Despite the change of venue, and the timing conflict with ISE, BETT attracted more than 35,000 visitors – a new record. Organisers said that the move to ExCel enabled the show’s expansion across the whole learning spectrum, to include higher education (HE) and workplace learning – providing visitors with “a classroom to boardroom approach to learning”.
The number of exhibitors increased to just over 700, and many companies ran free training and demonstration sessions, offering further reasons for professionals to attend the event. Official figures show BETT 2013 attracted 18% more visitors overall, with 3,900 workplace professionals and 3,700 HE professionals, adding to its core education supporters.
More than 10,000 international visitors from more than 120 countries attended the show, an increase of 16% on 2012’s figures, demonstrating the event’s global appeal. For 20 per cent of the show’s visitors, one day wasn’t enough, as more than 9000 attended on more than one day.
Dominic Savage, director general of the British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA) and co-founder of BETT, believes the commitment of companies supplying the education and training sectors have played a large role in the event’s success: “Education and training are unique sectors, often driven by high level political imperatives and the show serves as a platform for companies from the UK and from overseas to reach out to their various markets, demonstrating the strong relationships that exist in the sector.”
BETT is an annual event held in January at ExCeL London, 2014 will be its thirtieth year. BETT 2014 will take place between the 22nd and 25th January 2014.
