Leisure and Medical Were the Largest Sectors for UK Exhibitions in 2025

By industry sector, leisure — covering hobbies, recreation, arts, sports, books, crafts and caravans — was the largest category for UK exhibitions in 2025 at 18.1%, down from 18.7% in 2024. It was followed by medicine, healthcare and pharmaceuticals on 13.7% (13.3% in 2024), education, careers and training on 8.9% (7.6%), business-to-business services and equipment including conferences on 8.8% (5.2%), other service industries on 7.7% (8.0%) and computers, telecoms and electronics on 7.3% (6.5%). The picture differs sharply by event type. Consumer exhibitions were heavily concentrated in leisure at 48.3%, ahead of lifestyle, wedding, homeware and gardening on 12.5% and education, careers and training on 10.5%. Trade exhibitions were more evenly spread, led by B2B services and equipment on 13.0%, medicine and healthcare on 10.6%, other service industries on 10.6% and computers and telecoms on 8.5%. Conferences with an exhibition element clustered in medicine and healthcare at 28.0%, followed by computers and telecoms on 12.6% and business services on 12.0%.