The SLS show returns in May 2024

The Scientific Laboratory Show and Conference to gather the industry’s leading brands and professionals together in one place

The Scientific Laboratory Show and Conference will return to the East Midlands Conference Centre, Nottingham, on 22 May 2024, and bring together the lab industry’s leading brands and professionals in one place. The prestigious biannual event, which is hosted by the UK’s leading supplier of laboratory equipment, consumables and chemicals, Scientific Laboratory Supplies, represents a crucial opportunity for networking and discovery for the lab industry’s best and brightest. Registration to the show is free, and booking is now available on the show’s website.

Whether you work in an academic lab or an industrial lab, from industries as diverse as pharmaceuticals and life sciences to chemical engineering and process chemistry, the Scientific Laboratory Show and Conference has something for you.

An industry-leading exhibition

The show’s exhibition hall will be a vibrant hub of innovation, showcasing the latest innovations in laboratory equipment, consumables and services from the lab industry’s leading brands, such as Corning, Eppendorf, Gilson, Kimberly-Clark, Mettler, Nickel Electro, Toledo, Ohaus, Sartorius and Smith Scientific. Over 70 exhibitors will descend on Nottingham in May for the SLS show and conference, giving attendees the opportunity to discuss their specific applications with expert representatives from all their favourite major brands in one place.

One of this year’s exhibitors, Steve Young, Business Development Coordinator at Nickel Electro, commented, “The 2022 SLS show was one of the busiest and best events that we have ever participated in. The engagement with customers was fantastic. They were very keen and enthusiastic to learn about our product range. The set up and organisation of the show was brilliant. For all these reasons and more, we are looking forward to 2024’s show.”

For example, the show’s attendees can learn about the innovative products and procedures that are enhancing lab sustainability and discover how SLS can help businesses across the lab industry achieve their sustainability goals.

“Many people in the lab industry want to improve sustainability, but worry that it will require prohibitive financial outlays and harm experimental results,” explained David Zaborowski, Group Marketing Manager at Scientific Laboratory Supplies. “Sustainability is a key part of the agenda at this year’s SLS show as we want to help the lab industry make real, lasting improvements in this area without significantly impacting either budgets or experimental results. We have identified several ways this can be done, from process improvements that cut utilities consumption and waste volumes to alternative equipment that can be reused or recycled.”

SLS and its partners can offer recommendations on new energy-efficient laboratory equipment, ways to minimise waste and cut utilities use in lab environments, and alternative reusable or recyclable laboratory supplies. An example of this is the new Arvensis biocomposite 96-well PCR plate, which SLS supplies. These plates, which are innovatively designed using plant-based materials, can cut single-use plastic consumption in half.

Another example of the innovative solutions that will be on show is Eppendorf’s EpMotion® Automated Liquid Handling Systems, which SLS also supplies. The EpMotion® automates routine and laborious pipetting tasks, freeing up researchers’ valuable time and allowing them to focus on more critical tasks.

Further options for improving lab sustainability that can be discussed at the SLS show include embracing green solvents, such as corn-derived bioethanol, opting for concentrated disinfectants, such as chlorine- dioxide-based solutions, and using biodegradable gloves in the lab.

Finally, advice can also be shared on lab processes that can be implemented to improve sustainability, such as pipette tip box recycling programmes, PPE recycling schemes, thoughtful purchasing programmes that have environmental and budgetary benefits, and general supply chain efficiency improvements.

The event caters to professionals from diverse areas, including research scientists and academics, laboratory technicians and managers, medical and pharmaceutical professionals, and environmental scientists and engineers. For instance, attendees from medtech and pharmaceutical industries can learn new ways to maximise experimental efficiencies and laboratory throughputs, both of which are key themes across those industries.

“The SLS show and conference 2024 is a chance for the industry’s leading brands and professionals to gather in one place and discover the latest advancements in lab equipment and consumables and hear from leading experts,” continued Zaborowski “The show represents a chance to learn about everything from lab sustainability and process automation to experimental procedure development and proof of concept testing.”

The last Scientific Laboratory Show and Conference, held in 2022, was met with an overwhelmingly positive reaction from attendees on the day.

Kirst Rolus, from Solus Scientific, said following 2022’s show: “It was very well organised, the staff and suppliers were lovely and helpful, and the entertainment and services provided were fantastic.”

Dan Graham, from Liverpool John Moores University, commented, “The feedback across the board from postgraduate researchers to the Faculty of Science Research Manager, Dr Alan Simm, was extremely positive. They are all saying that they had not only a very useful experience, but an absolutely wonderful day.”

Dr Simm expanded on this, explaining, “The show was one of the most valuable days I have had for quite a while. The quality of organisation was superb. It is clear an immense amount of thought and planning had gone into the preparation. Everyone I encountered was super helpful.”

A conference not to be missed

In addition to all the excitement on the show floor, the conference will host an impressive selection of speakers including three well-known keynote speakers; Dr Helen Czerski, Dr Adam Rutherford and Robin Ince.

Dr Czerski, a renowned oceanographer and science communicator, will delve into the captivating world of ocean science, sharing details from the latest research in the field. Dr Czerski is widely known for her work presenting many BBC science documentaries on various subjects, from everyday physics to atmospheric and ocean science. She is also a regular presenter for the Fully Charged Show, a very familiar face on the Cosmic Shambles Network and hosts the Ocean Matters podcast for the Bertarelli Foundation.

Dr Rutherford, a well-known genetics researcher and author, will offer an insight into the latest genetics research and can share his thoughts on the ethical considerations surrounding advancements in the field. Dr Rutherford is generally regarded as one of BBC Radio 4’s most prominent broadcasters, with his six-part series Bad Blood: The Story of Eugenics, recently winning the Audio Kavli AAAS Science Journalism Gold Award.

He also presents Radio 4’s Start the Week and was the host of the BBC’s flagship science programme Inside Science for eight years. His popular series The Curious Cases of Rutherford and Fry has been on air for a decade. Dr Rutherford is also a regular guest on Lauren Laverne’s BBC 6 music show and The Infinite Monkey Cage with Brian Cox and Robin Ince.

Ince, a comedian, writer and science enthusiast, will provide attendees with a unique blend of humour and scientific knowledge, sparking interesting discussions on various key topics. He is best known as the co-host of the Sony Gold Award-winning BBC Radio 4 series The Infinite Monkey Cage. He also co-hosts the podcast Book Shambles with Josie Long as well as An Uncanny Hour and Science Shambles.

“The show’s conference programme is a great opportunity to hear from leading figures from across the UK’s scientific industries,” added Zaborowski. “Helen, Adam and Robin are all well-known for their passion, experience and unique insights, so securing all three as keynote speakers for this year’s show will help ensure that 2024’s show is the best one yet.

“Together, Helen Adam and Robin offer a blend of deep scientific knowledge, engaging communication skills and the ability to connect with a broad audience. Their diverse backgrounds will provide a rich tapestry of insights, making them excellent keynote speakers for inspiring innovation, fostering collaboration and highlighting the importance of science and technology in solving contemporary challenges at this year’s show.”

Beyond the three keynote speakers, the conference programme also includes representatives from the National Technician Development Centre (NTDC), the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC), the Institute of Science and Technology (IST), the Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS), Eppendorf, Corning and Ohaus.

A day of fun

The Scientific Laboratory Show and Conference is not all serious science. It also packs a punch with fun activities. For example, attendees are automatically entered into a prize draw for a chance to win £250 in Amazon vouchers and can also win more prizes at the SLS Arcade Olympics, which includes popular games like whack-a-mole, batak pro, arcade basketball, and roll and bowl.

Furthermore, attendees can try their hand at virtual reality games, including skiing, racing and parachuting, and enjoy freshly-made liquid nitrogen ice cream.

The Scientific Laboratory Show and Conference is an opportunity to network with peers, gain insights from expert speakers and discover the latest cutting-edge lab products and techniques. 2024’s event promises to be an unmissable experience for anyone passionate about scientific innovation. In short, it will be a day inspired by scientists, for scientists.

Lunch and refreshments are available to all attendees, free of charge. To join us at the Scientific Laboratory Show and Conference 2024, register for free here.