UK Exhibition Calendar 2026
Fifty-one exhibition slots run across ExCeL London, the NEC Birmingham and Olympia London between 6 September and 29 November 2026. This page lists them by venue with dates, and flags the days when several shows open together — which is when stand staff get hard to find.
Thursday 5 November. Six shows are open at once across all three venues: WTM London at ExCeL, Spirit of Christmas Fair and The Luxury Travel Fair at Olympia, and Euro Bus Expo, Advanced Engineering and Farm Business Innovation at the NEC.
Nothing else in the autumn reaches six. If you are exhibiting that week, staffing is the thing to settle first.
Planning a team for one of these shows? Isabella Mgmt supplies exhibition staff, brand ambassadors and promotional staff across the UK. Tell us the show and we will send availability.
Get A QuoteDates here are as we hold them and were checked against organiser listings, but halls move and shows get rescheduled. Always check against the organiser's latest information before making final travel or staffing arrangements.
The Weeks When Staff Run Short
Five days this autumn have five or more shows open simultaneously. Those are the dates where the same local pool of experienced stand staff is being drawn on from several directions at once.
| Date | Shows | Venues | What is open |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wed 23 September | 5 | 3 | Big Data LDN (Olympia), IAAPA Expo Europe (ExCeL), PPMA Show (NEC), Solar & Storage Live UK (NEC), eCommerce Expo & Technology for Marketing (ExCeL) |
| Thu 24 September | 5 | 3 | Big Data LDN (Olympia), IAAPA Expo Europe (ExCeL), PPMA Show (NEC), Solar & Storage Live UK (NEC), eCommerce Expo & Technology for Marketing (ExCeL) |
| Wed 14 October | 5 | 3 | DTX & UCX London (ExCeL), Decorex International (Olympia), Employee Benefits Live (ExCeL), Highways UK (NEC), The Motorhome and Caravan Show (NEC) |
| Thu 5 November | 6 | 3 | Advanced Engineering (NEC), Euro Bus Expo (NEC), Farm Business Innovation (NEC), Spirit of Christmas Fair (Olympia), The Luxury Travel Fair (Olympia), WTM London (ExCeL) |
| Thu 19 November | 5 | 2 | B2B Marketing Live & CX Expo (ExCeL), Festive Gift Fair (NEC), London EV Show (ExCeL), London Vet Show (ExCeL), The Schools & Academies Show (NEC) |
Single-venue pressure
Cross-venue totals are one thing; two or three shows sharing one hall complex is another, because the travel pool is the same. ExCeL peaks at three concurrent shows on 19 November — B2B Marketing Live & CX Expo, London EV Show and London Vet Show. That is its busiest day of the season.
The NEC reaches three on three separate dates: 7 October (Fleet & Mobility Live, Care Show Birmingham and Horse of the Year Show), then again on 4 and 5 November. Olympia never exceeds two.
Exhibiting in one of those weeks? We recommend confirming a stand team six to eight weeks out. Later is possible; the shortlist is just shorter.
Exhibition staffingExCeL London
Nineteen slots, and the most international programme of the three. The anchor is WTM London in November; the longest run is IAAPA Expo Europe in September, whose exhibition floor is open 22–24 September with education sessions either side.
Stands here reward hosts who will step into the aisle and qualify a lead rather than wait behind a counter, and second languages earn their premium on the genuinely international shows. More on exhibition staff for ExCeL London.
| Show | Dates | Run |
|---|---|---|
| Connected Britain | 9–10 September | 2 days |
| London Packaging Week cluster | 16–17 September | 2 days |
| IAAPA Expo Europe | 21–25 September | 5 days |
| eCommerce Expo & Technology for Marketing | 23–24 September | 2 days |
| ExCeL hospitality cluster | 29–30 September | 2 days |
| Salon International & Professional Beauty London | 4–5 October | 2 days |
| Brand Licensing Europe | 6–8 October | 3 days |
| Dentistry Show London | 9–10 October | 2 days |
| Employee Benefits Live | 13–14 October | 2 days |
| DTX & UCX London | 14–15 October | 2 days |
| The National Wedding Show | 17–18 October | 2 days |
| WTM London | 3–5 November | 3 days |
| Event Tech Live | 11–12 November | 2 days |
| The Business Show London cluster | 11–12 November | 2 days |
| B2B Marketing Live & CX Expo | 18–19 November | 2 days |
| London EV Show | 18–19 November | 2 days |
| London Vet Show | 19–20 November | 2 days |
| HIX Europe | 25–26 November | 2 days |
| London Build Expo | 25–26 November | 2 days |
NEC Birmingham
Twenty-two slots, the heaviest programme in the country and the widest mix. The season opens with the trade buying shows: Autumn Fair and Glee, which formally co-locate in 2026 and share 8–9 September with cross-access between them. Advanced Engineering in November is the serious technical show.
Then there are the long consumer runs, which are a different staffing job altogether — The Motorhome and Caravan Show is six days, Horse of the Year Show five. Birmingham also means travel: teams either come from the Midlands or need accommodation, and that is cheaper decided early. More on exhibition staff for the NEC Birmingham.
| Show | Dates | Run |
|---|---|---|
| Autumn Fair | 6–9 September | 4 days |
| Glee | 8–10 September | 3 days |
| Emergency Services Show cluster | 16–17 September | 2 days |
| PPMA Show | 22–24 September | 3 days |
| Solar & Storage Live UK | 22–24 September | 3 days |
| UK Construction Week | 29 September–1 October | 3 days |
| Grand Designs Live | 2–4 October | 3 days |
| The National Franchise Exhibition | 2–3 October | 2 days |
| Fleet & Mobility Live | 6–7 October | 2 days |
| Care Show Birmingham | 7–8 October | 2 days |
| Horse of the Year Show | 7–11 October | 5 days |
| The Pharmacy Show | 11–12 October | 2 days |
| The Motorhome and Caravan Show | 13–18 October | 6 days |
| Highways UK | 14–15 October | 2 days |
| Euro Bus Expo | 3–5 November | 3 days |
| Advanced Engineering | 4–5 November | 2 days |
| Farm Business Innovation | 4–5 November | 2 days |
| Cake International | 6–8 November | 3 days |
| SALTEX | 11–12 November | 2 days |
| Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show | 13–15 November | 3 days |
| The Schools & Academies Show | 18–19 November | 2 days |
| Festive Gift Fair | 19–22 November | 4 days |
UK Construction Week runs 29 September to 1 October, so it is the one show in this calendar that spans a month end. Worth knowing if you are counting October shows from a list.
Olympia London
Ten slots and the most curated programme, weighted towards design, lifestyle and premium consumer. Spirit of Christmas Fair is the longest show of the entire autumn at seven days; Decorex International and Top Drawer A/W bring the interiors and gift trades through.
Presentation carries more weight in these halls. A premium audience reads the stand team as part of the brand, which favours properly briefed brand ambassadors over general event crew. More on exhibition staff for Olympia London.
| Show | Dates | Run |
|---|---|---|
| PLASA Show | 6–8 September | 3 days |
| Top Drawer A/W | 13–15 September | 3 days |
| Big Data LDN | 23–24 September | 2 days |
| International Security & Cyber Expo | 29–30 September | 2 days |
| Independent Hotel Show | 5–6 October | 2 days |
| Decorex International | 11–14 October | 4 days |
| The Baby Show | 23–25 October | 3 days |
| Spirit of Christmas Fair | 2–8 November | 7 days |
| The Luxury Travel Fair | 5–8 November | 4 days |
| The Ideal Christmas Show | 26–29 November | 4 days |
Long Runs and Short Runs
Most of the autumn is two- and three-day shows. A handful run considerably longer, and those need a rota rather than the same team on every day.
| Show | Venue | Dates | Run |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spirit of Christmas Fair | Olympia London | 2–8 November | 7 days |
| The Motorhome and Caravan Show | NEC Birmingham | 13–18 October | 6 days |
| Horse of the Year Show | NEC Birmingham | 7–11 October | 5 days |
| IAAPA Expo Europe | ExCeL London | 21–25 September | 5 days |
| Decorex International | Olympia London | 11–14 October | 4 days |
| Festive Gift Fair | NEC Birmingham | 19–22 November | 4 days |
One caveat on IAAPA Expo Europe: the 21–25 September span includes education sessions, while the exhibition floor itself is open 22–24 September. If you are staffing a stand there, that is three days, not five.
Planning the Stand Team
Two things separate a stand that works from one that people walk past: who is on it, and whether they know what they are looking for. A short version of what we tell clients planning an autumn stand.
Trade shows and consumer shows are different jobs
A trade buying show wants product-literate hosts who can hold a range conversation and treat an order sheet as the point of the day. A six-day consumer run wants stamina and warmth: demonstrators, samplers, people who can still lift the energy on a Saturday afternoon. Staffing both the same way is the most common mistake we see.
Work out what a lead actually is first
Most stands brief on the product and forget to brief on qualification. If the team does not know what disqualifies a visitor, you get a long list of scans and a thin list of opportunities. Decide this before the briefing, not after day one.
Long runs need a rota
Anything past three days needs relief built in from the start. The same four people on day six are not the team you hired on day one, and the last day of a consumer show should look like the first.
Language matters more than headcount on international shows
On the genuinely international floors — IAAPA and WTM in particular — a second language does more for a stand than an extra pair of hands. Worth flagging early, because it is matched against the roster rather than assumed.
The roles this usually breaks down into — hosts, brand ambassadors, lead-capture teams, promotional and multilingual staff — are set out on the exhibition staffing page.
Questions About the Calendar
Which UK venue holds the most exhibitions?
Of the three in this calendar, the NEC Birmingham carries the heaviest autumn programme with 22 slots, against 19 at ExCeL London and 10 at Olympia London. The NEC also has the widest spread, from two-day trade shows to six-day consumer runs.
When is the busiest week for UK exhibitions this autumn?
The first week of November. Thursday 5 November has six shows open at once across all three venues, which is the highest of the season, and 4 November has five. Nothing else in September, October or November reaches six.
Why does the calendar say 51 shows when some entries cover more than one?
Because several entries are co-located shows sharing a hall and a date. Four are listed as clusters, and the Business Show London cluster alone runs alongside eight co-located events. Others pair two named shows on the same days — Salon International and Professional Beauty London are two separate exhibitions running together at ExCeL on 4–5 October, not one show.
So 51 is the number of slots in the calendar. The number of individual exhibitions open across the autumn is higher.
How far in advance should I book exhibition staff?
Six to eight weeks is comfortable. Availability is rarely the issue earlier than that; what narrows is the quality of the shortlist. For the clash weeks above, or for briefs with a specific language requirement, book earlier. Short notice is still worth asking about — we fill same-week bookings regularly.
Are these dates confirmed?
They are as we hold them, and were checked against organiser listings. Shows do move, though, and halls get reallocated. Check the organiser's latest information before making final travel or staffing arrangements.
Need staff for a show on this list? Send the show name and dates. We reply within one working day, and we can usually tell you straight away whether the week is tight.
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