Delegates from local authorities, higher education, construction and property were able to learn about the capital investment plans of local authorities and the potential opportunities that they may bring at an event held at Nottingham Council House. 

Timber Expo 2013 will set out the best in sustainable construction and innovation at the Birmingham NEC this September. With only three months to go before the doors open, here are some essential highlights not to miss.

Brett Martin Plumbing and Drainage, the UK’s largest independent building products manufacturer, showcased their comprehensive range of market leading underground drainage products at the National Merchants Buying Society (NMBS) exhibition in Telford on the 15th May, 2013.

A regular fixture in the Brett Martin calendar, the 50th annual NMBS was the ideal opportunity for Brett Martin to show their continued support for independent merchants, this year with a generous Brett Martin/NMBS rebate offer (2.5%) and a trio of ranges that really make commercial sense for independent merchants.

OTT Hydrometry, the specialist manufacturer of water and weather monitoring technologies, will participate in a national drainage event near Wisbech on Wednesday 17th July 2013. Organised by the Association of Drainage Authorities, the event provides an opportunity for the suppliers of products and services in the field of water level management to demonstrate their capabilities.

A wide range of the latest technologies will be featured on the OTT stand (marquee stand EX17) including the market leading Pluvio raingauge, radio and GSM telemetry, web-enabled dataloggers, water flow meters and water level sensors employing technologies such as radar, pressure transducer, shaft encoder and bubble principle . The stand will also provide visitors with an opportunity to see the latest remote monitoring systems for both surface and groundwater.

OTT MD Simon Wills says: “This demonstration event only takes place every 3-4 years, but flooding, drought and water supply are constantly in the news, so I hope that as many people as possible will take this opportunity to come and see our latest monitoring technology, as well as all the engineering equipment and services that will also be there.”

Entry and parking are free to pre-registered visitors. See adademo2013.co.uk/pre-register.

Retro Expo and the Retrofit Roadshows

With the launch of The Green Deal and the roll out of the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) retrofit represents the biggest commercial opportunity in decades. Retro Expo and the Retrofit Roadshows will take you straight to the heart of a fast emerging community.

Taking place in the following UK’s retrofit hotspots, the Retrofit Roadshows will be exploring solutions that can make retrofit scalable and effective across the domestic and commercial sectors.

The Energy Efficiency Partnership for Buildings (EEPB) has signed up as a leading strategic partner for Retro Expo, the UK’s leading exhibition and conference dedicated to low carbon refurbishment.

The collaboration will result in the EEPB bringing together many of the key trade associations and industry bodies live at Retro Expo, taking place at the NEC, Birmingham from 5-6th November. EEPB coordinates action across the diverse supply chains to promote energy efficiency retrofit in buildings and overcome barriers. Membership includes leading Green Deal Providers such as Kingfisher, Knauf, nPower and British Gas as well as not for profit organisations such as the National Energy Foundation, the Association for the Conservation of Energy and Warm Zones.

The original Japanese Knotweed Solutions Company (JKSL), based in Radcliffe, is hosting a special all-day seminar next month to examine the myths and legends of what is arguably the most damaging invasive species found on UK shores.

‘Invasive Plants – Myths and Legends’, to be held on 22 May 2013 at Manchester’s Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI), will feature a number of discussions, question and answer sessions and presentations from guest speakers including, the founder and Chief Executive of JKSL, Mike Clough, Professor John Moverley OBE from the Amenity Forum, Richard Shaw of CABI, Rob Simpson of BASIS, and Derek Smith of Ragwort UK.

The third UK Concrete Show achieved record-breaking numbers of attendees, exhibitors and an increase in show area of almost 50% according to organisers', Marwood Events.

The 2013 show attendance of 4732 was up by 33% from 2012 following the move to the NEC from the Ricoh Arena and for the first time the show featured an extensive outside equipment display area alongside the 8000m2 of indoor space.

For those dreaming of building their own home, planning to renovate, trying to evaluate different green technologies or even have a construction project that's stalled -  The National Self Build and Renovation Show at the National Self Build and Renovation Centre in Swindon is a must visit.

The Show runs from the 12th - 14th April 2013 (9:30am - 5pm).

Across the three days visitors will have the opportunity to attend exciting seminars, meet product manufacturers, listen to educational talks, visit example life size houses, take informative audio tours and meet a raft of experts – all on hand to answer any questions.

The CN Specialists Awards are our way of recognising, on a national platform, the very best of the best, and giving you the opportunity to shout about it. Winning recognition for the great work you do feels fantastic, and winning even more work because you've won an award for all the great work you do is even better.

The winners of our 2012 awards have told us that the benefits of winning a Construction News Specialists Award go far beyond the celebrations on the night. Having a trophy from the only national awards for specialist contractors in your cabinet helps you stand out when bidding for work, and staff love working for an award-winning company.