20.04.2026 - 24.04.2026

MACH 2026 

Industry sector: Manufacturing technology, Laser and optical testing equipment, Machine and plant construction, Measuring technology, Cutting and welding technology, Machine tools, Supplier industry

The international trade fair for machine tools and manufacturing technology MACH will take place from April 20 - 24, 2026 at the NEC in Birmingham.

MACH is the ultimate showcase for engineering manufacturing technologies in the UK. No other UK event brings together so many key decision makers under one roof over five days.

Present your company to almost 30,000 trade visitors with real buying power who want to meet new suppliers, find new products, network and build new business relationships.

Addressing the current challenges facing the industry - rising energy prices, rising labor costs, skills shortages, escalating commodity prices, supply chain disruption and the need to effectively address the green agenda by seizing the opportunities of decarbonization - will be a particular focus

"Despite the political uncertainty, companies in the UK have surprisingly ramped up their production. In January, output in the manufacturing sector increased by 0.6 percent compared to the previous month, according to data from the ONS statistics office. Economists had only expected an increase of 0.2 percent. In industry alone, there was an increase of 0.8 percent, the first rise in seven months." (Source: spiegel.de)

HOW MACH 2024 PERFORMED

• 30,000 attendees, 19,000 of which were trade visitors
• More than 500 exhibitors
• 95% of exhibitors generated leads
• Deals worth in excess of £180m were concluded (with many leads still being followed up)
• 80% of exhibitors considered they had raised their profile
• 77% of exhibitors considered they had improved relationships with their customers
• 68% of visitors came to see new products
• 99% of visitors reported meeting their objectives
• 44% of visitors did not attend any comparable trade exhibition

MACH 2024, the UK's national event for inspiration, innovation and networking in manufacturing, has once again been hailed a triumph. Thousands of visitors filled the five halls of the NEC in Birmingham during the week-long show in April. The 2024 edition of the show saw an increase in visitor numbers of 6 %, meaning the total number of visitors to the event is fast approaching the 30,000 mark. The halls were buzzing with excitement and anticipation each day as exhibitors showcased their latest engineering-based manufacturing technologies and solutions, including exciting demonstrations and product launches.

Organized by the Manufacturing Technologies Association (MTA) and sponsored by Lloyds Bank, MACH is regarded as an industry-leading event that brings together the best suppliers of machine tools, cutting tools, measuring equipment, additive manufacturing (3D printing), surface technology, robotics and automation, sheet metal working, metal forming and manufacturing technology, as well as specialist software that enables and drives the digitalization of manufacturing.

Once again, MACH provided buyers and visitors with an invaluable opportunity to see the latest products and technologies from over 500 exhibitors. The show delivered impressive results with a record number of deals closed during the week-long exhibition.

Greg Capp, Sales Director at Sodi-Tech, commented: "Visitor numbers were the highest they have been for a long time. On the first day we had enough inquiries to last us for the next six months. This was the best MACH we've ever had and we want to book our stand again for 2026."

Another exhibitor, DTS (UK), signed a multi-million pound contract with WEC Group Ltd at MACH. Andy Guy, operations/sales manager for DTS (Correa's UK representative), said: "MACH 2024 was one of the best yet and this deal with WEC Group was a real highlight."

Throughout MACH 2024, the exhibition halls were a hive of activity with live demonstrations, product launches and inspiring seminars.

Monday was a hugely successful opening day of MACH 2024, with a highlight of the first day's seminar program being the launch of the MTA's latest True Impact of Manufacturing Report, which revealed the significant positive impact of manufacturing on the UK economy, which is far greater than first thought. Key findings of the report include:

The manufacturing industry contributes 518 billion pounds to UK GDP and supports 7.3 million jobs.
Manufacturing accounts for 34.5 % of all UK exports of goods and services
The median wage in the manufacturing sector is 11 % above the national average.