Four Primary Venues Hosted 36% of All UK Exhibitions in 2025

The UK's four primary venues — ExCeL London, the NEC, Olympia and the Scottish Event Campus — hosted 412 exhibitions in 2025, or 36% of the national total of 1,154, made up of 211 trade exhibitions, 162 consumer exhibitions and 39 conferences with an exhibition element. The eight secondary venues hosted the same number, 412, split as 180 trade, 104 consumer and 128 conferences. The 17 other and outdoor venues hosted 330 events, comprising 89, 93 and 148 respectively. Looked at by event type, 44% of trade exhibitions took place at primary venues, 38% at secondary venues and 19% elsewhere; for consumer exhibitions the split was 45%, 29% and 26%. Conferences concentrated instead in secondary and other venues, at 41% and 47%, with only 12% at primary venues. In terms of density, primary venues averaged 103 exhibitions a year, secondary venues 52, other and outdoor venues 19, and all venues 41. The report notes that data is rounded and may not sum exactly.