That was 2025
Professionals across the exhibitions industry are taking the opportunity to look back over buoyant year in exhibitions which has seen the UK hold its own despite a challenging climate. New data released this week reveals that the value of the events industry has now risen to £68.7bn, with trade exhibitions making up £11.5bn of that figure – a rise on the value of £10bn that we reported this time last year.
“This uplift to £68.7 billion underlines the resilience and adaptability of our industry,” says Glenn Bowdin, chair of UKEVENTS. “Events are not just economic drivers—they are catalysts for trade, innovation, and social cohesion and showcase the UK on a global stage.
“As global uncertainty persists, the UK’s stability and creativity make it a natural meeting point for the world.”
UKEvents has theorised that the UK is perceived to be the “safe harbour” of Europe, with international visitors favouring cities like London as a safe and secure meeting place for trade. The ExCeL hosted over 400 events this year, while its Midlands-based rival the NEC hosted 158 in the year ending March 2025.
“Most of the events we attended this had great footfall which was lovely to see,” says Michelle Batty, head of marketing at Jaama and a regular Smart Display client. “We support fleets of all shapes and sizes and had the opportunity to exhibit at some of my favourite trade shows, including The CV Show, RTX, and Fleet & Mobility Live. These events are a fantastic way to connect with our customers at scale, engage new audiences, and demonstrate the value of our software solution.”
Far beyond acting as a transactional platform for buying and selling, the focus at exhibitions this year has been to act as a wider networking hub, delivering education and inspiration for an ever-changing industry that requires more than basic product.
“I sat in on several seminars, and some of the speakers were genuinely insightful,” admits Michelle. “This was particularly evident around the role of technology and the future of AI in the industry, which sparked some great ideas and conversations. Looking ahead, we’ll be increasing the number of events we participate in and will also be hosting our own – to support this, we are recruiting a dedicated events marketing manager to join the team, which is an exciting next step for us.”
Fellow Smart Display exhibitor Westcotec agrees that 2025 has been a year of inspiration and engagement, with trade exhibitions playing a key role in bringing each industry together.
“As a company that thrives on innovation, trade shows are an invaluable opportunity to connect with global partners, explore emerging technologies, and showcase the evolution of our intelligent traffic safety solutions,” says Westcotec’s sales director Olly Samways. “Our goal for 2026 is to build on the international momentum we have gained over the past few years, and to demonstrate how our solutions are evolving to address safety, sustainability, and smart city integration. We are also keen to engage in conversations about how data and intelligent activation can transform road safety, not just in urban areas, but rural and remote locations too.”
As the industry turns its attention to 2026, Smart Display is ready to deliver more impactful and sustainable stand builds than ever before across the UK and the whole of Europe. If you have space booked at a trade exhibition, talk to us today about how we can revolutionise your brand presence for this year and beyond #wemakeevents
