The 10,162 visits to The Safety Show Sydney in October have set the stage for impressive occupational health and safety events as the economy rebounds in 2010.
New South Wales' largest workplace safety event, The Safety Show Sydney and Sydney Materials Handling trade shows, hosted hundreds of occupational health, safety and materials handling specialists across three and a half acres at the Sydney Showground. Held concurrently with The Safety Conference and the inaugural CleanScene National Cleaning & Hygiene Expo, the two shows dominated Safe Work Australia Week in NSW.
One in four visitors to The Safety Show and Sydney Materials Handling were from the manufacturing sector, one in five from government and 15 per cent came from the building and construction sector.
As well as the thousands of safety products and services on offer, visitors flocked to a series of practical events hosted by The Safety Show to help workplaces meet safety standards.
Organisers estimate around 1000 visitors attended seminars run by Safe Work Australia and Deacons law firm explaining the draft OHS laws. WorkCover NSW workshops on bullying, materials handling and workers compensation were also popular, while the height safety seminars by Workplace Access & Safety booked out early.
The two shows' growth from 9867 visits last year would boost industry confidence, said organiser, Marie Kinsella of Australian Exhibitions & Conferences .
"Exhibitors have told us sales are much harder to make now than they were 18 months ago and that The Safety Show and Sydney Materials Handling was a very carefully considered investment," she said. "For many, I think the shows' performances were very reassuring that the right marketing still yields results."
Exhibitor, Regan Carr of Warehousing Equipment, said he had expected the economic downturn to have had some impact on The Safety Show.
"Realistically, I was expecting lower numbers but I thought I could be surprised and I was. Most people were genuinely interested in increasing their knowledge or solving problems. They weren't there for half a day out of the office."
Warehousing Equipment will join around 350 specialist safety suppliers at Safety In Action in Melbourne during April 2010. The WA Safety Show will return in August, followed by The Safety Show and Sydney Materials Handling in October.