Q&A with Ray Clark, Commercial Director, Transport Events, Hemming Group

The UK road infrastructure sector stands at a critical juncture. While innovation dominates industry conversations, the challenge of translating technology into tangible results has never been more pressing. Ray Clark, Commercial Director of Transport Events at Hemming Group, explains how Traffex 2026 is responding to this implementation imperative with a fundamentally reimagined event experience.

Traffex has undergone a significant transformation. What drove this change?

Ray Clark: We listened carefully to feedback from both exhibitors and attendees over the past few years, and a clear pattern emerged. The sector is drowning in strategic discussion but starving for practical implementation guidance. Authorities and contractors aren't looking for another event where they discuss what might be possible in five years; they need solutions they can deploy in the next five months. That's why we've repositioned Traffex around three words: Roads. Reality. Results.

That's quite a departure from the traditional exhibition model. How does this manifest in practice?

The transformation goes far deeper than messaging. We've restructured the entire event around implementation outcomes. Instead of generic exhibition halls, we've created specialist theatres - each focused on a specific delivery challenge. The Solutions Studio, for example, addresses the "how" rather than the "what" – exploring practical outcomes, procurement shortcuts, and contractor selection. The Roadmap Theatre explores a ‘cradle-to-grave' journey through a road's complete lifecycle.

The ROI challenge is certainly front-of-mind for most authorities right now.

Absolutely, and it's transforming who attends events like Traffex. We're planning for a fundamental shift in attendee profiles. Our strategy has shifted to delivering 60% public sector attendees - and critically, these aren't window shoppers. These are asset managers, highways maintenance managers, and traffic engineers with active procurement budgets and delivery deadlines. They're attending with purchasing authority and implementation timelines.

How does Traffex differentiate itself in an increasingly crowded events landscape?

The UK has several excellent highways events, but they serve different purposes. Some focus on high-level policy and strategic direction - which is valuable. Traffex has carved out a distinct position as the implementation event. We're not competing with strategic forums; we're complementing them. If you're a minister or director shaping national policy, there are more strategic events for you. If you're a traffic manager who needs to deliver a junction improvement by December with a fixed budget, Traffex is where you'll find suppliers who understand that reality.

You mentioned new features that facilitate these buyer-supplier connections. Can you explain the conference structure?

We've streamlined the conference programme into three focused areas, each serving a distinct purpose. The Solutions Room is our implementation hub - practical case studies, deployment methodologies, honest discussion of what works and what doesn't. It's where asset managers and delivery teams come for the "how" of implementation.

The TechTalks are perhaps our most significant innovation. These aren't traditional presentations - they're 15-minute, highly focused sessions where suppliers demonstrate specific solutions to specific problems. This is a ‘show me, don't tell me space' with no corporate overview slides, no sales fluff. A traffic manager might attend a TechTalk on "Variable Message Signs for Rural Roads Under £50k", for example, and see exactly what three different suppliers can deliver, with implementation timelines and real-world case studies. It's efficient, practical, and directly addresses their procurement challenge.

The third area is The Roadmap Theatre, powered by Highways Magazine. While Traffex focuses on implementation, effective delivery requires understanding the strategic context - policy direction, funding mechanisms, and regulatory changes. The Roadmap Theatre provides that framework by following the logical progression of a road project through six focus areas: Planning, Procurement, Design, Delivery, Maintenance, and Recycling.

How does technology facilitate these connections?

The Traffex app represents a fundamental shift in how we think about event networking. Traditional event apps are basically digital brochures. Ours is a procurement tool. Attendees can pre-identify the suppliers solving their specific challenges, schedule meetings before they arrive, and build a personalised agenda around their implementation priorities.

For exhibitors, this is transformative. Instead of hoping the right buyer stumbles past your stand, you're having pre-scheduled conversations with pre-qualified prospects who've already identified your solution as relevant. The app includes behaviour-based recommendations that identify suppliers and seminar sessions based on the user's click activity.

We're also introducing live lead capture and follow-up integration. When you scan an  attendee badge or when an attendee favourites your product or schedules a meeting with you, that information feeds directly into your CRM account, meaning exhibitors can follow up with hot leads on a Monday morning with context about what they were specifically interested in.

The structure certainly sounds more focused than traditional exhibitions. How does this benefit exhibitors?

It is, deliberately. The era of generic exhibitions where you wander around hoping to stumble across something interesting is ending. Modern buyers - especially in the public sector with its accountability requirements - need structured, efficient procurement processes. They can't justify two days wandering a show floor. But they can justify a focused visit where they have scheduled meetings with five pre-qualified suppliers, attend three directly relevant TechTalks addressing specific projects in their delivery plan, and catch a Roadmap Theatre session providing context for their implementation decisions.

How should exhibitors approach Traffex differently under this new model?

The exhibitors seeing the strongest results are those who embrace the implementation focus. Don't come to Traffex with your vision for 2035. Come with solutions that work in 2026, with reference sites in the UK, with transparent pricing, and with realistic implementation timelines.

Prepare for deeper, more technical conversations. The 2026 Traffex attendees will be  bringing their technical specialists and commercial teams together. They're there for detailed evaluation, not initial awareness.

What's your vision for Traffex over the next five years?

I want Traffex to be the event where the UK road infrastructure sector comes to solve problems. Where buyers find suppliers who understand their constraints - budget, timeline, political environment, and existing infrastructure. Where suppliers connect with buyers who have procurement authority and implementation plans. Where the conversations in May become installations by September.

Traffex exists to make that direction a reality. Roads. Reality. Results. Yes, it's our tagline, but it's more importantly a commitment to everyone who invests their time and budget in attending or exhibiting.

Finally, what would you say to suppliers considering exhibiting at Traffex 2026?

Ask yourself: Do you have solutions ready for deployment? Can you demonstrate ROI? Do you understand the procurement realities of UK road authorities? If the answer is yes, Traffex is where your buyers are - with budgets, with timelines, with problems that need solving.

The transformation of Traffex mirrors the transformation of the sector,  from speculation to implementation, from vision to delivery. If your business is built around helping authorities deliver better roads within real-world constraints, this is your event.

 

Traffex 2026 takes place 20-21 May at the CBS Arena, Coventry, co-located with Parkex and Cold Comfort. For exhibitor information, visit www.traffex.com