Exhibit 3Sixty delivered Hillhead’s largest number of client transport jobs to date, in its first project as forklift lifting contractor at the UK’s biggest quarrying, construction and recycling exhibition, at Hillhead Quarry, Buxton, 25-27 June 2024.
The 60,000m2 open-air event featured 600 exhibitors and welcomed 26,626 visitors from across the world to view the latest products, displays, machinery and equipment in the industry.
Over an eight-day build, Exhibit 3Sixty successfully delivered 15 transport jobs, manoeuvring exhibitors' equipment from their premises to the site, and completed 150 unloads and reloads, bringing a quarter of the exhibits into the former quarry, with its 18-person team, managing the arrival and transportation of irregularly sized and shaped items, including digger buckets, tyres and other large pieces of machinery.
Reflecting on the venue and the unique set of challenges Hillhead posed, Exhibit 3Sixty logistics director, Matthew Williams, explained, “The greatest challenge was getting the largest items into the exhibitor tents. When unloading them, a team of 3 was needed inside the tents to be ready to move the equipment from the edge of the tent to the exhibitors’ stands, and we repeated this delicate process dozens of times throughout the 8-day build.”
Williams concluded, “Stephen Stewart and I have worked on Hillhead for over 30 years, and we both understand the challenges. The rough and varied terrain of the quarry, extending over 175,000m², and the sheer mass and size of the exhibits required a fleet of forklifts and trucks, telehandlers, telescopics, all terrains, and vans to ensure every exhibit was ready in time.”
Harvey Sugden, event manager, The QMJ Group Ltd, commented, "Exhibit 3Sixty delivered an excellent service at Hillhead this year. It was one of our largest events to date, and Matthew, Stephen and the onsite team were extremely professional and responsive throughout. Their prior knowledge of the show and the unique environment of the quarry helped contribute to a safe and trouble-free delivery.”
