Dimension 8, the full service supplier to exhibitions and conferences, has announced it’s takeover of Design Matters (Furniture Hire) Ltd today, Monday March 18, 2013. Design Matters is a long standing and highly respected supplier of event furniture with a twenty year history of providing prestigious, high quality furniture to every conceivable type of event.

The takeover is the latest step in Dimension 8′s continued growth strategy, following on the heels of a record breaking year, new appointments, expansion of premises and investments in new equipment. Design Matters’ goodwill and depth of stock significantly enlarges and enhances Dimension 8s furniture capabilities and, perhaps more importantly, this takeover now firmly positions Dimension 8 as a major competitor in the furniture hire business.

By moving the entire Design Matters stock to its Newport warehouse, Dimension 8 is ensuring control over quality and service whilst giving it a competitive edge in terms of simplifying logistics, reducing opportunities for human error, and minimising the environmental footprint by sharing loads with its other services.

Jon Porter, Dimension 8′s sales director, explained the importance of the move for the firm “Design Matters is a leading supplier in the furniture hire business, and with its acquisition we’re making a clear statement that we’re serious about furniture. We’ve always been able to supply conference and exhibition furniture, but the sheer quality and depth of Design Matters’ stock means that we can now offer our existing clients a greatly improved range of real designer furniture, whilst simultaneously expanding the business into new sectors and markets.”

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Having supplied the original screw-jack pedestals that support the raised access paving at the entrance to ExCeL London, Buzon UK has recently delivered a further consignment to the international exhibition and convention centre, as the paving has been relaid to create a new look.

In total, Buzon UK has supplied 15,000 adjustable, freestanding screw-jack pedestals for the ExCeL project and they now carry some 2,500m² of granite paving. When the paving was relaid, all the existing pedestals were reused and additional units were only ordered because the new paving tiles are smaller than the originals so extra supports were required.

Buzon’s pedestal range is used on prestigious architectural projects throughout the world to deliver outstanding functionality and cost performance. Designed to create raised access external and internal floors, the pedestals are corrosion and damp proof. They are manufactured from 80% recycled and 100% recyclable polypropylene to offer an eco friendly solution along with providing durability, stability and strength.

Mike Wilderink, Managing Director of Buzon UK, comments: “The live load capabilities at the entrance to ExCel are extremely high because, as well as pedestrian traffic, it’s used for vehicle access; vehicles will be parked on the deck for the Motor Show. Buzon UK’s pedestals are designed to support up to a two tonne load per unit so are ideal for this application and offer proven performance.”

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In 2009, an on-site Waste Pre-Treatment Centre was opened at the NEC with a target of recycling 50% of the venue’s waste by the end of 2013.

In January 2011, aware that focusing on large items such as cardboard and metal was not going to be enough, a further initiative was introduced. The resultant in-house ‘Take the Waste Out’ campaign has seen the facilities management team working closely with the catering department to segregate all catering waste at source into cardboard, glass, food, dry mixed recycling and general waste.

The result is that a minimum of 50% of total site waste is recycled through the on-site Waste Pre-Treatment Centre and baled or sorted for collection by a network of local suppliers.

Food waste is sent to an anaerobic digestion plant where it helps generate electricity for homes in Staffordshire and any waste that isn’t dealt with through the NEC centre is sent for further sorting to a local Materials Recycling Facility. The facility recycles between 70% and 90% of the waste it receives, with residues going to the local energy-from-waste plant

The current status

The NEC reached its “zero waste to landfill” in just three years (in September 2012), and from September to December 2012, recorded an impressive average recycling rate of 87% which included 108 tonnes of cardboard, 127 tonnes of wood and 43 tonnes of paper.

In January 2013, the NEC confirmed that waste management charges to organisers were to be frozen for 2013. Previously, clients saw a rise in cost annually due to inflation and a simultaneous increase in landfill tax. Now, because the NEC is longer sending waste to landfill, there’s not tax so there’s no requirement to pass that cost on to clients.

What our people say…

Kathryn James, Managing Director, NEC said: “We are thrilled to be in a position where our efforts to reduce and recycle our waste have resulted in benefits to our clients.

“Achieving our “zero waste to landfill” goal ahead of schedule affirmed our greener venue credentials and we’re proud that this claim is more than just words; we’re recycling, we’re taking full responsibility for it from the start through to the conclusion of the process, and we’re communicating that to our clients.

“Now that we’ve created a sustainable difference through waste management – which we demonstrated further through our collaborative work with the Skills Show – we can focus on retaining our position as a leading and unique event venue which can adapt its offering to the market.”

Some related activity

As a part of the NEC’s corporate social responsibilities and green initiatives, the venue team are always looking at ways to significantly reduce and recycle waste, and to choose suppliers who share that vision.

The NEC assisted the Skills Show team to re-use 120 tonnes of top soil that was used on one of the show’s skills areas in 2012, rather than disposing of it. The venue’s waste management team approached Solihull Sustain, the local support, representation and development service for all Voluntary & Community Sector organisations serving the people of Solihull, which encouraged Newlands Bishop Farm in Catherine De Barnes to re-use the soil.

The joint venture successfully provided Newlands Bishop Farm (NBF), a project which gives people with learning disabilities and mental health problems, the opportunity to learn work based skills, with an opportunity to test new skills.

In another project, Warwickshire based sculptor Luke Burton approached Steve Cartmell, Cleaning and Waste Manager at the NEC, to see if the venue could help his latest project by providing recyclable materials for him to shape into a sculpture to be displayed on the NEC site (also 2012).

The materials were provided and the finished statue, entitled “Beyond All Limits,” was received by The Worshipful The Mayor of Solihull, Councillor Ken Hawkins and The Mayoress of Solihull, Mrs Janet Hawkins, on behalf of the NEC, in an official unveiling ceremony at the site. The 18 foot sculpture, made from recycled stainless steel, aluminium and titanium, is now displayed for visitors to enjoy beside the Lake at the NEC.

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Cake International – The Sugarcraft, Cake Decorating & Baking Show saw more than 18,000 people flock to EventCity, Manchester over the weekend.  The show featured the Queen of Puddings Mary Berry, famed cake decorator Mich Turner, Sunday Brunch star Simon Rimmer and the Great British Bake Off winner John Whaite, who each showcased their talents in The Bakery Theatre and in a Q + A session.

Features included over 80 exhibitors offering cutting-edge cake decorating and baking supplies; a chance for visitors to have a go at baking live at the show in the brand new Baker’s Dozen Theatre; and over 250 stunning competition entries created by both amateur and professional cake decorators, with the Best in Show going to Vicki Smith for her stunning creation ‘Bella the Turtle’.  Cake International runs in three different venues across the UK and is attended annually by more than 70,000 people and is celebrating its 18^th birthday this year.

Mary Berry said: “It was fantastic to be a part of Cake International in Manchester.  There were so many fans of cake decorating and baking, showing just how much of a revival baking has had over the last few years.  I’m really looking forward to doing it all again at the ExCeL, London in April.”

Exhibitors, Purple Cupcakes, from Barnoldswick, Lancashire said: “We had an amazing show which exceeded our expectations.  Our products sold fantastically well and we met some really inspiring bakers and cake decorators.  It was a great first show at Manchester and we are looking forward to returning next year.”

Show organiser Simon Burns said: “We have had great success with the show in Birmingham and London and we were really excited to be able to bring Cake International to the North for the first time.  Cake International is the biggest show of its kind in the world and we see fans come from across the globe to attend the show.  It was great to be joined by many of the greats from the baking and cake decorating world – we can’t wait until the next show in London in April!”

Andy Orr, Managing Director of EventCity said:  “We are thrilled with the reception and the high footfall over the weekend.  This enormous success firmly establishes Cake International as the premier event of this type in the North.”

In 2013 Cake International – The Sugarcraft, Cake Decorating & Baking Show will be taking place at ExCeL, London from 12-14 April and Birmingham, NEC from the 8-10 November.

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