The Construction Products Asso-ciation, in collaboration with its exhibition/international event management partner Building Exhibitions Management, is once again co-ordinating the UK pavilion at the Big 5 show.

“Our pavilion will dominate Hall 2 at the exhibition and will include a vast array of companies, some of which are small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that are new to the market and are financially supported by UK Trade & Investment (UKTI),” says Michael Ankers, chief executive of the association, which has been appointed by UKTI as the official accredited trade organiser.
The product profile of the exhibiting companies will cover various industries including environmental, HVAC (heating, ventilation and air-conditioning) and water equipment, together with products from the huge and diverse building materials and construction sector. 
Exhibitors such as Advanced Engineering, AXYZ Automation, Corriform, Cadar, Cooke Brothers, Greenmount Fans, and Guardian Locks return to the show once again together with new additions to the pavilion such as Banico Controls, BSI, Firmac, Kingspan Insulation, and Marcrist International.
“With a huge emphasis now in the UK on ‘green and sustainable’ products and solutions, our Innovation Award this year will be focusing on ‘green’ issues.  Many companies within our pavilion are targeting this area, including Liquid Plastics, which has products for ‘green roofing’ and CME Sanitary Systems, whose Ecoplay product can reduce mains water consumption by recycling bath and shower water to flush toilets,” he says.
The Construction Products Association acts as a single, influential voice for manufacturers and suppliers of construction products in the UK.  One of the vital roles that it plays is to assist UK companies in their export activities and through UKTI has an involvement in co-ordinating UK pavilions at major international building and construction exhibitions each year.
“The Big 5, however, is by far the largest event in the exhibition calendar for the association, its members and UK industry in general,” points out Ankers. “The companies we have on our pavilion illustrate the wide range of products available from the UK and demonstrate how innovative the UK industry is,” he adds.
Speaking on the importance of the Gulf region to companies in the UK, Simona Novelli, project director of Building Exhibitions Management, says: “The response we receive from UK companies wishing to participate at the show underlines how vital the Gulf region is in export terms.”
She continues: “Year on year, we sell out and this year the pavilion sold out quicker than ever with the largest wait list for space that we have ever had.  The companies which are participating at the show this year know how important it is to have a presence at this exhibition – it is quite simply ‘the’ event for the industry and you have to be seen at the Big 5 show if you want to meet with the major players and you are serious about exporting to this region.
“The support offered for certain SMEs by UKTI is vital to those companies who are new to the region and we are pleased that UKTI is able to assist these organisations with their export efforts. I am confident that all the exhibitors within our pavilion will enjoy a tremendous amount of success from business they generate from being at this exhibition. 
“These are exciting times in the Gulf region and both the Construction Products Association and ourselves are delighted that so many UK companies are positioning themselves to compete and actively win business in this market and it is our aim to support them every step of the way,” she concludes.
Further information on the association and details on companies exhibiting at its pavilion can be obtained from its Stand 2C61 in Hall 2.