Gerry Dunphy, Event Director of FIREX, lays out some key highlights for FIREX 2023

What can visitors expect from FIREX?

In the Expertise & Guidance Theatre in FIREX, visitors will hear a range of presentations across a broad spectrum of life safety topics including presentations on the golden thread, evacuation codes and standards, updates on the building safety act, what’s next for PEEPs and the fire safety issues around lithium-ion batteries.

We also have a new Mental Health & Wellbeing Partner at Mates in Mind who will be hosting a panel discussion around mental health and wellbeing in the fire sector. Our sister event, The Facilities Show, will feature a smart building immersive simulator which will provide visitors with active demonstrations of cutting-edge integrated building management technologies which now includes security and fire safety solutions.

Who are the event’s key partners?

We have long standing and exclusive partnerships with the Fire Industry Association (FIA) and the British Security Industry Association (BSIA).  The shows directly benefit from the connections the associations have with industry and government and in the case of the FIA, they have kindly offered to provide CPD accreditation to our seminar programme.

We are very keen to reinvest in the industries and help them with vital areas such as research and development and we regularly sponsor their awards ceremonies and satellite events. It’s very important for us to work alongside our association partners as we want to ensure that the industries understand the shows are here for them and we highly value the work undertaken by their trade associations.

We also work closely with organisations such as SSAIB, our installer partners, ASFP which brings a wealth of expertise and experience in the area of passive fire protection, the Fire Protection Association which provides an additional level of fire safety content, ASIS and The Security Institute and BRE Global/LPCB who provide the expertise for the Attack Testing Zone.

How important is it to give brands the opportunity to meet face-to-face with buyers?

Tradeshows are more than just a collection of buyers meeting sellers, they’re the centrepieces of the industries they serve, they’re diary dates where the ecosystems of industries come together to meet with each other to collaborate and design new and exciting partnerships.

The face-to-face experience will never be beaten and we’re now acutely aware of its importance following the challenges and frustrations of Covid – if anything the lockdown experiences made us reappraise the true human value of social contact and how it’s our job as organisers to create even better events.

Personally, what are you most excited about as the event draws nearer?

There is so much crossover now between each of the four main markets that we are really curating a single audience which has multiple areas of interest across property management, health and safety, life safety and securing assets. The more we can realise these common areas the more we can provide tangible value to the audiences. There is so much incredible technology on display the challenge is to make sure the visitors are fully aware of what’s on offer and how it can provide solutions to their challenges.

Meet the IFSJ team!

The IFSJ team is thrilled to have the opportunity to attend FIREX 2023. The event promises to be bigger and better than ever and we eagerly anticipate the chance to network with industry peers, learn from distinguished speakers, catch up with old friends and gain new perspectives on emerging trends and best practices. Attending FIREX 2023 is an essential event for anyone interested in the latest developments in fire safety – we’re looking forward to seeing you all there!

Visit International Fire & Safety Journal at stand FI.1036