With all the stands now sold, Oktoberfest 2011 is gearing up to be the best yet.

90 plus exhibitors will participate in the manufacturing and engineering showcase event which takes place on Wednesday, October 19that the XCEL Centre, Newton Aycliffe.

Now in its fourth year, Oktoberfest is organised by the private sector to provide manufacturing and engineering companies with the chance to promote the range of skills and services which give these industries such a good reputation.

One of the engineering companies preparing to attend is Cordell Group. Last year’s event saw the Stockton based company attract a great deal of interest from a diverse range of buyers who were keen to know more about the Group’s engineering competencies, including multi-disciplined project management, fabrication, construction, design, manufacturing, installation, maintenance, testing and commissioning services.
Helen Carroll, Sales Co-ordinator, Cordell Group, said; “One area that did interest a number of delegates that spoke to us was our term contracts and maintenance agreements. The exhibition gave us the ideal opportunity to engage with potential clients and demonstrate our experience and expertise in their field.”
This year, Cordell Group are looking to again use this premier platform to build relationships with new and prospective clients by clearly illustrating their growth and achievements since the last event.

Another company looking to engage the manufacturing and engineering sector is The Innovation Accelerator. Dedicated to nurturing innovative businesses within the science, technology, engineering and life sciences sectors, The Innovation Accelerator combines industry know-how with a unique facility designed to support new and established companies in the North East of England.
Based at The Wilton Centre, Redcar, The Innovation Accelerator comprises a team of experienced business and industrial professionals from The Centre for Process Innovation (CPI). The team can offer small businesses across the North East assistance in the areas of technology commercialisation, market intelligence, intellectual property management, business start-up support and its very own entrepreneur programme.
Alan McClelland, Market Sector Specialist, The Innovation Accelerator, said; “A number of North East business have already benefitted from these services in speeding new product introduction, strengthening business plans to ensure investment and developing new sales leads.”
“We will be using Oktoberfest to promote these and other services including our new incubator facility, a £2.3m development and the UK’s first specialist facility designed to support new and emerging businesses in the process industry.”

Anyone interested in finding out more about how to get involved in Oktoberfest should contact Engineering Clusters County Durham on 01207 585 816, email info@durhamoktoberfest.org.uk or visit the website at www.durhamoktoberfest.org.uk.