In this episode, Lawrence Chapman interviews Sam Baynham, Managing Director of ConeX Portal, about building a collaborative community for UK manufacturers and the challenges manufacturers face in 2024.

Sam Baynham is the Founder and Managing Director of ConeX Portal, a community connecting manufacturers, engineers, designers and creatives in the UK manufacturing industry. ConeX focuses on bringing people together through events and an online platform to foster collaboration.

They discuss the challenges facing the industry, including skills gaps, attracting talent, marketing effectively, and more.

Key discussion points include:

The aim of ConeX Portal is to better connect the manufacturing sector by building an engaged community focused on collaboration
Key challenges for manufacturers: energy costs, skills gaps and public perception of the industry
Ideas for attracting talent
Benefits of a community-led approach
Balancing traditional and digital marketing based on your target customer
Simple ways manufacturers can start establishing an online presence
Emerging trends like sustainability and digitalisation shaping manufacturing