In the wake of the sale of the RWM show to Prysm Group at the end of 2017, the chairman of the event has left and the future of the RWM Ambassadors group remains in doubt.
RWM will run for the first time in September under Prysm ownership
The developments come as the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM) steps up its involvement with the event by offering discounts to businesses yet to take a stand and the show starts to focus on providing more lectures and presentations than last year.
RWM was sold by Ascential plc at the end of 2017 to Bristol-based Prysm Group. The show will now be a two, rather than three day event. It takes place at the NEC Birmingham on September 12-13.
And, with exhibition stand sales seen as needing a boost, CIWM – which has a financial interest in the show has said that as main conference and media partner it can offer discounts to exhibitors.
Sector involvement
Speaking about the show, chairman Barry Dennis who has been chairman for three years and has now left the position, said that he had enjoyed his past role with the event and was pleased with the way the sector had been involved. But, he said: “I am now no longer involved with the show as I found I could not work with the current business model.”
Mr Dennis, as a former president of the CIWM and director general of the Environmental Services Association, had played a big part in the acquisition by Ascential of the former CIWM event, Futuresource in 2010, with Futuresource being absorbed into RWM.
The former chairman also praised the work of the Ambassadors Group which was a feature of RWM in the past. He explained: “These were senior people in the waste management sector ranging from industry to retailers. With the support of Ascential, who wanted to see money coming back into the sector, we funded the start of WasteAid. We also undertook two reports which were of great use to the sector.”
“With the support of Ascential, who wanted to see money coming back into the sector”
Barry Dennis
Former RWM chairman
Speaking for Prysm, RWM manager Hassan Allan, said that that the Ambassadors Group was still an option. “We haven’t said there won’t be ambassadors but in our marketing timeline, it is not a top priority at the moment.”
Programme
In terms of the content of the exhibition seminars, Mr Allan explained that former CIWM chief executive, Steve Lee, was helping to develop the programme in partnership with the CIWM.
And, he pointed to the strengthening of the show as it will run alongside other environmental exhibitions including The European Contamination Expo Series, The Flood Expo and The Marine & Coastal Civil Engineering Expo.
The former CIWM show, Futuresource, is set to make a return in a different form alongside the RWM show. Prysm are to use the former CIWM brand as “Future Resource” to promote a water and energy event.
In terms of speakers at the RWM show this year, 20 are listed so far, with consultancy Eunomia dominating the line-up with six speakers.
Chris Murphy, deputy chief executive of the CIWM, told letsrecycle.com: “We are excited about the show. There will be a different and fresh feel about it and it will be interesting to see how new existing exhibitors will blend in with the others. There will be more theatres so we will be able to address more issues than were addressed previously.”
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Source: letsrecycle.com Waste Managment
