The UK Trade and Investment-funded UK pavilion will occupy a new location in Hall 2 at the Big 5 2003, and will feature the likes of ACO International, Haddonstone, Corus, Don Construction, Command Alkon, Steelfields and Genesis APS.

The exhibitor range will cover products from various industries and will include bathrooms, ceramics, environmental, heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) and water equipment as well as various elements of the huge and diverse construction sector, says Michael Ankers, chief executive of the Construction Products Association (CPA).

The CPA, an official UK Trade and Investment sponsor of the Big 5 show 2003, once again returns to the show with its partner Building Exhibitions Management (BEM), for a second consecutive year, he says.
This year will see just under 50 companies exhibiting under the CPA banner and the pavilion will cover 660 sq m of space in Hall 2 at the Dubai International Exhibition Centre, says Ankers.

The CPA, which acts as a single, influential voice for the manufacturers and suppliers of construction products in the UK, says its aim is to build a growing, profitable and sustainable future for the œ30 billion ($46 billion) construction products industry. The sector also accounts for 40 per cent of the total construction output and nearly 20 per cent of UK's manufacturing base.

One of the vital roles of the CPA is being a sponsor of the UK Trade and Investment funded exhibitions worldwide - and the Big 5 is the largest of such events on our calendar, he says.

Working through Building Exhibitions Management, I am delighted that this year we have set yet another record for the number of companies we have brought to this show. These companies illustrate the wide range of products available from the UK and demonstrate how innovative our industry can be, says Ankers.

The response we had from the 2002 edition from UK companies was extremely encouraging and this year we have increased our pavilion by over 230 sq m from 2002. We simply could not accommodate the demand for space with many UK companies having to wait until 2004 for their opportunity to exhibit.

We are working closely with the British Embassy in the UAE to promote UK Trade and Investment and are confident that the British companies exhibiting with us will enjoy a tremendous amount of success especially in terms of business generated from the show,_ says Simona Novelli, BEM project manager of the Big 5 show.

The UK construction industry contributes around eight per cent of the GDP and employs about 2 million people. The UK construction sector, which has an output of 12 per cent of total European output, is the third largest in Europe and is the fifth largest in the world with exports in excess of œ10 billion.

In the current economic climate, export markets are fiercely competitive and the Middle East is no exception. As this event has an important standing in the region, the UK must have a significant presence at the Big 5 if we are serious about exporting/investing in this region, says Novelli.

With larger UK companies already gaining a significant foothold in various export markets, a significant shift in Government support will occur from April 2004 onwards, where UK Trade and Investment financial support will be solely limited to small to medium enterprises (SMEs). It is important that our small to medium size enterprises are given as much assistance as possible to compete in their export efforts and although this will mean significant changes to our pavilion from 2004 onwards, we are extremely confident that the British presence at Big 5 will continue to grow year on year, Novelli says.

More information on The Construction Products Association and the companies exhibiting in their pavilion will be offered at stand 2A63.