If you work in almost any industry, sooner or later you will spend a day at one of these venues. Each has its own quirks for getting in and out, especially at the end of a busy day.
The UK’s big conference and exhibition centres host everything from trade shows and political party conferences to concerts, sporting events and even dog shows. On a busy day, tens of thousands of people pass through their doors. Here are eight of the most important, and what to know before you go.
1. ExCeL London
In the Royal Docks in east London, on the Elizabeth line and the DLR, and close to London City Airport. ExCeL opened in 2000 on the side of the Royal Victoria Dock, once one of the busiest docks in the world. It is one of the largest exhibition centres in the UK.
ExCeL hosts some of the biggest trade shows and conferences in the country, as well as consumer shows, concerts and sporting events. During the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, it hosted events including boxing, judo and table tennis. In 2020, it was turned into a temporary hospital, NHS Nightingale, during the pandemic.
The venue is long, stretching along the dock, with stations at each end. Custom House station, on the Elizabeth line and the DLR, is at the western end, and Prince Regent on the DLR is at the eastern end. Check which end your event is at, as walking from one end to the other takes time.
London City Airport is only a few minutes away, which makes ExCeL easy to reach from across Europe. A cable car crosses the Thames nearby to the Greenwich Peninsula. On event days, book your car to and from a set entrance.
2. NEC, Birmingham
The UK’s largest exhibition centre, next to Birmingham Airport and Birmingham International station. The National Exhibition Centre opened in 1976, and it has around twenty halls, as well as an arena for concerts and sport. It hosts hundreds of events every year.
The NEC is home to many of the biggest shows in the country, from trade exhibitions to consumer shows. It is the long-running home of Crufts, the famous dog show, which draws huge crowds every March. Big car, food and home shows are held here too.
The NEC sits beside the M42 and close to the M6, with huge car parks. Birmingham International station is a short walk away, with trains to London Euston and Birmingham New Street. Birmingham Airport is next door, linked by the free Air-Rail Link.
On big event days, the roads and car parks around the NEC can be very busy. Allow plenty of time to arrive and leave. A car booked to meet you at a set point saves waiting in a queue for a taxi.
3. Manchester Central
The former Central railway station in the heart of the city, a short walk from hotels and restaurants. The station opened in 1880, and its great arched iron roof has one of the widest spans of any Victorian railway station in Britain. It closed to trains in 1969.
After standing empty for years, the old station was restored and reopened in 1986 as the G-Mex exhibition centre. It was renamed Manchester Central after a major expansion, which added a modern conference centre alongside the old train shed. The great hall under the arched roof is one of the most striking event spaces in the country.
Manchester Central hosts big conferences, exhibitions and events, and it is one of the venues for the national party political conferences. When a party conference comes to town, the area around the venue is full of politicians, journalists and security. The city is busy for the whole week.
The venue is on Windmill Street, close to Deansgate, St Peter’s Square and the Bridgewater Hall. Across the road stands the grand Midland Hotel, built by the railway company to serve the station, where Charles Rolls and Henry Royce are said to have first met. The Deansgate-Castlefield and St Peter’s Square tram stops are a short walk away.
Manchester Piccadilly and Victoria stations are both a short tram ride or a walk away, and Oxford Road and Deansgate stations are even closer. Hotels, restaurants and bars surround the venue, so delegates can walk between them. Spinningfields, Castlefield and the Northern Quarter are all within easy reach.
Manchester Airport is about half an hour away by car, depending on the traffic. On event days, book your car to and from the venue ahead of time. See our Manchester guide and places to eat in Manchester.
4. SEC, Glasgow
On the banks of the Clyde, alongside the OVO Hydro arena and the Armadillo. The Scottish Event Campus is built on the site of the old Queen’s Dock, once a busy part of Glasgow’s port. It is Scotland’s largest exhibition and conference centre.
The Armadillo, officially the SEC Armadillo, is a conference and concert venue designed by Foster and Partners, whose curved, overlapping roof looks a little like the armoured animal it is named after. The OVO Hydro is one of the busiest arenas in the world for concerts. Together, they make the campus one of Glasgow’s landmarks.
In 2021, the SEC hosted COP26, the United Nations climate change conference, which brought world leaders to Glasgow. It hosts many international conferences, exhibitions and events. The Glasgow Science Centre is just across the river.
Exhibition Centre station is a short walk away, with trains to the city centre. Glasgow Airport is about fifteen minutes away by car. See our Glasgow guide.
5. EICC, Edinburgh
In the city’s financial district, close to the West End. The Edinburgh International Conference Centre opened in 1995, and its round, drum-shaped building is a landmark on Lothian Road. It is known for its unusual revolving auditoriums, which can change their layout.
The EICC hosts international conferences, particularly in medicine, science and finance. It is in the Exchange district, with offices, hotels and restaurants all around. Edinburgh Castle is a short walk away.
Haymarket station, with trains across Scotland, is a short walk away, and the tram runs from Haymarket to Edinburgh Airport. Princes Street and the city centre are within walking distance. Edinburgh Airport is about twenty minutes away by car, depending on traffic.
Edinburgh is extremely busy in August, during the festivals, when hotels fill up and prices rise. If you are attending a conference then, book accommodation well ahead. See our Edinburgh guide.
6. ACC Liverpool
On the waterfront by the Royal Albert Dock, with the exhibition centre alongside. ACC Liverpool is a campus of three venues: an arena, a convention centre and an exhibition centre. The arena and the convention centre opened in 2008, when Liverpool was European Capital of Culture.
In 2023, the arena hosted the Eurovision Song Contest, which Liverpool held on behalf of Ukraine. The campus hosts party political conferences, international conferences, exhibitions and concerts. It is one of the busiest event venues in the North.
The campus is on Kings Dock, on the banks of the Mersey, a short walk from the Royal Albert Dock, the Museum of Liverpool, the Beatles Story and the city centre. Delegates can walk to hotels, restaurants and bars. The views across the river are wonderful.
Liverpool Lime Street station is around twenty minutes’ walk away, or a short drive. Liverpool John Lennon Airport is around twenty five minutes away by car, and Manchester Airport is less than an hour. See our Liverpool guide.
7. ICC Wales, Newport
At the Celtic Manor Resort, just off the M4 near Newport. The International Convention Centre Wales opened in 2019, and it is the largest conference venue in Wales. It was built as a joint venture between the Celtic Manor Resort and the Welsh Government.
The Celtic Manor Resort is famous for its golf, and it hosted the Ryder Cup in 2010. In 2014, it hosted a NATO summit, when world leaders gathered in Wales. Its hotels and golf courses sit in the rolling hills above the Usk valley.
ICC Wales is right beside junction 24 of the M4, which makes it easy to reach by car from Cardiff, Bristol and London. Newport station is about ten minutes away by car, with trains to Cardiff, Bristol and London Paddington. Cardiff Airport and Bristol Airport are both within an hour.
The resort has its own hotels, restaurants and spa, so delegates can stay on site. It is a popular choice for conferences, exhibitions and events. See our Newport guide.
8. Olympia, London
A Victorian exhibition hall in Kensington, in the middle of a major redevelopment. Olympia opened in 1886 as the National Agricultural Hall, and its great iron and glass roof covers one of the most beautiful exhibition halls in London. It has hosted shows of every kind for well over a century.
Olympia has been the home of many famous shows, from the Ideal Home Show to horse shows, book fairs and trade exhibitions. Its Grand Hall and National Hall are among the finest Victorian exhibition spaces in the world. The building has a sense of history.
A major redevelopment is transforming Olympia, adding hotels, a theatre, a concert venue, restaurants and new public spaces alongside the exhibition halls. Parts have opened and parts are still being finished, so check what is open before you go. When it is complete, it will be a new cultural quarter for west London.
Kensington Olympia station, on the London Overground, is right next to the venue, and trains on the District line call there on some days. West Kensington and Hammersmith stations are a walk away. Heathrow is about half an hour away by car, depending on the traffic.
Event days
When a big show ends, thousands of people leave at once and the taxi ranks empty. Book your car ahead with a pickup a short walk from the main entrance, and your driver’s details will be on your journey page before pickup.
If you are exhibiting, remember the extra time and space you need for stands, samples and equipment. Choose a car with room for the luggage when you book. Only the cars that fit your party and your luggage are offered.
For a day of meetings around a conference, a car by the hour can wait between the venue, the hotel and client dinners. See client visits and roadshows by the hour and corporate event transport.
Ride with ZeroLanes. A car to the venue, or one for the whole day between the venue, the hotel and client dinners. Talk to us about a business account.