Events

The state of SaaS sales: challenges, skills, and tech

CloudShare has revealed insights from leading influencers in the sales enablement industry. The panel, who came together during a virtual roundtable, discussed the current state of SaaS sales in a bold new (post-COVID-19) world, with a challenging economic backdrop. The panel also discussed recent research revealing that sales reps only have around 5% of a B2B customer’s time during the entire buying journey. In today’s highly competitive digital landscape, salespeople must capitalise on this brief window of opportunity, yet an astounding 82% of B2B decision-makers think sales reps are unprepared to make a sale. See here a summary of some of the most pertinent insights from the roundtable, and tips for SaaS sales teams: Training the sales team should be a business priority Mario M. Martinez Jr., CEO of Vengreso, thinks that management needs to rethink traditional methods of sales training. He comments, “Three-day intensive training sessions typically don’t make a meaningful difference in a salesperson’s day-to-day processes. Instead, training needs to embody the spacing effect by spreading out learning over 30, 60, or 90 days. This technique will improve retention and allow staff to use new information and technologies immediately.” Mike Kunkle, VP of Sales Effectiveness Services at SPARXiQ agrees that it’s time to rethink traditional training approaches, too. Mike says, “Event-based training, boot-camps, and information dumps seem to be fading, in favour of bite-sized virtual learning chunks, spaced repetition, and following a system’s approach to train, reinforce, provide practice (with feedback loops and coaching), apply purposeful transfer plans, and coach reps to mastery over time. Engaging, enabling, and empowering front-line sales managers more effectively is a key part of this trend.” Steffaney Zohrabyan, Global Sales Enablement at Cisco, thinks there is a lack of ‘hands-on’ training opportunities in many organisations, stating “Selling is different in every organisation, and SE staff need to know what selling means in theirs. Spending time with the sales team is the way to do that, allowing SE professionals to understand the needs and challenges they face in their respective markets.” Insights are the key to success Felix Krueger, CEO of FFWD discussed the importance of capturing and dispersing sales knowledge amongst sales teams. “Businesses need to embrace the buyer and industry insights generated by effective sales staff and capture it. It can then be dispersed through SE training programs to the rest of the sales department to drive meaningful outcomes”. Rachel Mae, General Manager of Training at A Sales Growth Company believes that insights cannot be read in silos and thinks analysis, with context, is key. She adds, “The influx of data provided by modern sales and marketing tools can often make it seem like organisations face new challenges. However, much of the generated data is not helpful without context. The silos between leadership, marketing, lead gen, sales, and customer success make putting the data in proper context near impossible. Data may tell you the problem, but only observable moments tell you the root cause. The coaching gap is still as broad as ever. Worse now that live observable moments are all the more elusive in a remote world. I believe we run into trouble when we try to change processes or behaviour before a proper diagnosis. Rev ops cannot succeed in a silo. They need the field.” According to Steffaney Zohrabyan, Global Sales Enablement Team at Cisco, everyone should spend a day in the shoes of a seller as real experiences are the best teachers. “Not only does this provide invaluable insights into what makes a top performer excel, but it highlights the exact steps, tools, and content needed to close the training gap. More importantly, it gives SE professionals insights into what it means (and takes) to be a top performer at an organisation.” Sales in a post-COVID world Mario M. Martinez Jr., CEO of Vengreso, thinks that COVID-19 has made selling more difficult, “Buyers have become increasingly adept at researching companies due to being unable to meet with salespeople face-to-face. Before contacting the sales team, a buyer has already researched your product and competition. Sales staff need to embrace this fact and focus on repeatable techniques that drive sales. Additionally, migrating to an omnichannel approach requires sales staff to understand which leads prefer each channel and the right cadence to contact them.” Rachel Mae thinks that due to COVID-19, the whole sales experience has changed, she says, “The COVID-19 pandemic forced many salespeople to quickly change their approach from leaning on linear based relationships to credibility relationships. This requires a much higher level of skill and business acumen. Many sales orgs enjoyed a booming economy that gave them a false belief about the effectiveness of the sales team. Sales are still about conversations and not presentations. But enablement can often over-engineer the sales process in the pursuit of a process that presents as scaleable.” Annie Reiss, Chief Marketing Officer at CloudShare, says it’s time to embrace the future of sales enablement. “What we’ve learned from this influential group is that whilst sales have not fundamentally changed, there is a gap between the crucial need to convert prospects in a short time frame, often remotely, and without proper skills or know-how. Buyers have become smarter since COVID-19 and sales staff, managers, and VPs are beginning to realise that technology is key to providing an interactive, engaging buyer experience in order to capitalise on every opportunity, with every potential lead. Building a forward-thinking sales enablement program doesn’t happen overnight. But with buy-in from key stakeholders, the right foundation, interactive training, and the desire to always improve - any organisation can develop a culture of sales enablement that drives meaningful results.”

DTX + UCX returns to London ExCeL on 12-13 October 2022

Over 10,000 tech personalities will flock to London’s ExCeL on 12-13 October 2022 as three shows unite for the year’s single biggest digital transformation occasion in Europe. Digital Transformation EXPO Europe (DTX) and UC EXPO (UCX) - the UK’s most comprehensive unified communications and collaboration event - will bring the continent’s top tech leaders together for two full days of memorable moments and industry insights. Plus, for the first time, the events will also be co-located with Internet Retailing Expo 2022 (IRX) - a gathering for digital heroes transforming retail. Formula One World Championship winner, Jenson Button, investigative journalist, Carole Cadwalladr (shortlisted for a Pulitzer Prize after exposing the Cambridge Analytica data scandal) and award-winning financial commentator, Susannah Streeter, are among 300 speakers across 15 stages - addressing thousands of IT, security, DevOps, data, customer experience and communications professionals. Developer workshops, industry case studies, peer-to-peer roundtables and an exhibition showcasing the latest tech are all part of the occasion - with representatives of Domino’s, KPMG, Mastercard, Ministry of Defence, Legal & General, WeWork and Ofgem having already signed up. The 2022 focus is on ‘Breaking Down Silos’ - empowering industry innovators to build and execute a transformation strategy that matches technology with business needs and desired outcomes. Hot topics include cloud transformation, cyber security, DevOps, unified communications, future networks, data and AI, whilst also discussing sustainability, talent and skills, plus diversity, inclusion and belonging. DTX displays the latest must-have technologies, insights and case studies from the world’s top brands and leading experts - connecting businesses with the essential tools and knowledge to meet today’s evolving demands and prepare for what’s ahead. UCX assesses the UC technologies that are facilitating the shift to flexible working, as well as offering vital insights for smarter collaboration, increased productivity, and enhanced employee and customer experience. IRX explores the theme of evolving architectures for modern commerce and how the retail customer experience is modernising, alongside insights and processes in commerce. James McGough, Managing Director for DTX and UCX, says: “We’re thrilled to be bringing together three major tech events under one roof for what is guaranteed to be an unmissable occasion at the London ExCel this autumn. “A huge range of keynote speakers and tech personalities are going to be in attendance - with DTX + UCX focusing on the ‘The NOW factor’ and how changing technologies are impacting the world for years to come. “This is definitely one of the most exciting events we’ve ever hosted - and we’ll be announcing more information about what the conference will entail over the next few weeks.” Save the dates of October 12-13 and register online here.

International Cyber Expo announces esteemed Advisory Council members

Nineteen Group, organisers of International Cyber Expo, are thrilled to announce the members of this year’s event Advisory Council. Chaired by former CEO of the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), Professor Ciaran Martin, CB, the Advisory Council combines 30 of cyber security’s most well-respected industry figures from government, private and academic sectors. The council is united by their shared passion and commitment to combating the issues of tomorrow's interconnected world. They will also shape the event’s agenda, drawing on their expertise and insights from within the field of cyber security. Taking place on the 27th - 28th September 2022 at Olympia London, the expo endeavours to be an event for the community, by the community. Every effort has been made to form a diverse and esteemed panel of experts from all disciplines to provide an array of perspectives, from insurance, legal and vocational considerations to law enforcement and academia. Moreover, the council has been intentionally created with an even split of gender representatives, while Nicola Whiting MBE has been engaged to offer a voice to the neurodiverse community. Members of International Cyber Expo’s Advisory Council 2022 are as follows: ● Alison Wakefield, Professor of Criminology and Security Studies, University of West London ● Alonso Jose da Silva II, Head of Cyber Threat Intelligence, KPMG UK ● Berta Pappenheim, Managing Director, CyberFish ● Chris Greany, Director of Security, Pay.UK ● Chris White, Head of Cyber and Innovation, The South East Cyber Resilience Centre (SECRC) ● Professor Ciaran Martin CB, Oxford University and Former Chief Executive Officer, National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) ● David Mudd, Global Head for Digital Trust Assurance, BSI Group ● Dr. David Scholefield, Chief Information Security Officer, Flexys Solutions ● Don Randall, Senior Advisor, Don Randall Associates ● Dr. Emma Philpott MBE, CEO, IASME ● Flavia Kenyon, Barrister, The 36 Group ● Gareth Wharton, Cyber CEO, Hiscox ● Graham Ingram, CISO, University of Oxford ● Jessica Figueras, Vice Chair, UK Cyber Security Council ● John Davies, Co-founder and Chair of Cyber Wales, Board Director and Skills Growth Lead for UKC3, and CEO at Pervade Software ● Lisa Forte, Partner, Red Goat Consulting ● Professor Lisa Short, Director and Co-founder, P&L Digital Edge Limited ● Lisa Ventura, Founder, Cyber Security Unity ● Mahbubul Islam, CISO, HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) ● Matt Horne, Deputy Director, Investigations, National Crime Agency ● Matthew Evans, Director, Markets, TechUK ● Michelle Ohren, Head of Cyber and Innovation, The West Midlands Cyber Resilience Centre (WMCRC) ● Nicola Whiting MBE, Chief Strategy Officer, Titania Group ● Paul Chichester, Director of Operations, National Cyber Security Centre ● Professor Richard Benham, Global Expert in Data Management, Artificial Intelligence and Cyber Security, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office ● Simon Newman, Head of Cyber and Business Services, Police Digital Security Centre, Police Crime Prevention Initiatives (PDSC/PCPI) ● Tracy Buckingham, Deputy Director Security and Cyber Security Exports, Department for International Trade ● Vicki Gavin, Head of Information Security and Compliance, and Former Chair, Kaplan International and The Women’s Security Society ● Professor Vladlena Benson, Professor of Cybersecurity Management, Director of Cyber Security Innovation Centre, Aston University ● Zak Doffman, CEO, Digital Barriers “The current threat landscape means it is more important than ever for the cyber security community to come together and support each other. Continued collaboration across all sectors, whether public or private, and our peers will help us overcome the issues we face as we become more dependent on technology,” comments Ciaran Martin CB, Professor at Oxford University and Chair of International Cyber Expo’s Advisory Council. “I’m honoured to be the Chair of the Cyber Advisory Council and look forward to supporting, adding value, and sharing knowledge to help shape the future of this essential cyber event.” “International Cyber Expo’s mission is to create an inclusive event that brings together the cyber security community to learn and explore the issues, challenges and topics that are specifically relevant to them. We strive to make sure our agenda is compiled from listening to that community and that is why we have a high-level team of advisors from various backgrounds and disciplines in the field,” says Bob Rose, Advisory Council Lead and Government Liaison for International Cyber Expo. “We’re thrilled to have these remarkable individuals on board and look forward to producing a quality show for visitors and exhibitors alike.” Register for FREE tickets here.

Raising awareness of cyber security

The UK Cyber Security Council, International Cyber Expo and ITN Business will be co-creators of a unique news-style programme produced to raise awareness and understanding of cyber security. The information age has brought enormous economic and social progress to many parts of the world and has proved to be a powerful tool for connectivity, freedom and innovation. The rise in ever more sophisticated internet-based technologies will further accelerate the way organisations and communities communicate and share information.  The increased reliance on connected, online systems has made businesses more vulnerable to cyber attacks, while encouraging more cyber crime. Companies need to be more strategic, diligent and vigilant when it comes to maintaining best security practices. Ensuring the safety and security of cyberspace is vital for a rapidly expanding digital economy. Anchored by ITN Business presenter Sharon Thomas, 'Securing Our Future’ will raise awareness of cyber threats faced by individuals and organisations in the UK and the ongoing response and solutions to these threats. The programme will highlight the work being done by the UK Cyber Security Council in supporting the UK Government’s National Cyber Security Strategy, to make the UK the safest place to live and work online, and its aims to leverage all available expertise, relevant standards and guidance to deliver practical advice to the profession. The programme will also look at the latest cyber security technology and the career opportunities that are available in the sector, including the numerous pathways to a career in cyber via certification and educational courses. Featuring expert interviews, news items and reporter-led sponsored editorial profiles from leading organisations filmed on location, the programme will launch at International Cyber Expo, 27 and 28 September 2022 at Olympia London, and will be supported by an extensive marketing campaign. Simon Hepburn, CEO, UK Cyber Security Council says: “Cyber security is a fast-evolving discipline and one that is of genuine national importance. At the UK Cyber Security Council, we’re working strategically with the government to help it achieve its ambition to make the UK the safest place to work and live online. “One of the ways we’re doing this is through introducing chartered standards for the industry, which we’re currently in the process of piloting. However, we also need to reach into diverse communities right across the UK to help educate them about the importance of cyber security. And we need to work with these communities and stakeholders across business and academia to create clear and engaging careers paths into the industry. “As we seek to achieve those aims, it’s great to have partnered with ITN to create a programme that can help raise awareness of the importance of cyber security with people across the UK.” Professor Ciaran Martin CB, Advisory Council Chair, International Cyber Expo comments: “This is a really important and welcome initiative. It brings together two things. First, the International Cyber Expo creates a space where specific, positive action in pursuit of better cyber security can be developed. Second, the partnership with ITN business is critical for promoting awareness of those solutions. I am delighted we have the prestige of ITN Business and the quality of Sharon Thomas’s broadcasting to help us.” Nina Harrison-Bell, Head of ITN Productions Industry News concludes: “We are very much looking forward to working with UKCSC to produce a programme that will create a broader public understanding of the variety of online and cyberspace threats faced in the UK daily. We hope the programme provides a platform to share knowledge and learnings with the cyber security community and shines a light on the great work being done to keep the UK safe.”

Fire safety amongst topics at Siemens Transform event

Siemens is presenting a two day conference and exhibition entitled ‘Transform 2022’ which will see the largest cross-section of the company’s UK and Ireland customers gather to address some of the most challenging issues currently facing businesses. Staged at the Manchester Central Convention Complex from 12-13 July, the focus will be on how Siemens and its customers can tackle the different pressures that are being brought to bear on business, with discussions, ideas and technologies that can help to provide the transformation required to shape a sustainable future. Amongst the topics under discussion will be fire safety and the role it can play in that process. ‘Digital Fire Safety: The tools you need to transform your fire protection’ will be the focus for a presentation on 12 July led by Rob Yates, Head of Fire Products, Siemens UK and Ireland. Rob says “We, like our customers, are very aware of the economic, environmental and societal pressures and the accelerated rate at which businesses are having to adjust to such challenges. This event will provide an important collaborative forum to address them. Digitalisation is one of the key drivers in ensuring a business is future-ready and fire safety is no exception. We’ll be looking at the significant benefits that cloud-enabled devices can bring to a fire safety system in terms of the availability of data and how it can be used to track compliance, enhance system records and ensure more efficient maintenance.” To register for the event click here.

There’s a lot going on in Ireland…at DataCentres Ireland you’ll meet all those involved!

DataCentres Ireland, 16-17 November, Dublin – brings together over 1600 industry professionals Why Ireland? Ireland is one of the world’s major data centre markets, with 70 operational data centres (circa 900MW) and a further eight (circa 255MW) under construction*. There is €1.33 billion projected construction spend in 2021 and construction investment in data centre facilities is forecast to grow to €1.5 billion for 2022 and 2023*. *source “Half yearly report (May 2021)” produced by BitPower Energy Solutions, Host in Ireland and Cornwall Insight Meet your market DataCentres Ireland is the country’s largest and most complete event addressing the needs of all those involved in the Irish Data Centre market. Featuring over 60 speakers and panellists, the multi-streamed conference will again host a strategy stream as well as one addressing operational issues, to ensure relevance to ALL involved in the data centre sector, as well as other missional critical environments. This year’s speaker line-up includes: Rabih Bashroush, Global Head, IT Infrastructure Advisory, Uptime InstituteJon Summers, Research Leader, RiSePaul Carson, Managing Director, Strategic Power Projects IrelandColm Shorten, Senior Director - Data Centres, JLLAdelle DeSouza, Founder, HireHigherMark Acton, Independent ConsultantDerek Webster, Independent FDI ConsultantEd Ansett, Chairman, I₃ Solutions GroupEmma Fryer, Partner, ERM (Environmental Resource Management)John Laban, Open Compute ProjectClare Dillon, Founder, Open Network IrelandDave McAuley, Founder & CEO, BitpowerJohn Curley, General Manager, Clarke EnergyMichael McCarthy, Director, Cloud Infrastructure IrelandSiobhán McHugh, CEO, DRAI (Demand Response Association of Ireland)Paddy Finn, CEO & CTO, ViotasSimon McCormick, CTO, Echelon DataCentresThomas Gorman, Director of Operations, Digital Realty Funded through the exhibition, ALL aspects of DataCentres Ireland are FREE to attend! To find out more and register for the event visit www.datacentres-ireland.com or contact the DataCentres team on +44 (0) 1892 779992 / email datacentres@stepex.com.

Schneider Electric wins in two categories at the DCS Awards 2022

Schneider Electric has won in two categories at the DCS Awards 2022. For the second consecutive year, Schneider Electric secured the DCS Award for ‘Outstanding Contribution to Sustainability and Efficiency’, which recognises its leadership for the creation of the industry’s first comprehensive, novel framework for environmentally sustainable data centres. During the event, Schneider Electric was also awarded ‘Data Centre Power Innovation of the Year’ for its Galaxy VL 3-phase UPS. The UPS offers energy efficiency, resilience, and sustainability, delivering up to 99% efficiency in its ECOnversion mode, without sacrificing load protection. The UPS also includes a pioneering ‘Live Swap’ safety feature, which delivers a touch-safe design throughout the process of adding or replacing power modules while the UPS is online and fully operational. “With growing global concerns surrounding climate change, coupled with the fallout of the international energy crisis, there has never been a more important time for our industry to prioritise sustainable action over words,” says Marc Garner, Vice President, Secure Power Division, Schneider Electric UK and Ireland. “As decarbonisation becomes embedded into every facet of the data centre sector, our mission is to be our customer’s partner for sustainability and efficiency, and help the industry accelerate its ambitions to reach net zero. I am extremely proud to accept these awards on behalf of Schneider Electric, which are testament to our ethos for sustainable innovation.” Outstanding Contribution to Sustainability and Efficiency award The last two years have seen unprecedented demand for data centre capacity, propelled by the digital transformation efforts of the COVID-19 pandemic, increased connectivity requirements, and the growth of data centres globally. Analysts predict that data centres represent 1-2% of global electricity consumption and emit the same level of carbon as the airline sector. Given this impact, sustainability has become an ever more prevalent topic and remains a key factor in customer decision-making. At the DCS Awards 2022, Schneider Electric was awarded ‘Outstanding Contribution to Sustainability and Efficiency’ for creation of the industry’s first comprehensive novel framework for environmentally sustainable data centres. Available free to data centre stakeholders globally, the first-of-its-kind framework allows for the detailed tracking and reporting of standardised, measurable sustainability metrics. The framework directly helps owners and operators to address the key challenge of measuring sustainability and proposes five key metrics of environmental impact to measure and benchmark their progress against. They include Energy, GHG emissions, Water, Waste, Land and biodiversity, and provides 23 key metrics for standardised reporting. Further, it identifies the 17 most relevant sustainability frameworks to guide operators in both setting measurable targets and reporting against them.  Created by a team of environmental, social and governance (ESG) experts, sustainability consultants, scientists and solution architects, it helps operators at the Beginning, Advanced or Leading stages of their sustainability journey to reduce their environmental impact. Data Centre Power Innovation of the Year award Schneider Electric was also awarded ‘Data Centre Power Innovation of the Year’ for its Galaxy VL 3-phase UPS, which offers energy efficiency, resilience, and sustainability. The UPS delivers up to 99% efficiency in its ECOnversion mode for a full return on investment via energy savings within two years. Galaxy VL is one of Schneider Electric’s Green Premium products, offering sustainable performance by design. It includes transparent environmental information and makes minimal use of hazardous substances in compliance with regulations such as RoHS and REACH. Like all Schneider Electric Green Premium products, Galaxy VL includes full environmental disclosures, Product Environmental Profiles and Circularity Profiles, providing guidance on responsible end-of-life treatment and other recommendations to promote a circular economy. Further, Galaxy VL offers ultra-reliable, secure power protection in a highly efficient and compact unit which, with a footprint of 0.8m2, occupies half the industry average space for an equivalent rated UPS. Its compact design offers space savings of up to 70% and delivers a lower total cost of ownership compared to traditional VRLA batteries.

Award win for project underpinning vaccine, cell and gene therapy manufacturing capability

Keysource, in association with CENTIEL, have been named as winners of the Edge Project of the Year at the DCS Awards 2022. The award winners were announced at a gala dinner held at the Leonardo Royal Hotel London St Pauls on 26 May 2022. The teams’ work has been recognised following the completion of an installation of a truly modular, scalable, and highly efficient UPS and electrical infrastructure solution to help underpin growth in a UK Government effort to develop world-class innovative vaccine research and manufacturing capability. Scientists and researchers based in the centre will accelerate the time taken for new treatments to be delivered to patients by developing cutting-edge therapies to treat life-changing diseases. The edge data centre that supports the essential laboratory work, is responsible for ensuring that samples and vaccines remain in optimal condition. The installation is now the first medical facility in the UK to take advantage of Li-ion batteries in combination with CENTEIL’s fourth generation three phase, true modular UPS, CumulusPowerTM which offers industry leading 99.9999999% (nine, nines) availability translating to just milliseconds of downtime per year. Louis McGarry, Sales and Marketing Director, CENTIEL UK explains: “The facility runs off different energy sources from the grid to sustainable power. This means the UPS is called on more often to provide a clean, continuous source of power to support the laboratory environment and ensure optimal conditions. Li-ion batteries offered the perfect solution as they are highly capable of cycling many times over, unlike traditional VRLA batteries, where cycling shortens their design life significantly. Richard Clifford, Head of Solutions at Keysource comments: “At Keysource, we deliver the finest and most efficient facilities, utilising the latest in critical power and cooling technologies. Our solutions support the latest generation of high-performance, high-density computing and have been internationally recognised as examples of best practice. We are proud to support clients that lead the development of new, innovative technologies to bolster the UK’s medical research capability. This project is a perfect example of why investing in critical infrastructure, and its protection is essential to ensure these vital services continue to operate, now and in the future.”

Cyber Tech Symposium 2022 to discuss the cyber skills gap

The University of Gloucestershire’s C11 Cyber Tech Symposium 2022 will enable employers to engage with leading cyber strategists and the next generation of cyber professionals, helping to address the cyber skills gap and growing cyber threat. Industry professionals and academics will provide visitors to the Symposium, which will be held at the University’s C11 Cyber Security and Digital Innovation Centre, with access to key insights and expertise about the protection of our critical national infrastructure from cyber attacks, as well as what needs to be done to bring more people from all backgrounds into this dynamic and growing industry. Keynote speakers will include leading specialists from the National Cyber Security Centre, IBM’s Executive Security Advisor Dr Saritha Arunkumar, and the Director of the Institute of Coding at Bath University, Professor Rachid Hourizi, along with experts from the NHS and Raytheon UK. The Symposium will also provide employers with an opportunity to find out about investing in their own talent pipeline, whether that is through the array of cyber educational offerings from the University, with its apprenticeship opportunities, student work placement programmes, internships, and undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes, or from a variety of other regional providers. The C11 Cyber Tech Symposium 2022 will be held at the C11 Cyber and Digital Innovation Centre at Berkeley Green on 7 July between 8.30am and 4.30pm. Registration is free, but places are limited and must be booked in advance. Professor Kamal Bechkoum, Head of the School of Computing and Engineering at the University says: “As the cyber skills gap persists and cyber threats continue to grow in an ever more threatening world, we know that part of the solution lies within our ability to create talent and solutions through collaboration. “Our C11 Cyber Tech Symposium 2022 will bring together key government officials, leading business people and top academics to think, talk, inspire and create solutions along with fresh talent from our student community. “For anyone interested in tackling the cyber skills gap and growing cyber threat, the Symposium will offer a secure and friendly environment to be part of such an important conversation.”

Time to register for the smart home trade show, EI Live! 2022

Don’t miss your chance to enhance your presence in the smart home market with a visit to the UK’s only national trade focused smart home event. Registration is open now – visit the site, get the date in your diary and start benefiting from the fastest growing sector in new builds and renovation. Taking place at the Farnborough International Exhibition Centre, EI Live! 2022 runs from 14-15 September and offers lucrative opportunities for quality electrical contractors working in the domestic and commercial sectors. EI Live! delivers the opportunity to access this expanding market so that electrical contractors can increase their portfolios and offer customers everything from multi-room music systems and other entertainment experiences, networking products, smart metering and automated control of lighting, HVAC and security. Many of the distributors and manufacturers that operate in this area are looking to expand their customer base, and experienced electrical contractors already have many of the skills and the customer base needed to be successful. Distributors and manufactures offer full and often free training to get companies started or expand your offering if you already operate in this area. The only UK smart home show EI Live! is the UK’s only smart building trade show, offering a vital opportunity to meet with suppliers and find out more about the market. With stands showcasing hundreds of brands and thousands of products, services and innovations, electrical contractors can be sure there is something that will suit their customers and offer a chance to either enter for the first time or increase their footprint in one of the most dynamic markets in UK infrastructure. As well as the main show floor, El Live! will provide a comprehensive series of training seminars in the Learning Zone and other less business orientated experiences, such as the show’s Formula One racing challenge. There are also many launches and special offers that can only been seen at this event. These range from automation products controlling lighting and other building utilities, easy to fit entertainment experiences, networking products and full building automation platforms. Technological advances mean many of these products are easy and straight-forward to fit and deliver serious margin to those companies that get involved. Many electrical contractors have already made the transition to include smart products and show organisers explains that exhibitors are on the look-out for new accounts in particular from the electrical contracting sector. Entry to the show is completely free and access is easy via the venue’s large car park, which is also free for the whole day. In order to take full advantage of this two-day event, visitors have access to dozens of reasonably priced hotels near the site. To register for free and get all the information needed to make a trip to EI Live! visit the show’s dedicated website or call the show team on +44 (0)1634 673163.