The UK Hosted an Estimated 1,154 Exhibitions and Exhibition-Based Conferences in 2025, with Trade Shows at 42%

The UK's main exhibition venues staged an estimated 1,154 exhibitions and conferences with an exhibition element in 2025, attracting around 6.77 million visits, a figure the executive summary and the accompanying press release round to 6.8 million. By type, trade exhibitions were the largest segment with 480 events, or 42% of the market. Consumer, or public, exhibitions accounted for 359 events, just under a third at 31%. Conferences that incorporated an exhibition element made up 27%, a slight increase over 2024. On definitions, an exhibition here means an event with at least 500 square metres of exhibition space, so anything below that threshold is excluded, and the totals are grossed-up estimates weighted by venue category rather than a direct count of returns. EIA says the total number of UK exhibitions was up significantly on 2024 and reached its highest level since 2015, confirming sustained growth since 2022 in a market it describes as shaped by Brexit, the pandemic, global uncertainty and inflationary pressure.