The surging growth in Western Australia's employment has brought a new, large workplace safety trade show and conference to the state.
The inaugural WA Safety Show and Conference will be held in Perth from August 12 to 14, 2008 and will then run every two years. WA Safety Show and Conference comes from the same stable as the Melbourne-based Safety In Action trade show and The Safety Show Sydney, which each attract more than 10,000 visitors annually and the two-year-old Queensland Safety Show.
Backing the WA Safety Show and Conference is the Safety Institute of Australia’s Western Australian division and organiser, Australian Exhibitions & Conferences (AEC). The 7000 square metre WA Safety Show's announcement follows strong demand from exhibitors at other safety shows, says AEC managing director Marie Kinsella.
"Plenty of exhibitors were asking when we'd launch a Perth show," she said. "Within 24 hours of us announcing the WA Safety Show, more than a dozen had snapped up stands."
Ms Kinsella anticipates the show will host over 150 exhibitors and 3000 visitors. One of those foundation exhibitors will be floor cleaning products supplier, Pall Mall Manufacturing Company. Pall Mall Manufacturing Company’s national sales manager, Stephen Longworth, said Western Australia was a "massive and developing market" for the safety industry.
"WA is going ahead in leaps and bounds in the midst of a state-wide boom," Mr Longworth said. "Wherever you have an explosion in the growth of employment, it's important to match that with a renewed focus on safety."
"As national supplier of electrical safety and compliance testing equipment, Emona has seen firsthand the gap in our ability to inform WA electricians and electrical maintenance personnel of the latest in electrical safety testing equipment. We are very proud to be involved in the inaugural show and, with our experience in exhibiting at safety shows in other states, expect WA Safety to be an enormous success." said Mark Breznik, marketing manager, Emona Instruments.
The WA economy is currently booming, directly as a result of large scale mining operations. This industry can be very hazardous and relies heavily on the need for good quality safety products. It would seem obvious that a safety expo is well overdue for this region says Peter Rayner, managing director, Steeldrill Australia
The WA Safety Show will be similar in format to its eastern seaboard counterparts, spanning asbestos removal and automation safety through to waste management and workplace wellness.
The concurrently held conference for the professional development of safety practitioners is expected to feature more than 40 leading thinkers in workplace safety.
The inaugural WA Safety Show and Conference will run from August 12 to 14 at the Perth Convention Exhibition Centre. Meanwhile, The Safety Show, Sydney, will be held from October 24 to 26 in 2007 at the Sydney Showground and Safety In Action will run from April 29 to May 1, 2008 at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre.