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
Content coming soon.
Sector Events Calendar
October 25
7-9
IMEX America
IMEX America 2025 is a powerhouse show. It’s the most productive, creative, lovingly designed, inclusive, high-value and enjoyable business and learning experience you can give yourself this year. And the payback on three days of targeted, intentional business conversations? Priceless.
October 25
22-23
The Showman’s Show – The Outdoor Event Services Exhibition
The original and most comprehensive exhibition of products and services for the outdoor, festival and special event world. The 2025 edition of the Show will return to Newbury Showground from 22nd – 23rd October. The Show will see hundreds of suppliers and manufacturers exhibiting the latest products and services available to the event industry. It is an unrivalled market place to discover, learn, and try the latest innovations, meet a diverse range of new suppliers and network with colleagues all in one place, in a fun and relaxed environment. The Show is FREE to attend and open to ALL that supply the event industry or organise outdoor and special events.
November 25
12-13
Event Tech Live London
Event Tech Live is the No. 1 globally recognised event bringing event professionals, thought leaders, leading event tech companies and startups together. Event Professionals can register to attend for FREE and access to the latest industry education from industry thought leaders across multiple stages and formats. Event Tech Live features a hosted buyer programme and an exhibition featuring the latest in event technology, software, and innovations from around the world. The event provides the resources, tools and networking opportunities you need to take advantage of technology to create the best events.
Event Tech Live London
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