Bright, focused and clear

The wait is almost over for this year’s Traffex, co-located with Parkex and Street Design

From 21-23 April the transport community will be making its way to Traffex 2009, the largest international traffic engineering, ITS, road safety and highway maintenance exhibition, now in its 24th year. Held at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, the three-day event, which attracts all members of the transport community, from both the public and private sector, will bring together over 500 companies from the UK, Europe and the rest of the world.
    
Traffex meets the needs of the industry professional, by creating an effective space where leading suppliers of transport technology products and services can meet their customers in an informal setting, geared to their requirements. As well as showcasing the latest technology, it also offers a knowledge forum and a unique networking opportunity, as over 90 per cent of UK local authorities will be represented as visitors to the show.
    
This year Traffex will be co-located with Parkex – Europe’s largest dedicated parking exhibition, organised in association with the British Parking Association; and Street Design – a visionary new event focused on conserving and enhancing the urban built environment, supported by the Landscape Institute, Institution of Lighting Engineers, and The Highway Electrical Manufacturers and Suppliers Association.
    
The key to any exhibition is the quality and array of exhibitors that will give the event its main content, and this year’s combined Parkex, Traffex and Street Design event is set to display a wide range of products, offering visitors an opportunity to see over 500 exhibitors from the world of transport, parking and street design.
    
Visitors can obtain expert advice, research and compare the very latest products and services from all the leading suppliers, all in one location. Confirmed exhibitors include 3M, Clearview Traffic Group, Drager Safety, Siemens, Red Speed International, Imagsa Technologies, Redflex Traffic Systems, Transport Simulation Systems and many more.

Seminar theatre
Over the three days, visitors to the event will have access not only to the latest products and services that are being designed worldwide, but also a wide range of topical briefings and insights from the traffic industry’s leading experts, being held at the seminar theatre. Traffex sessions will be organised by ITS United Kingdom and The Institution of Highways & Transportation, Parkex sessions by the British Parking Association and Street Design sessions by Institute of Lighting Engineers and Landscape Institute.
    
This year’s seminars will explore various issues such as latest enforcement technologies, passive safety, casualty reduction, environmental issues, safe parking schemes, parking structures, energy efficiency and professionalism. Key industry experts will present on a range of topics highlighting areas in which the industry can improve traffic and parking management, safety and renewable energy, as well as developing professionalism across the industries. Visitors can take away ideas for their own work as well as inspiration on collaborations and partnerships. Sessions will be chaired by key industry figures such as Steven Norris, President of ITS (UK), and Professor Eric Sampson, Chairman of ITS (UK) and Keith Banbury, Ex-Chief Executive of the British Parking Association.  
    
Steve Norris, president of ITS (UK), comments: “If you're in the transport technology business at any level you simply can't afford to miss Traffex. These days it has grown to be the "must do" event for the intelligent transport industry, with all the latest ideas and innovations on show and everyone you need to see and listen to on the hot topics of the day."
    
Eric Sampson, chairman of ITS (UK) said: “Transport professionals are always seeking to improve the services they design and provide – safer cities, reduced emissions, and uncongested roads. In the present economic climate, finding the extra few percent of productivity has become vital. That’s why it’s essential to visit Traffex, to hear the latest thinking, see the latest products, discuss problems with fellow experts and all under one roof. Local authority staff and councillors should particularly visit ITS United Kingdom’s stand to learn what intelligent transport systems can do for you and are already delivering across the country.”
    
Patrick Troy, chief executive of the British Parking Association said: “The parking and traffic management sector continues to grow both in size and profile, and affects every road user in the UK. It is more important than ever that we work together to ensure that the systems in place are fair, workable and benefit everyone and the exhibition is one forum for the industry to come together on the issues that matter."

Safer roads save lives
Following on from the success of the 2007 feature, the Passive Safety Zone returns to Traffex with a larger area for visitors to explore, featuring real cars that have been tested with both non passive and passively safe products and a series of specially recorded films that will also highlight the products in action. Organised in conjunction with the Passive Revolution Ltd, the Passive Safety Zone is feature not to be missed. Find the latest information on ‘crash friendly’ products; there will be a wide range of experts on hand who will be able to provide you with solid information regarding current advice and standards on the use of passively safe products. There are also over 30 companies exhibiting ‘crash friendly’ and passively safe products at Traffex this year.

Instarmac re-instatement challenge
ULTRASCAPE, one of Instarmac’s newest brands, will be taking centre stage at Traffex this April. Come and see the products in action in a live competition where leading contractors will be challenged with laying a mini street in a set time. Barry Hunt from The Stone Federation will be judging the contractors work and points will be awarded for the overall finish of the street along with their workmanship. Make sure you stop buy and cheer on the teams.
    
Visitors can also see the main themes of Street Design exhibition brought to life in ‘The Street’ designed by leading architects Capita Lovejoy. This feature is an animated urban highway that we have designed with public space in mind. Many towns and city centers across the country strive to make there highways a more livable environment and user friendly place to live and work. We hope that what you see on The Street will be of interest not only from a design point of view, but also from an urban sustainability and public realm perspective.
    
Bill Butler, Traffex 2009 exhibition director, comments: “Bringing Traffex and Parkex together has proved to be a great success in the previous years and with the addition of the new show, Street Design, this year’s exhibition will offer an even more integrated overview of the transport, parking and the external street design sector. The event has grown year-on-year, offering increasingly interesting and international content, and with 25,000 square meters of exhibition space, innovative seminars, features and over 500 exhibitors, it is a must see for anyone working within these industries.“
    
In 2007, the bi-annual exhibition saw 11,000 visitors and the 2009 combination of Traffex, Parkex and Street Design is on track to exceed expectations.

For more information
For more information on the events and to pre-register for a free visitor badge visit the dedicated websites: www.traffex.com, www.parkex.co.uk or www.streetdesignuk.com