This year’s Bett: the best yet

Rebecca Paddick took a trip to the ExCel London, where this year’s Bett show celebrated it’s 30th anniversary

Joe Lawson-West

As 2014 was my first year attending the Bett show, the world’s leading event for learning technology, many would say my above statement is unreliable, but I can safely say that every exhibitor and visitor I caught up with at the ExCel this week confirmed that 2014 was bigger and better than ever before.

Dominic Savage, director general of the British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA) told me that the exhibition and the awards show “bring the industry together”.

He added: “We try to keep the show expanding in-line with the growth of industry, so I think it is inevitable that the show will be even bigger next year.”

Entries to this year’s Bett awards were up by a quarter, read more about the award winners here.

The Bett 2014 conference marks the show’s 30th anniversary since it first launched in 1985.

Savage also mentioned that Bett’s growing international presence played an important part this year. “The show aims to be reflective of the global move of education technology. Inviting the international companies along gives them and the UK-based firms a chance to talk all things industry.”

This year, the edtech industry’s leaders, including more than 700 exhibitors, came together to showcase their latest products and discuss key themes making waves throughout our sector, and top of this year’s agenda was the impending computing curriculum.

Secretary of State for Education Michael Gove opened the show on Wednesday. In his keynote speech he said the curriculum, which will be taught in UK primary schools from September this year, was built “from the bottom up” by academics because government departments would not be able to keep up with the rapid pace of technology.

He added: “Nothing has a shorter life span than the cutting edge. How can departments regulate policy if they can’t keep up with such speed.”

View some photos of the event here.

Keep an eye on the Education Technology website over the next few days for exclusive interviews, pictures and videos from some of the industry’s leaders.

What did you think of this year’s show? Email the editor