Exhibitions + Congress
Home / UK Events Industry / Exhibitions + Congress
Sector at a Glance
1
Contributes circa £11 billion to the UK economy.
2
Supporting an estimated 180,000 businesses.
3
1100 UK exhibitions attracting circa 9 million visitors per year.
Sector Overview

Exhibitions + Congress

Trade exhibitions are aimed primarily at those working within a particular trade sector and its peripherals. Visitors to trade exhibitions are usually required to establish their trade credentials and buying power.

Trade exhibitions are quite diverse within their industry sector, with B2B services and equipment as the core focus, often in the IT/Telco sectors, alongside more specialist congress events which primarily support the healthcare and pharmaceuticals sectors.

Consumer shows (also referred to as public) are primarily organized to attract the consumer or general public and usually charge for admission. These are strongly orientated to the leisure, lifestyle, wedding and homeware sectors.

The business events sector contributes circa £11 billion to the UK economy. Trade and consumer exhibitions support an estimated 180,000 businesses. The main UK exhibition venues host 1100+ p.a. attracting circa 9 million visitors. Venues, organisers and suppliers including AV, exhibition design and construction companies all work together to deliver exhibitions.

Latest Sector Research
Sector Events Calendar
May 24
7
ON:Occasion – Edinburgh
Introducing ON:Occasion, the network for the events community brought to you by The Occasionall Group. To celebrate the launch of our new staffing agency, Occasionall Staff, The Occasionall Group have launched an in-person networking series to bring together all events people around the UK. In addition to our existing staff, we will be extending the invite to any clients, freelancers, academics, events lovers, and anyone else who is looking to meet new faces within the industry. ON:Occasion is kicking off with ‘The New Era Tour’ visiting four cities spanning over three weeks in May. The first of these events will be in Edinburgh, inside The Library Gallery at Summerhall on Tuesday 7th May. Liverpool is next, taking over Surfer’s Cove at Tiki Hideaway the following Tuesday 14th May. They then head down to Cardiff on Saturday 18th May to celebrate at the Beer Hall inside Tiny Rebel, which is situated […]
May 24
14-15
PLASA Focus Leeds
PLASA Focus Leeds returns to the Royal Armouries from 14-15 May 2024, setting the stage for the latest and greatest technology in live events, installation and entertainment. Spanning two halls, the friendly show floor is home to 150 brands representing audio, AV, lighting, rigging and staging. Each exhibitor is set to present their most popular products and solutions, including several new releases and debuts. It’s a valuable opportunity to inspect the next generation of technology while getting to know the people behind the brands. As always, the show floor will be accompanied by an unmissable programme of keynote talks and panel discussions. Not only can visitors watch renowned creatives reveal their latest projects, but there will also be several deep dives into technical standards and business issues. PLASA Focus Leeds 2024 also sees the return of immersive audio demonstrations and hands-on training, both guided by informed brand officials, with sessions […]
May 24
17
20/20 London Venues
20/20 Club hosts various B2B speed networking events in a calendar year, each uniquely headlined with a different event theme which consequently brings together like-minded individuals from both sides of the buyer-supplier fence. All buyers and suppliers are targeted and qualified to ensure they fit in with the specific 20/20 event and its theme (eg: 20/20 ‘Christmas Parties’). Many multi-faceted suppliers choose to invest in securing table stands at a selection of 20/20 Club events because of the comparative cost and many different buyers that they’ll meet.
Business + Brand Experiences
UK EVENTS INDUSTRY
EXPLORE OTHER SECTORS
Outdoor Events + Festivals
Get Involved
Research

The event industry’s reliance on data to help it plan for the future, increase its resilience, manage risk and justify investment decisions, is growing year on year.

The engagement and access that The Power of Events (UK) has across all 7 sectors of the industry, enables data gathering and in-depth research projects to be delivered confidently and consistently. This will be primarily facilitated through the new insight app to be launched on 28th Sep 2023.

By bringing the industry and university partners together, research projects will be designed to deliver real benefits to the industry in terms of trend analysis, insights and performance improvements.

SUGGEST RESEARCH PROJECTS
Our Supporters
Drawn from across the seven core sectors the Power of Events (UK) supporters are committed to showcasing the UK Event Industry.
BECOME A SUPPORTER
Our Partners
The Power of Events (UK) partners are collaborating to share research, data and insights for the benefit of the whole UK Events Industry.
BECOME A PARTNER