We had a great couple of days attending CHEMUK 2023 at the NEC, Birmingham. We were in Hall 1 on stand N84 along with our partners CATCH.
Exhibitions and events like this are a great way to meet and network with like-minded businesses; the movers and the shakers of the chemicals industries were all there. As well as demonstrating what steps Reynolds Training is making into the future, it was a fascinating chance to discover what innovations are being developed by other cutting-edge companies from around the world.
The diversity of the sector and the range of operations different businesses undertake was a real eye-opener. We took away real practical ideas about how we can coordinate with our clients to potentially mirror their operations, to blend the learning we do at our site into their operations.
Unveiling Virtual Reynolds
For our part, we were excited to be demonstrating something that we’ve put years of R&D into: Virtual Reynolds. It gives us great pleasure to reveal the logo for this new concept in process and safety training:
As part of our mission to create the most immersive, inter-connected blended learning environment – we’ve developed Virtual Reynolds as an enhanced, interactive training experience unlike anything we’ve seen elsewhere. Everyone who has seen the system in operation has agreed, it’s a game changer!
It’s early days, yet, but this new venture will be the future of safety training. There are innumerable applications which we will be developing over the coming months. We will also be liaising with our clients and the wider industry to learn how the application of VR can improve their training provision. We’d love to know what applications you’d like to see us putting VR to.
VR will be the next generation of immersive learning. It offers candidates unrivalled access to process operations, in order to become familiar with the equipment that is involved in live systems. The revolution is that learners will be able to do this from anywhere in the world and long before they actually set foot in a tank farm.
Reynolds Training into the Future
Over the two-day event, we were exhibiting with our close partner CATCH, showcasing our range of courses, competency assessment programmes, and CALMcloud; our unique Competency Assessment and Learning Management system, along with showcasing our joint venture with CATCH, the National Centre for Process & Manufacturing (NCPM).
We like to think we also had the most attention-grabbing and distinctive stand, thanks to our friends at the Design and Marketing agency, CMA. Here’s what they whipped-up for us:
CHEMUK – A Three-Dimensional Event …
CHEMUK is now the UK’s preeminent annual Chemical, Laboratory & Process Industries show. This year, there were over 400 exhibitors, plus more than 150 expert speakers who, over two days, focused on the challenges, solutions and opportunities affecting the UK’s Chemical & Chemical Product industries.
This year, CHEMUK offered three events in one! There’s:
1: The Chemical Industries Supply Chain Show
This shone a spotlight on our infrastructure of organisations which provide products, services & equipment in areas which include:
- Chemicals
- Raw Materials & Ingredients
- Chemical Logistics
- Transportation
- Storage & Containment
- Labelling & Packaging
- HSE Management & Regulatory Compliance
This offered a great chance to keep up-to-date on the latest trends, techniques, and technologies in supply chain management – from the rise of IoT (Internet of Things), robotics and AI, to the latest advances in analytics and automation.
2: The Chemical, Process and Plant Engineering Show
This showcased the latest technology and specialist services across the chemical and wider process industries including:
- Process Plant / Chemical Unit Equipment / Process Ancillaries & Consumables
- CHEMICAL 4.0 / Digital / Automation
- Plant Energy Management
- Catalysis & Reaction Engineering
- Heat Exchanger technology / Thermal transfer innovation
- Control Valves & Actuators / Digital & Automation
- Pipes, Hoses, Tubing & Fittings
- Flow Technologies
It was a chance to learn about the very latest ways businesses are improving their processes, efficiency, and overall performance. It was also a great opportunity for suppliers, vendors and, of course, training providers to exchange ideas, share best practices and gain valuable insights into the latest trends, challenges, and opportunities in the industry.
3: The Chemlab Laboratory & Innovation Show
And, for the first time in 2023, there’s was the CHEMLAB Show, which showcased specialist laboratory chemicals and chemical equipment suppliers supporting processes including …
- Research & Development,
- Process Design & Development
- Quality Testing
… within the Chemical & Chemical Product industries. CHEMLAB featured contributions by laboratory professionals from across the chemical industries.
CHEMUK Keynote Speakers
CHEMUK also offered a chance to hear from some of the speakers – such as Professor Gill Reid, President of RSC – the Royal Society of Chemistry – a genuinely passionate advocate for our sector – discussing the opportunities she sees for our future and the priorities she has for her time as President.
And, we’re always keen to support the work of IChemE – the Institution of Chemical Engineers. Three IChemE Fellows delivered unmissable keynote presentations and discussed their work and the specialist training courses they offer.
Ask us about Virtual Reynolds
If you’d like to know more about our plans for this cutting-edge technology, don’t hesitate to get in touch. As we develop our VR offering, we’ll be keeping you up-to-date via our social platforms on LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter. But, don’t forget, if you have thoughts or questions about what VR training can do for your staff and your business, just drop us a line.
