sciences’ NovaWAVE SA standalone microwave digestion tunnel system for improving productivity through automation.
- A&D Instruments’ Apollo GF-A/GX-K series multi-functional precision balances with impact shock detection.
- BRAND’s HandyStep touch repetitive pipette with touchscreen operation
- Eppendorf’s Conical Tubes 25mL that fill the gap between the volumes of traditional conical tubes for cell biology applications
- Appleton Woods’ BioEcho EchoLUTION cell culture DNA Kit with proprietary single-step technology
Needing more time to see all the items on display, many lab professionals returned on Day Two. Alice Thomas, Chemist at EDF Energy said: “We came back for a second day because there were so many stands. We came to find certain things to upgrade our lab and searching the internet doesn’t do the products justice. We were able to ask in-depth questions and there is a real value to having face-to-face discussions rather than through phone or email.”
The Sustainable Lab feature returned by popular demand for a second consecutive year, showing visitors how even small improvements in technology, procurement and best practice can reduce running costs to make funding go further. Director of Green Light Laboratories, Andy Evans, hosted packed hourly tours in the Sustainable Lab, demonstrating case studies on smart equipment monitoring, fridge performance and fume cupboard loading.
The sustainability theme was extended into the conference programmes with busy sessions advising on the Laboratory Efficiency Assessment Framework (LEAF), the recycling of metal from electronic waste and the separation of the rare earth metals, along with the recycling of lithium ion batteries.
Plans for Lab Innovations 2020 – to be held on 4 & 5 November at the NEC, Birmingham, UK – are well underway and the organisers already have more fresh ideas to grow the event even further next year. Register your interest to exhibit or visit on the event website HERE
