Member News
B2B marketing company Horizon Works helped a group of North East businesses on the road to expo success last month.
Horizon Works, which is based at Northumberland Business Park near Cramlington, Northumberland, delivered a workshop for companies exhibiting at the North East Automotive Expo, which was held at the Beacon Of Light, Sunderland, on September 29.
The workshop, delivered with expo organisers The North East Automotive Alliance (NEAA) and Supply Chain North East in September, was designed to help the firms maximise on the expo’s opportunities.
Horizon Works provided practical guidance on event planning, lead generation, social media tactics and event content in the run-up to the event, and gave exhibitors the chance to practice and refine their pitches before the expo. It also helped businesses to enhance their pre- and post-event marketing activities.
The workshop, entitled Maximising Your Presence at the North East Automotive Expo, was held at Horizon Works’ own Event Space.
Horizon Works is a long term member and supporter of the NEAA, and has exhibited at the North East Automotive Expo since its inception in 2016. The company sponsored the event guide for the annual expo and works with the NEAA to support its members across a range of activities. It has previously delivered workshops to NEAA members on marketing strategy and tactics.
Horizon Works supports innovators in complex industries and offers a wide range of integrated marketing services across strategy, PR, design and digital.
The company has a long track record of working with companies across the automotive sector and its supply chain, including Komatsu UK, Hyperdrive Innovation and Gestamp.
Samantha Vassallo, managing director of Horizon Works, said: “The North East Automotive Expo is a flagship event for the automotive industry and the NEAA once again pulled out all of the stops to make it a fantastic occasion for the regional, national and international business communities.
“These are exciting times for the automotive industry in our region, so it’s really important that North East SMEs who want to be part of the sector build their profiles and develop new connections, through events such as the North East Automotive Expo.
“We were delighted to be able to use our marketing expertise to support exhibiting companies in the run-in to the expo and we were thrilled to see them putting what they had learned into practice at the Beacon Of Light.
“We really enjoyed working with such a positive and innovative group of businesses and look forward to seeing them grow!”
Paul Butler, CEO of the NEAA, said: “Our Supply Chain North East programme enables the NEAA to deliver funded industry-specific support to SMEs in the North East LEP region. We know through our research that marketing support is always in need, so it was an obvious choice to work with Horizon Works to ensure those on the programme were ready to maximise the opportunities from our flagship expo event.”
Aanisah Zaman, Deputy Sales Manager of North England Laboratory Supplies (NELS), which took part in the workshop and expo, said: “The training session was well organised and very helpful ahead of the main event.
“It was great to put the tips into actions on the day. Interacting with other exhibitors before the event also allowed for another opportunity for networking and building connections. I’m sure we at NELS will be utilise the handy tips and tricks learnt through the training for all future events too.”
Gary Hannah, Company Director of Rescue Pod Training Solutions, added: “The expo training delivered by Horizon Works was excellent and very helpful in the run up to the expo.
“The session was very informative and getting people together to share experiences was incredibly valuable. Having now completed our first expo and reflecting on the training, I feel we were given the tools to assist in pitching our product to potential clients and were pushed outside our comfort zone a little, which made things easier when it came to exhibiting.”
Aaron Adlington, Creative Manager at Cell Pack Solutions and Tracer Power, said: “It was our first year exhibiting at the North East Automotive Expo and it certainly won’t be our last!
“From the training opportunity with Horizon Works pre-show, to the expo itself, the whole experience has been great.”
Horizon Works has been embedded into the manufacturing, engineering, energy, tech and life sciences sectors since the company’s inception in 2010.
The company, which provides marketing services to regional, national and global organisations, specialises in grasping complex technologies, products and services and translating this information into compelling messages and campaigns.
Horizon Works’ supports clients including: Koch Technology Solutions, part of the global Koch Engineered Solutions organisation; Hartlepool-based metal mesh manufacturer The Expanded Metal Company; water analysis technologies provider Palintest; economic regeneration company Advance Northumberland; and bespoke packaging solutions provider Taylor Packaging.
The NEAA was launched in March 2015 and has more than 300 cluster participants. It is the largest automotive cluster in the UK and one of the fastest-growing clusters across Europe.
Supply Chain North East is delivered by RTC North, Generator, North East Automotive Alliance (NEAA) and North East Process Industry Cluster (NEPIC). It has brought together these four key partners to work with over 800 businesses in the North East LEP region, supporting them to identify opportunities in new and existing markets.
