Our comprehensive guide to exhibiting at HRC 2025
17-19 March, ExCel London
The Hotel, Restaurant and Catering event is the largest annual event in the sector in the UK with international reach. It is an incredible opportunity to reach suppliers, buyers, producers, distributors, catering and hospitality professionals across the supply chain. Held at the ExCel centre in London it certainly doesn’t lack space and offers stand space hire in a variety of sizes and spaces for small stands through to custom-built exhibition stands for product launches with wow factor.
The exhibition will be curated into key show sections so that exhibitors can choose to showcase their products and services in the section that best suits the nature of their business and will help visitors navigate their way around better.
The event will provide a valuable opportunity for visitors to sample new products, discover the latest customer trends and to make connections across the whole of the hotel, restaurant and catering sector, which is particularly important following the hiatus in this sector as a result of the global pandemic. The event stats also show that around 80% of visitors have purchasing power, which makes the event particularly valuable for exhibitors to showcase their products to industry buyers in person.
Exhibitors
Exhibitors range from across the hotel, restaurant, catering and pub industry and previous included: Hilton hotels & resorts, Greene King, Sodexo, NHS, Firmdale Hotels and Alexandra Palace, to name but a few.
Need a price for your HRC 2025 exhibition stand?
professionals from across the hotel, restaurant and catering sector
show sectors
of visitors have purchasing power
About ExCel London
Our opinion at Motive Exhibitions
We have years of experience in project managing exhibitors at ExCel and we know how to take advantage of all the benefits and how to avoid the pitfalls of this venue. Whether you are a large establishment wanting to make a statement or a smaller organisation wanting to stand out amongst a crowded and huge exhibition space, we have the experience and knowledge to help you make the most of this incredible venue.
We have built and dismantled stands for dozens of businesses who have chosen to exhibit at the ExCel.
Pros
- 100,000m2 of flexible space available with room to be as creative as you like
- It is easily accessible for visitors with good transport links and a 43 minute train journey from Heathrow airport for overseas visitors
- There are 19 hotels on site to suit every budget
- The ExCel centre is a famous exhibition site and one of the best known to national and international visitors
- Good access for bringing in equipment for the build and breakdown of exhibition stands
- Good onsite support if needed
- Waste removal services
- There is onsite parking for over 3,000 vehicles
Cons
- It is fairly expensive to book
- As with many venues, you need to book early to avoid disappointment
- There is lots of on-site parking but it isn’t free, which will increase your costs, especially with a large stand and lots of equipment
- As the space is so large, you need to double check access points to ensure you choose the correct point to bring in equipment or you could be in for quite a hike!
The first thing you need to do is to decide what you want to achieve and weigh this up against the cost of exhibiting. With floor space somewhere between £250m2 and an eye watering £1250m2, you really want to get this nailed.
The first question we’d ask you is, do you know who your customer actually is? Work out who you want to talk to and what you want from the show. Is it 50 great new leads? Or selling £20,000 pounds worth of widgets? Or meeting 10 people who place orders? Whatever it is, you must have a number, a way of measuring, a target. You might not hit it at the first show, but unless you know what you are aiming for you will never really know whether it was a success.
You will need to budget for the stand space and the exhibition stand itself. Sure, your team can take a cheap roller banner and some table clothes along with a few old bits of furniture that you’ve got in the office, but is that the lasting memory you’d like prospective customers to have? If you decide to exhibit and pay for space, it is important that you make the most of it as you will have a much better chance of hitting your targets and getting everything you want from exhibiting.
Every exhibition stand we create is completely bespoke and designed around your prospective customers. We work with you to create an inspiring and unique experience that will connect people with your brand. We optimise clever designs to create immersive experiences and spaces to meet and greet, which are tailored to your budget and needs.
Let us transform your ideas into an inspirational exhibition space!
How to write the perfect exhibition brief
When you decide to exhibit, you will need to make some key decisions before you start the process of designing your exhibition stand. We’ve worked with growing SMEs, specialist brands and household names who were all in the position you are now. In our article we share the details that make the difference between a good exhibition and a truly spectacular one. Download our guide to get all the information you’ll need to get your brief underway.
FAQs
Do you have any other clients exhibiting at The HRC?
Yes, we do.
We have several customers in the food service and hospitality sector who use us to design, build and project manage their stands at events throughout the UK.
We have been trusted by our clients to design and build their exhibition stands at the Casual Dining Show since 2021 at ExCel. We will be back with the same customers for HRC this year too.
We have expert knowledge of the location and an excellent understanding of the sector.
How much do exhibition stands cost?
Several factors will influence the cost of your exhibition stand:
- Size of the space you have booked
- Whether you anticipate your event to be a one-off exhibition or whether you need an exhibition stand you can reuse and reconfigure multiple times for different venues
- What do you want to achieve from exhibiting?
- We will collaborate with you to establish a plan and design and work with your budget
How can I stand out from my competitors at such a large venue?
It doesn’t matter how large the venue is nor do you need the biggest budget to make a splash at an event like the International Food & Drink show. We have years of experience in exhibitions and can help design an innovative stand that will attract visitors and help you connect with your customers. We know all the tricks of the trade that don’t cost the earth that will help visitors to remember your brand.
What types of exhibition stands are there?
There are lots of different types of exhibition stands including modular exhibition stands, shell scheme stands and pop-up displays.
Modular exhibition trade show stands
Either referenced as exhibitions or trade shows. A modular stand is an exhibition system comprising different blocks that can be reconfigured to fit different exhibition spaces, without compromising on the graphics.
Looking for an exhibition space without sides? You need an Island site – as the name suggests it has no sides and usually you can walk around every side.
Shell scheme exhibition stand
A shell scheme refers to the preassigned space that you are allocated by the exhibition organisers. This is a completely blank canvas ready for you to plan and create your exhibition space.
Can we hire our stand from you?
Of course!
If you need flexibility without overheads or storage issues, then hiring an exhibition stand is ideal. They are completely customisable, flexible, and adaptable. Hiring is a great option if you need to regularly change your graphics to suit the audience of another division or team within your company.
We can work with you to get a modular exhibition stand that makes an impact without starting a design and building from scratch every time.
We want to give you the best value for your money. We don’t believe buying furniture that will only be used for a few days of the year makes sense, which is why we offer a hire service. You can also hire: Flexible modular exhibition stand framework; video walls; light walls; TVs, iPads, interactive screens and dongles; lighting; flooring; games; shelving; fridges/chillers, freezers, grills; kitchen cabinets; and yes, a fully operational kitchen sink.
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Get in touch
If you are not sure which type of stand might be best for your needs, please get in touch and we will be happy to talk through all the options available to you.
Motive Exhibitions, 3 Orion Court, Ambuscade Road, Colmworth Business Park, Eaton Socon, St. Neots, PE19 8YX