Call for businesses to sponsor their own FightFest combat robot
Leading precision engineering component distributor, Accu is set to return to Smart Manufacturing Week 2027 (9th–10th June, NEC Birmingham) with FightFest, the world’s only B2B robot fighting event.
After its successful Smart Manufacturing Week debut in 2026, Accu is giving brands that missed out this year a chance to get involved in a high-energy one-on-one combat robotics competition bringing engineering, innovation and advanced manufacturing to life.
FightFest is one of the largest exhibits Smart Manufacturing Week has ever seen, generating over 500,000 views online. Held in a purpose-built arena with an eight-camera production setup and professional commentary, the live spectacle places brands head-to-head in high-intensity robotic battles, making engineering exciting and accessible for a diverse audience.
Businesses are invited to put themselves forward to be part of the action by sponsoring a FightFest robot at Smart Manufacturing Week 2027, with the potential to be seen live by more than 15,000 industry professionals.
Sponsors have complete autonomy over the robot’s design ethos, colour scheme, weaponry and branding elements, while Accu engineers handle the CAD and production work to bring every sponsor’s vision to life.
They will also benefit from publicity generated by FightFest at Smart Manufacturing Week, with increased brand exposure, media interview opportunities and video footage captured on the day that they can share on social channels. Sponsors will also gain valuable networking opportunities with leading manufacturing businesses.
Alastair Morris, Managing Director at Accu, says: “FightFest was a huge success this year, and we’re thrilled to be able to bring this action-packed event to Smart Manufacturing Week 2027. It’s a really exciting way for businesses to raise awareness amongst a captive audience and be remembered, creating exciting opportunities for sponsors and their employees whilst being part of one of the UK’s largest manufacturing exhibitions.”
Ellis Ware, Lead Engineer at Accu, adds: “FightFest combines the excitement of Robot Wars and the precision of Formula 1, bringing engineering to life in a fun and interactive way. The tournaments are intense, with two fights per hour, every hour, across both days of the exhibition. After combat, we repair the robots in a dedicated pit area, providing visitors with an immersive look into the engineering, and where sponsors can also secure a prime space on the show floor.”
For pricing and more information on sponsoring a FightFest robot at Smart Manufacturing Week, contact fightfest@accu.co.uk.
History of FightFest
Accu first partnered with FightFest in 2022, supporting the scale-up of the event and the launch of its first livestream, enabling it to reach and engage wider audiences. In 2023, FightFest featured 27 competing teams, followed in 2024, when 39 featherweight robots built by teams from across the UK competed at the Magna Science Adventure Centre in South Yorkshire, where more than 2,000 spectators experienced the sport first-hand. In 2026, Accu brought FightFest to Smart Manufacturing Week for the first time, and it soon became one of the most recognisable features. Now FightFest will return to Smart Manufacturing Week in 2027.
To learn more about FightFest, visit: https://fightfest.co.uk/
For more information about Accu, visit: www.accu.co.uk
To learn more about Smart Manufacturing Week, visit: https://www.smartmanufacturingweek.com/