SANY UK & Ireland has joined the exhibitor line-up at UK Plant Expo 2027 and will sponsor the 360 Excavator Challenge.
The manufacturer has confirmed its attendance at the new two-day event, due to be held at the Heart of England Events Centre, Warwickshire, from June 11-12, 2027.
The 360 Excavator Challenge is one of the categories in the UK Plant Operator of the Year competition. The event will test operator skill, accuracy and machine control in front of a live audience. However, competitors will not find out which digger has been chosen for the challenge until the event.
The UK Plant Operator of the Year competition will run alongside UK Plant Expo, with a £20,000 overall prize fund up for grabs and a series of challenges covering different machine types and operating skills.
SANY will also use UK Plant Expo to showcase its wider equipment offering. Its excavator range spans diesel-powered machines alongside a growing electric line-up.
Leigh Harris, business development director at SANY UK, said, “UK Plant Expo is a great fit for us because it puts working machinery and operators together. People can see the equipment in action, get into the cab, and decide for themselves how a machine feels and performs.
“We’re also really pleased to be sponsoring the 360 Excavator Challenge. It’s going to attract some very good operators and should make for a great competition. We won’t be giving them too much of a head start though. The machine they’ll be competing on is staying under wraps for now.”
For UK Plant Expo, SANY UK & Ireland is a significant addition to an exhibitor line-up that already includes manufacturers, attachment specialists, technology companies, training providers and suppliers from across the plant and construction equipment sector.
Co-organiser Brian Coogan added, “Getting SANY on board is a big deal for UK Plant Expo. They are a major global manufacturer with a strong presence in the UK, and their commitment to the event and sponsorship of the 360 Excavator Challenge says a lot about what we are building for 2027.
“The 360 is always going to be highly competitive. Operators take a lot of pride in what they can do on an excavator, and nobody wants to be beaten, particularly with a crowd watching. That is exactly what we want UK Plant Expo to be about. Great machines, very good operators and manufacturers prepared to put their equipment out there and let people see what it can do.”
UK Plant Expo is an outdoor construction equipment event. Visitors will be able to see equipment working, watch demonstrations, meet manufacturers and suppliers, and follow the UK Plant Operator of the Year challenges.
