Come Rain or Shine, The Show Must Go On!
Well, the Great British weather certainly tried its best to dampen the Show spirit, but you Event Industry folk know the drill: come rain or shine, the show must go on! (And really, what would a UK event be without a little rain?)
Despite a particularly soggy Wednesday, visitors turned out in force to discover new products and services, network with industry peers, gain valuable insights and explore everything on offer to help shape their events for 2027. Outdoor exhibitors created inviting areas for visitors to seek shelter and there were plenty of industry drinks parties in the afternoon to keep people warm, dry, fed and watered!
Liri Architecture Technology (Guangdong) Co., Ltd brought their stunning Orangery structure and modular systems were popular onsite, showing their versatility, beautifully displayed by bematrix, Showplace and Aluvision.
Stages and loos seemed to be in abundance this year, with everything from vast festival structures to smaller and more intimate provision. There really was something for everyone on site. Full production companies displayed their complete service packages, such as Serenityaudio, Extreme Effects and Stage Events Hire LTD.
HTS Creative and IPS built some truly impressive stages, making the most of the freedom that our outdoor space offers exhibitors. They went big with their builds, not just across the ground but upwards too, taking full advantage of the limitless height and creating some incredible structures!
Natural Green Creative Spaces provided the show with their beautiful floral decorations and created a comfortable and inviting area in the Workspace. They also brightened up the registration area with a living wall. Alongside Worldwide Structures Ltd, they exhibited their planting on their stand, and the roof could be viewed from across the showground, with their vast bay trees towering above the avenues.
Our new Workspace, a dedicated area on the showground for meetings, hot-desking and getting down to business, proved popular throughout the 2 days. We've had some fantastic feedback from exhibitors who took advantage of the quieter space to host impromptu client meetings, catch up on work and make the most of their time at the Show.
Thankfully, the sunshine made a welcome return on Thursday, bringing with it plenty of smiles, happy faces and a renewed buzz around the showground.
Knowledge, networking and industry inspiration
There was plenty happening beyond the exhibition floor, too, with a fantastic programme of industry activity adding even more value to the visitor experience.
The National Outdoor Event Association (NOEA) introduced its Training Day and brought its innovative SAG Live session to the Show. The Power of Events welcomed students on site for an engaging industry panel, while Event Industry News spent the day recording a series of podcasts featuring some of the industry's most respected names. Guests included Jack Saward (Saward Events), Bonnie May (Eat to the Beat), James Thomas (Qdos), Frankie Tee (EnTEEtainment), and our very own Johnny and Jeremy Lance.
We're looking forward to catching up on the conversations and sharing the podcasts with you in due course!
Bigger than ever
This year's Show also marked a significant milestone, with our custom-built exhibition hall measuring an impressive 95 metres in length, the largest in the Show's 42-year history.
Despite the additional space, the hall was fully booked by exhibiting companies by the end of June, underlining the continued appetite for face-to-face connections and opportunities within the events industry.
With more than 310 exhibitors taking part, including over 100 new companies from across the globe, visitors had an incredible breadth of products, services, innovations and inspiration to explore.
Putting sustainability centre stage
Sustainability remained firmly on the agenda, with Vision for Sustainable Events returning for the 10th edition of its Sustainable Event Summit on the first day of the Show.
The Summit launched its latest focus on Energy and the 30 Climate Actions for 2030, while also celebrating the success of its The Show Must Go On Report #3.
A highlight of the Summit was The Showman’s Show’s Green Supplier & Innovation Award, where finalists JCB, eGreen International and Lapee presented their sustainability credentials to delegates and panellists.
This year's winner was Lapee, recognised for its innovative and inclusive product, which helps reduce the need for transportation associated with traditional urinal facilities.
A fantastic example of the creativity and forward-thinking innovation helping to drive our industry towards a more sustainable future.
And that’s a wrap!
A huge thank you to everyone who exhibited, visited, supported and contributed to making this year's Show such a success. From the conversations and connections to the innovations, education and inspiration, it was wonderful to see our industry come together once again.
The weather may have tested us, but the spirit of the event industry certainly shone through.
We look forward to welcoming you back next year!
Exhibitor Testimonials
Rentman
I just wanted to say thank you for the smooth management of the show this year! It's always a great experience.
CES Power
I just wanted to drop a note to say a huge thank you to everyone at Showman’s for another brilliant event. Despite the slightly damp weather, it was a really good show again for our team. I know how much work goes into this from your side every year so just wanted to say thank you and let you know how great we thought it was. We had some new members of the team along this year who hadn’t been before and they couldn’t believe how busy it was and how many great people they met. We always look forward to it each year and it never disappoints!
Figure of 8
I just wanted to say a big thank you for all your help with this year’s show. We had a wonderful time and are already really looking forward to next year!
Smug Sauna
I just wanted to say a big thank you for your support over the last few days. We had a great time and met some brilliant new contacts
Appreciate everything you did for us.
See you again next year.