SED 2011 has been cancelled

As a some had predicted, SED (Site Equipment Demonstration) 2011 has been cancelled. Not only that but the website SED365.co.uk and the Site Equipment Manager magazine have been terminated with immediate effect.

Here's the message sent out by Robert Brighouse, Managing Director:

Regretfully, I am writing to inform you that RBI has taken the decision to cancel Site Equipment Demonstration (SED) 2011, which was due to take place on May 17th-19th 2011.

The recession in construction has continued to affect suppliers’ marketing budgets and despite the hard work of the sales team and goodwill from the market, the current level of commitment to next year's show is not what we had hoped and our feeling is the show is unlikely to meet our expectations. We therefore feel that we have no alternative but to cancel the show.

Since the closure of Contract Journal, RBI has supported SED with the monthly magazine Site Equipment Manager, and the website SED365.co.uk. Both these brands will close with immediate effect as a result of the cancellation of the show.

Thank you for your support of SED and the other RBI construction brands over the years, it has been much appreciated.

Demolition News' Mark Anthony has made it very clear why SED ultimately failed:

As we have mentioned previously, the exhibiton’s organisers were once of and for the industry. They were on site, come rain or shine, up to their knees and axles in the mud that seemed to categorise the early SED shows.

Sadly, they were replaced by men in sharp suits, sporting sharp haircuts, and wielding sharp economic scalpels aimed at anything that didn’t turn a fast buck or which might threaten to get their shiny shoes dirty.

We hope all the staff this has affected right before the holidays manage to find new employment swiftly.