RWM 2017 – where policy-makers meet

Bigger, better and more collaborative, the UK’s premier event dedicated to energy, water, recycling, renewables and waste management is tailor-made for policymakers from central and local government. RWM event director Nicola Meadows previews the show

The UK public sector represents the single largest market in the country, and its decision-makers negotiate with a wide range of overlapping industries and suppliers, from waste management to energy procurement and everything in-between. As such, it is crucial for policy-makers to be up-to-date with the opportunities and commercial issues affecting local and central government.

As we move towards the circular economy model, which sees materials form part of a complex cycle of re-use rather than a linear produce-consume-dispose model, supply chains are becoming increasingly interconnected. Solutions to the challenge of resource management have never been more accessible for policy-makers and implementers. The expanded RWM 2017 event, run in partnership with the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM), offers a unique opportunity to connect with overlapping supply chains, share knowledge and explore new opportunities.

Bringing together decision-makers and innovators from the energy, water, recycling, renewables and waste management communities, RWM 2017 takes place from 12-14 September at the NEC Birmingham. This year the previously co-located Energy, Water, Renewables and RWM events are combined – an expansion that reflects the merging and overlapping business opportunities in these sectors. Decision-makers from public and private sector businesses will have the opportunity to share ideas with policy makers, trade associations, waste leaders, operational leads from councils, materials processers and innovators from these increasingly interconnected sectors.

Dedicated zones
RWM 2017 will feature six dedicated zones, including two new ones: Supply & Demand, which is the home for networking, learning and business opportunities in the UK energy and water markets; and Data, Tech & Services, which covers smart, practical software solutions to modern and future logistical challenges, with a focus on quality data and supporting services.

New exhibitors already signed up for the Data, Tech & Services zone include BeNomad, while Increase Computers is returning to the 2017 event. New exhibitors for the Supply & Demand zone include Phoenix Contact, with returning exhibitors from the Energy Show including Source for Business.

The Energy from Waste zone will showcase one of the fastest-growing and most dynamic sectors in waste management. New exhibitors for this zone include China Tianying, while returning exhibitors include Babcock & Wilcox Vølund. In the Handling & Logistics zone, innovations in the transportation of commercial or construction waste will be highlighted, with new exhibitors including E Power Trucks, and returning exhibitors including Dennis Eagle. This zone will also host a new theatre seminar for Municipal and Material recovery.

The Machinery & Equipment zone will display the latest technology in the shredding, sorting and compacting of material, boasting new exhibitor A & C Weber, and returning exhibitors including Eriez. And the Recyclers & Reprocessors zone will showcase all things connected with the environmental and financial benefits of converting waste into new materials, with new exhibitors including Tomra Sorting, and returning exhibitors including AMCS.

Meanwhile, the Innovation Hub will be a pavilion where exhibitors and start-up companies showcase the latest, most innovative ideas in the market. The Innovation Hub will be managed in association with InnovateUK to bring the energy, waste, recycling, water and renewables industries latest and best innovations to RWM 2017. Innovate UK is an executive non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy.

Visitor trails
The new-look RWM 2017 will also offer four visitor discovery trails identifying key exhibitors for audiences looking for a specific service, or a more organised experience. For instance, visitors can navigate the exhibition by exploring the Energy Solutions trail, designed for visitors looking for energy suppliers, energy efficiency, and energy technology; or the Water Marketplace trail, which guides visitors looking for water suppliers and management services.

The Local Authority Solutions trail has been designed to highlight all exhibitors and content relevant to those responsible for waste management and resource, legislative issues and fleet management; while the Exhibitor Discovery trail will allow visitors to discover the latest exhibitors and suppliers that have joined the RWM community.

Event features
As well as a return of the outside area at the 2017 show, key features at the event include RWM Connects, a complimentary matchmaking service hosted in the Recyclers & Reprocessors zone allowing exhibitors and visitors to use our database to arrange meetings prior to the show. Meetings can be on exhibitor stands or at the RWM Connects Lounge, and the RWM Connects team can also help facilitate introductions with new business partners if desired.

Meanwhile, the CIWM Resource and Waste Clinic will see industry experts on-hand over the course of the show offering advice and insight. Visitors can book to have a one-to-one chat with one or more experts, who collectively offer wide and in-depth knowledge on a range of resource and waste management subjects, and are mainly CIWM Fellows. Booking isn’t essential, and CIWM staff will be on-hand to direct ad-hoc meeting requests at the show to the most suitable experts.

And the UK’s Department for International Trade (DIT) is returning to RWM 2017 to offer visitors and exhibitors the opportunity to gain insight and advice about exporting products and internationalising their business. On-site advice will be available at the show from the DIT’s expert team of international trade advisers, who specialise in the energy and waste sectors, in Hall 4, stand A120-B120.

There will also be the opportunity to have some fun at RWM 2017 by making use of the four-hole Pitch & Put crazy golf course and bar at the back of Hall Five, sponsored by Adtrak. It’s a great way to network in a relaxed setting away from the hubbub of the main show.

Theatre seminar sessions
A wealth of knowledge sharing and networking opportunities will also be present during the daily seminar theatre sessions running in each event zone throughout the show:

- Utilities Keynote Theatre: The platform for UK energy and water leaders to share their insights into the latest industry developments. Topics to be debated across the three-day event include energy supply, pricing, energy storage, renewable innovations, water deregulation and future visions. These resources are about far more than just a cost, and correct management can be a source of value, resilience and real competitive advantage.

- Utilities in Practice Theatre: This case study-led seminar programme seeks to support visitors with practical, peer-led insight into how to drive efficiency, create value and deliver compliant water, energy and renewables services. Find out what best practice looks like, and where new commercial opportunities lie that your company could stand to benefit from.

- Circular Economy Theatre: Focusing on how the principles of circular economy can be applied to maximise value and the sustainable use of resources. The world’s cities generate 1.3 billion tonnes of waste per year and this is expected to rise to 2.2 billion tonnes by 2025. These wastes pose a growing risk to human health, air and water quality, and are an increasing source of greenhouse gas emissions. But effective waste and resources management is an opportunity for economies to re-invent themselves, to mine society’s wastes and close materials and utilities loops on all fronts.

- Energy from Waste Theatre: Sharing best practice, technological advances, and changes to the global political and economic landscapes which impact this evolving sector, which has not always had favourable perceptions in the media and public eye. New commercial prospects for EfW will be assessed, together with what could constitute barriers to the growth of the industry within the UK and wider global market. Other prospects such as the opportunities in a decarbonising economy, and what impact an increase in recycling rates will have on future EfW feedstocks, will also come under the spotlight.

- Municipal and Materials Recovery Theatre: The platform for resource and waste industry experts from both the public and private sector to come together and discuss creative techniques to drive recycling rates. From the effective management and commercialisation of food waste to tackling waste crime, and rethinking revenue streams from recycling, seminar sessions in this theatre are set to see exciting debates over the three-day show.