For several years, Midwich’s Technology Exposed show – where the distributor’s partners can show off their products to buyers – has lived at the Ascot racecourse. Although slightly cramped, the venue was easy to reach and enjoyed ample parking. Not so with the new venue: Mercedes-Benz World in Brooklands, Surrey.
Unlike Ascot, Brooklands is inside the M25. Technology Exposed begins early in the morning, which means heading into the brunt of rush hour traffic on the UK’s busiest motorway. In fact, the M25 wasn’t too bad when I hit it – but a combination of heavy traffic, single carriageways and temporary roadwork lights meant that the journey from Oxford, which should take an hour, took two and a half – and it was worse on the way back. I also heard several complaints about the lack of parking, as Mercedes-Benz World hosts other events and is also open to the public.
Of course, the venue itself is excellent, with a large space – the entire first floor of the building – given over to Midwich, the largest A/V distributor in the UK, for the two days of the show. Due to the extra room, companies were able to spread their stands out and show more products, which meant that I was busy up to – and past – the end of the day at 4pm!
