NEC (National Exhibition Centre) - Archive

• The NEC (National Exhibition Centre), opened in February 1976, is the UK’s largest exhibition venue, with 200,000 square metres (two million square feet) of space in 21 interconnected halls.
• The NEC is Europe’s busiest exhibition venue, according to figures from the European Major Exhibition Centres Association.
• The centre stages around 180 exhibitions every year, with 60 per cent trade fairs and 40 per cent public shows. Over four million people each year attend the busy programme of exhibitions, conferences and events.
• Many of the UK’s top trade fairs take place at The NEC and have grown since moving to Birmingham, including Spring Fair Birmingham which is the biggest exhibition staged in the UK.
• The NEC is often described as an exhibition ‘village’. It has its own network of roads, four on-site hotels, a lake, 21,000 car parking spaces, and its own security, traffic and fire fighting forces.
• The NEC’s halls are also used for a variety of other events, including major conventions such as the Lions Clubs International Convention, and corporate product launches and conferences.
• The NEC is home to many high-profile events such as the world famous Crufts Dog Show, the Horse of the Year Show, Grand Designs Live, Clotheshow Live and the BBC Good Food Show.