The National Exhibition Centre (NEC) in Birmingham, UK, has reported its highest-ever number of new events in a calendar year, hosting 23 relocated or new events in 2023.
A total of 11 new shows were launched at the venue, with an additional 12 relocated from other venues. This included exhibitions such as The National Equine Show, The National Halal Food Festival and Smart Factory Expo, as well as special events and long-stay content such as Secret Cinema presents GREASE: The Live Experience, The FRIENDS™ Experience and Gravity Show.
In total, the venue welcomes around 2.3 million visitors and over 45,000 exhibiting companies to more than 500 events every year, including shows such as BBC Good Food Show, Spring Fair International, The National Motorhome and Caravan Show and Crufts.
Richard Mann, new business director at the NEC, said: “It’s been a fantastic year for our venue, both in terms of delivering our standout, established shows and bringing on board a wealth of new ones.
“We’ve also seen encouraging growth at many events, including the recent Solar & Storage Live which welcomed more than 17,000 attendees from over 20 countries. We believe this year’s successes truly underline the positive impact of the exhibitions and wider events industry on UK trade.
“We’ve placed a focus on developing our offering this past year, from launching the UK’s largest electric vehicle charging hub on our campus, to developing Show Insights which helps event organisers better understand visitor habits and profiles.
“Our outlook for 2024 is strong, with lots of diverse event content in the pipeline.”
A full chronological list of new and relocated events at the NEC in 2023 is as follows: The National Equine Show, IntraLogisteX, UKTTA Tattoo Convention, The National Halal Food Festival, YCS UK Nationals, Care Managers Show, AnimeCon UK, Grace & Faith, Secret Cinema Presents GREASE: The Live Experience, Smart Factory Expo, Crepe City Sneaker Festival, Calling Birmingham, Tony Robbins Unleash The Power Within UK, The FRIENDS™ Experience, SiD UK Championships, Gravity Show, The Man Cave Expo UK, Broker Expo, The National School & College Leaver Festival, The Super Weekender, Birmingham Cat Extravaganza & Rescue Awareness Event, FitFest and Classic Antique Fairs.
