Farnborough International is spreading its wings into the automotive sector, with plans to acquire Innovation and Technology in Transport – ITT Hub from Binswood Media.
ITT Hub is set to be one of the first major business events to take place in the UK and the largest of its kind in the road transport sector for almost 40 years when it launches on 30th June – 1st July at the world-class Farnborough International Exhibition and Conference Centre.
The brainchild of Mark Griffin, CEO of Binswood Media, ITT Hub brings together the road transport supply chain – manufacturers, operators, technology suppliers and policy makers – to explore the shift towards decarbonisation, in line with the Government’s Road to Net Zero plan.
Ownership of the event will be transferred to Farnborough International the day after this year’s show, with Mark Griffin remaining part of the team as the expert head. Mark will continue to lead the next five-year development strategy of ITT Hub, contributing his knowledge and 40 years of experience in the commercial and passenger transport vehicle sector. Leon Daniels OBE, current Chair of Binswood Media, will continue in a consultancy role supporting the ITT Hub growth plan, as Chair of the event’s Advisory Board.
As pioneers in innovation across the aerospace, defence and conferences and events industries, the acquisition of ITT Hub forms part of a continued growth strategy that will see Farnborough International become a year-round event organiser. As owners of the biennial Farnborough International Airshow – one of the world’s biggest and most complex business events – Farnborough International has unrivalled expertise in developing and hosting successful and innovative events.
Speaking about the acquisition of ITT Hub, Gareth Rogers, CEO of Farnborough International, says: “Three years ago, Mark and his team seized upon a strategically important opportunity to launch a brand new event with ITT Hub and we were delighted to be the host venue. It marked the start of a partnership that has extended into this very exciting acquisition, with Binswood Media and ourselves recognising the long-term value that making ITT Hub part of Farnborough International’s growing portfolio of events will bring.
“For Farnborough International, a step into automotive is a logical move, not least as ITT Hub is a technology-focused transport event, bringing companies from throughout the supply chain together with innovators and infrastructure providers, in order to find sustainable solutions that enable growth through collaboration. This exciting deal means that we can use our combined resources, and through a traditional earnout structure we have agreed on a very ambitious five-year plan to accelerate the growth of the show, using our talented resources alongside Mark’s passion and drive to make ITT Hub the leading event and news channel in the sector.”
Mark Griffin, CEO of Binswood Media, says: “ITT Hub is proving to be a pivotal event and news channel for the road transport industry – an industry tasked with a major challenge requiring a collective solution as it moves towards Net-Zero. No other event in the UK brings freight, passenger, logistics, and technology together with policymakers, innovators, and infrastructure specialists in one place at one time. Our launch event this month will be the largest gathering of vehicle manufacturers since the mid-80s, with 23 global and leading brands all coming together.
“The Farnborough International Exhibition and Conference Centre is the ideal venue for ITT Hub and the Farnborough International team is made up of world-class event organisation expertise. Their support over the past year during launch has been invaluable, working with our team to strengthen this event during a pandemic. This is a huge opportunity to give the sector an event which is much needed if we are to achieve the Government’s decarbonisation plans. We have a brilliant venue, a talented team, some hugely supportive partners, and a solid platform to make ITT Hub the number one event of its kind in the UK faster than we could have done on our own…..how exciting is that?”
ITT Hub 2021 features indoor and outdoor exhibition space, Ride & Drive routes and the high-profile Future Logistics Conference, in association with Logistics UK. Events and attractions for visitors also include a Government Hub, Regional Transport Hub, EV Café, Skills Hub, Expert Insights Electric Mobility Theatre, Electric Bikes & Last Mile demonstration area.
ITT Hub 2022 will take place on 11th & 12th May 2022.
Author: Adam Parry
Adam is the co-founder and editor of www.eventindustrynews.com Adam, a technology evangelist also organises Event Tech Live, Europe’s only show dedicated to event technology and the Event Technology Awards. Both events take place in November, London.
