Excelling In Excellence

In its 37th year, U.K.’s LIFTEX sees record attendance.

Using the new Elizabeth Line, which your author has written a lot about over the years but never before experienced, provided easy access to the ExCeL London international exhibition and convention center in East London, which was a hive of activity on June 11-12 as LIFTEX 2025, presented by the Lift & Escalator Industry Association (LEIA), brought in a swathe of vertical-transportation industry professionals to fill hall S5, which was decked out in the show’s traditional colors of dark burgundy and yellow.

New to attending international industry events, your author was taken aback bythe size and scale of some of the exhibition stands in the center of the hall. Multiple stands had coffee bars with baristas making specialized drinks, snacks were on offer at many, as well, and one stand seemed to primarily be a full-size bar. Some had full-size products on display, one even had a racecar gaming system set up, while another had a high striker, also known as a strongman game or ring-the-bell game often seen at a fair or carnival, which led to loud, unexpected bell ringing throughout the day. 

In its 37th year, LIFTEX, the U.K.’s dedicated exhibition for the lift, escalator and access industry, attracted record attendance with approximately 4,400 industry professionals from more than 40 different countries, including Hong Kong SAR, the U.A.E., India, South Korea, Japan, China and the U.S. Attendees seemed to come from all areas of the industry, including everything from lift consultants and specifiers to property owners, facilities managers, building designers and many, many more. 

This year’s exhibition buzzed with activity across both days as more than 100 companies from 12 different countries showcased cutting-edge innovations in lift engineering, maintenance solutions, digital technology and compliance tools. The exhibitors were there for a variety of reasons. Some companies showed off new products or displayed full-size equipment, while others celebrated anniversaries or introduced themselves to the industry as new suppliers. Many exhibitors reported securing new international distributors and partnership agreements, with several major deals announced on the show floor.

Speaking about this year’s success, LIFTEX Show Director Oliver Greening said: 

“The atmosphere at this year’s show was incredible. We saw engagement across the board from both visitors and exhibitors. What sets LIFTEX apart is its ability to unite the entire industry, not just to conduct business, but to share knowledge and actively shape the sector’s future. This year’s record-breaking turnout confirms how vital the show is to the market. While the show’s international participation grows, LIFTEX still retains a strong U.K. focus.”

Speaking as a U.K. exhibitor, it seems that Chaim Grunfeld, co-founder of London-based SIMSINLIFTS, agrees. This was the company’s first year exhibiting at LIFTEX, and the company plans to participate in the next event. He said: 

“As a fairly new company in the lift industry, it was an invaluable opportunity to meet many of our customers and leads face to face for the first time. It gave us a chance to connect, catch up with industry peers and really immerse ourselves in the sector, all while providing the opportunity to introduce and showcase the unique selling propositions of our new tech portal, LIFTSIIM Manager, to potential clients.”

The team from Bradford, U.K.’s Shorts Lifts said the event was an “incredible platform” to connect with lift professionals over the course of the two days. The company said: 

“Stand D18 became a hub of meaningful conversations and collaborative insights, as we explored ways to tackle the challenges facing the industry. The true highlight of LIFTEX was the chance to listen to our customers and industry peers. Each discussion helped us learn more about the obstacles lift professionals encounter daily and guided us in tailoring our solutions to meet their specific needs.”

New Products

Among the new products exhibited at the fair, the most eye-catching were undoubtedly the new product groups from Elevantis (Sicor Italy). The company appears to have extended its advanced gearless machine quality to its newly introduced driver, mobile and remotely controllable flexible control panel, and automatic folding doors. 

The products making their debut at the Liftex fair received high praise from professional visitors. IMEM, a well-established Spanish complete system manufacturer with 25 years of experience in the UK market, announced its SwiftRise modernization solution at the fair with a presentation both at its stand and in a separate meeting room.

 SwiftRise has the capability to significantly improve building passenger traffic by increasing elevator speed from 1 m/s to 1.75 m/s in existing shafts.

Education

The event’s appeal was further demonstrated by the packed seminar theater where industry leaders addressed challenges and opportunities. Day one was standing-room only for most of the educational seminars, with your author barely able to get close to the theater. The free-to-attend program featured expert industry speakers and was well-received by the attendees. 

Day One

Nick Mellor, managing director, LEIA, kicked off and closed out each day of presentations, and both days’ final session was “Q&A Session: Your Opportunity to Engage with the Expert Panel.” This gave participants a chance to ask questions, share thoughts and address any specific challenges or issues directly with the panel of experts.

The first seminar was titled “Capability and Competence.” In this, Mellor discussed how the Building Safety Act is driving a renewed focus on how every stakeholder in the supply chain can demonstrate their organizational capability. A critical aspect of this involves managing the competence of individuals in field roles. This presentation explored strategies for competence management and showcased recent work on industry guidance.

Next, “Revision of BS 5655-11 – Code of Practice for the Undertaking of Modifications to Existing Lifts” was presented by Micky Grover-White, LEIA technical manager. His presentation focused on the following: The number of lifts in use in the U.K. today were installed more than 20 years ago and would generally have been installed to the safety level appropriate at the time of installation. These lifts, if not improved, will have a lower level of safety than a more recently installed lift, following today’s state-of-the-art for modern technologies. This and the added complications surrounding type examinations and defined parameters means that a full revision of BS 5655 parts 11 and 12 is required for the lift industry. 

The third presentation was given by Rachel Smalley, head of Inclusive Design with Jacobs on both days. In “Future-Proofing Buildings with Evacuation Lifts,” Smalley explored the critical role of evacuation lifts in modern building safety. Drawing on her extensive experience across government, planning and regulatory bodies, she examined different end user group requirements and how these lifts enhance building functionality and align with current policy frameworks. This presentation offered valuable insights for building owners, facilities managers, engineers and lift industry professionals seeking to implement inclusive safety solutions that meet policy and end user requirements while future-proofing their properties.

Day Two

After Mellor’s welcome on day two, Dave Searle, chair of MHE/4 for Lifts and Escalators, presented “Understanding BSI MHE4 and EN ISO 8100-1 & 8100-2: Implications for Compliance and Best Practices.” The session provided critical insights into regulatory updates, how they impact lift design, installation and maintenance and what they mean for compliance, safety and best practices.

Smalley’s presentation was followed by “Fire Safety (England) Regulations – Duties of Responsible Persons” by Ian McGregor, QTC co-chair, LEIA. This practical session broke down the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 in straightforward, actionable terms. Since January 2023, these regulations have introduced critical new requirements for those legally responsible for fire safety in high-rise residential buildings. Whether you’re a facilities manager, building owner or an industry professional, this session clarified the legal responsibilities under the Fire Safety (England) Regulations and provided practical advice for ensuring compliance.

This was again followed by a Q&A session with the expert panel and Mellor’s closing comments.