Who was The Event Manchester aimed at?

The Event Manchester purpose was to invite influential people from the construction industry located in the northwest, from consultants and contractors to’ supply chains, or facilities managers. The aim was to provide both Protec and our guests valuable connections while also gaining an education in areas outside their standard expertise.

Where was The Event Manchester?

The Event Manchester was held on the 12th of September at FiveFour Studios in Salford, Manchester. This venue is a photography studio split across three level, each offering its own attraction. Studio One was home to product demonstrations showcasing state-of-the-art products from all across the group, alongside hosting guest speakers who discussed hot topics from the life safety industry. Studio Two provided a space for presentations, while level one was for networking in a quirky licensed bar. Leaving Studio Three (level 2), home to our sales engineers who could hold one-to-one meetings and discuss ongoing and prospective projects with people attending.

What happened on the day of The Event Manchester?

Guest speakers

We were joined by several exceptional voices from the life safety industry, who provided enlightening and thought-provoking discussions. These discussions both answered and posed all the important questions we are currently experiencing in the life safety industry.

Russ Timpson of the Tall Buildings Fire Safety Network came to discuss accessibility of residents in tall buildings and explain how the current world may not be set up for the safe evacuation of all people.

Robert Hearty Joined us on the day from bsi to talk about fire suppression around Li-ion Batteries and how the increasingly popular technology is making big headlines in the fire safety industry. It was an insight into how we as an industry can look towards preventing these fires and tackling them correctly.

Kevin Stearn, from the FIA, provided insight into correct compliance in the fire industry and how to ensure you are selecting the right competent person or company for your next project.

Presentations

Throughout the day, the team held several Protec presentations, covering a wide range of information about current standards and technologies used within the fire industry.

These proved to be a great insight into how the world of fire protection is changing and how new standards and technologies can be implemented to address these issues.

Live demonstrations and product showcases

Studio One was all about the products. On display, we had a selection of live products from all areas of the group, including our Cirrus HYBRID aspirating detector, 6500 Fire Alarm Control Panel, and the debut of our EvacPro evacuation alert control panel alongside some of our lesser-known disciplines such as extinguishers, gas detectors, custodial, water mist, gas suppression, and sprinklers.

Our security division had multiple displays that featured various products from our supply chain partners, such as Axis, Gallagher, Norbain, ADI, PAC, Salto, Vicon, Commend and Hanwha Vision.

Outside the venue, was the area for our service vans, demonstrating how we work with Alphabet and Modul systems to create the perfect assistant for our engineers in the field. In addition to the vans, we had more of our security solutions provided by the companies we work alongside, be it rapid deployment CCTV and Intruder alarm supplied by V-Ceptor and an under-car scanner supplied by Bi3. These demonstrations proved valuable to guests, allowing them to get hands-on experience with the products and examine products or areas of our business that they might have wanted to become more familiar with.

Networking bar

We wanted the Event to be about building those connections not just for us but for our guests as well. That’s why we sectioned off the whole first-floor bar area to create a networking hub. This was to be an area away from the Protec team for people to relax and catch up with like-minded colleagues from the industry, where they could hold their meetings during the day or catch up on emails while out of the office.

What were people’s opinions of The Event Manchester?

Overall, the Event Manchester was well received, with plaudits coming from different social media, emails, and comments on and after the day. The widespread consensus was that the day was informative and constructive, with a laid-back feel where people could relax and network while gaining all important information about the life safety industry.

One guest said:

“I recently attended the Protec Event with several of my work colleagues. We had booked to attend the CPD on evacuation alert systems which we found extremely interesting and useful for the current projects we are working on.

There was a display of the products that Protec offer which was good to see and we were introduced to some additional products which we were unaware were available from Protec.  There were several representatives around to answer questions on all of the products.

Following the CPD we were provided with a buffet lunch and drinks token.

We found this to be a well thought out event which furthered our knowledge on the relevant British Standards and a good further insight into the products that Protec can offer.”

Senior Electrical Engineer

The Event Manchester was a Business Development initiative with input from all areas of the Protec Group, which made the day possible. Alex Swatman, Group Business Development Manager, had this to say about the day and what it means to the business.

“With months of hard work and build-up to The Event, we couldn’t be any more delighted with how the first of its kind went.
The day could only have been made possible by the huge support shown to us from every single area of the business. It made our combined vision become a reality and allowed us to take a big step forward as Protec Group in communicating what we can accomplish together to our new and existing clients.”

Alex Swatman
Group Business Development Manager
Protec Fire and Security Group Ltd

What’s next?

Building on the incredible success of The Event Manchester, we’re excited to announce that these events will now be held more frequently and in new locations across the UK! In 2025, we’ll kick off in Leeds, inviting our network from the Yorkshire and northeast to join us. Later in the year, we’ll bring the energy to Birmingham, connecting with professionals from the Midlands.

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