Your complete exhibitor guide to 100% Optical 2026
Make the most of your exhibition stand at 100% Optical 2026
28 February – 2 March 2026, ExCeL London
100% Optical is Europe’s fastest-growing optical event, showcasing the latest in eyewear, contact lenses, technology, and business. Attracting over 11,000 optical professionals, it’s where the global industry comes together to connect, network, and shape the future of the optical health and eyewear industry.
Happening from 28 February – 2 March 2026 at ExCeL London, over 250 exciting optical brands will be exhibiting under one roof. Offering the latest in lenswear, independent eyewear design, equipment, and a world-leading education programme, it’s the ideal opportunity to showcase your products and services.
With expert insights, industry debates, CPD-accredited training, and countless networking opportunities, 100% Optical is the perfect event to raise your profile, make new connections, and grow your business.
Need a price for your 100% Optical 2026 exhibition stand?
100% Optical attracts over 11,000 visitors from 54 countries, which makes it a fantastic opportunity to introduce your brand to decision-makers and buyers from every corner of the globe.
Our job is to make sure your brand gets right in front of your target audience. So whether you’re planning a large, immersive setup, or a budget-friendly compact display, the Motive team will work with you to design and build an unmissable exhibition stand that delivers results.
Exhibiting is a significant investment, so we want to make sure every penny works hard for your business. And it starts by getting clear on your goals. Are you looking to build brand awareness? Generate leads? Find decision-makers looking to buy? Clear objectives will make your event experience more focused, and much more effective.
Once your goals are set, you need to decide how you’ll measure success. Is it generating 50 strong leads? Or meeting 10 decision-makers ready to buy? Set specific targets to help you stay focused and make sure you can easily evaluate your ROI after the event.
Next, set a realistic budget. You need funds for both the floor space and the stand itself – including graphic displays, furniture, marketing materials, and technology. A great stand doesn’t have to be huge or expensive, but the design needs careful thought if you want to make a strong impression without overspending.
Live demos and interactive displays always draw the crowds, but power, equipment, and compliance need to be part of the plan. As experienced exhibition stand builders, we can help you get ahead on your logistical needs, and handle the organisation, paperwork and health & safety to make sure everything runs smoothly.
Finally, you need to put together an exhibition brief. A clear, detailed brief keeps your whole project on track, whether you’re working with us or going it alone. Don’t skip this step – thorough planning and design will save you money, effort and avoid many potential headaches.
We’ve helped plenty of small and medium brands, niche specialists, and big names who’ve all felt that same “Where-on-earth-do-I-start?” overwhelm. Check out our free guide to the perfect exhibition stand brief – it’s been a lifesaver for many of our customers.
100% Optical is a show we’ve done time and again with clients. It’s where the right people come to do business, from optometrists to practice owners.
If you’re launching something new or building your brand, it’s the place to be. Get the stand right and it’ll do the hard work for you. We’ve had clients closing deals before the show even finishes.”
Ed Marshall, Motive Exhibitions Managing Director
We’ve built a reputation for designing and building eye-catching stands that get exhibitors noticed.
Whether you need space for live product demos, hands-on displays, games, presentations, meetings, or a high-tech interactive setup – we know how to create a stand that showcases your brand at its best.
Each exhibition stand we build is custom-designed to highlight what makes your brand unique, and attract your ideal customers.
We’ll work with you to create a unique display that perfectly captures who you are, what you do, and tells a compelling story.
Make 100% Optical a success for your business with a Motive Exhibitions stand.
Exhibition stands we can build for 100% Optical 2026
ExCeL London is one of Europe’s premier exhibition spaces with many different options on their floorplan menu, so the sky’s the limit when it comes to creative design.
Here are our top exhibition stand options for 100% Optical:
A bespoke exhibition stand is one of the best ways to take advantage of ExCeL London’s expansive layout, and attract the crowds. Built from the ground up to match your brand and business goals, this custom option gives you complete access to the brilliant creative brains of our design and build team.
Whether you opt for a single or double-deck stand, bold graphics, interactive elements, or a sleek product showcase – we don’t do ordinary. Bespoke is the best choice for brands with big ideas and big goals.
A flexible, cost-effective solution, modular stands can be reconfigured for different events.
Made of interlocking components, they create a seamless, professional display without the price tag of a fully custom build.
We’ve designed a huge range of high-impact modular stands that have wowed ExCeL visitors over the years. They’re perfect for companies that aren’t quite ready to invest in a permanent stand or don’t have the space to store one between events.
Shell scheme exhibition stands are a fantastic budget-friendly option, especially for a premium venue like ExCeL London. They may be smaller, coming in sizes 3m x 3m to 6m x 3m or 8m x 3m, but they still offer plenty of room to get creative.
And just because they’re affordable doesn’t mean you have to skimp on design! With a clever approach, a shell scheme stand can be a highly adaptable, visually striking, lead-generating space.
Exhibition stand hire
If you’re not ready to commit to a permanent stand, our exhibition hire service is the perfect solution.
You can rent an entire modular stand or just specific pieces, or even mix and match custom-made elements with rented items.
Hiring is both cost-effective and sustainable – a great budget-friendly choice, especially if this is your first big show. Even more so if your brand has a strong sustainability message.
Can’t decide which stand to opt for?
Everything you need to know about exhibiting at the ExCel, London
ExCeL London has earned its reputation as one of the top exhibition centres in the world – not least because of its size. The venue can accommodate up to 70,000 visitors at once and welcomes over 4 million guests each year. We’ve worked at ExCeL for years, so we know how to make your stand work hard in a huge venue like this.
And it’s one of our favourite places to work, especially because it’s so accessible. From our office, just off the A1, we can reach the venue in about 90 minutes (which is ideal as we’re setting up stands there nearly every week!)
Part of a significant redevelopment project in London’s historic dock area, The ExCeL has a whopping 100,000m² of floor space divided into two massive event halls. There’s also a spacious outdoor area and a variety of conference suites. A little tip: the central walkway, known as ‘The Boulevard,’ stretches 600 meters down the centre of the venue, so make sure you pack your comfiest shoes!
ExCeL London boasts excellent transport links by road, rail, boat, and air – it’s just a short distance from London City Airport, has three Docklands Light Railway (DLR) stations, its own Elizabeth Line station, and plenty of bus stops. Central London is only 15 minutes away by public transport, plus there are 3,000 parking spaces available via the A13.
Plus, you’ll find hotels and restaurants for every budget right on ExCeL’s doorstep (quite literally; there are bars, restaurants, and hotels at the venue’s entrance and exit points!).
Top tip: pack hi-vis vests for your team; you’re not allowed into the venue on show setup days without one – you’ll get turned away if you try.
Pros of exhibiting at ExCeL London:
- A massive 100,000m² of flexible space gives you plenty of room (and height!) to get creative.
- The transport links are second to none among UK exhibition venues.
- You’ll find 19 hotels on-site or within a minute’s walk away.
- It’s a logistical dream, making it easy to bring in vehicles and equipment for both setup and breakdown.
- The extensive on-site support covers everything from catering to rigging and audiovisual equipment maintenance.
- There’s a great selection of restaurants, cafes, coffee shops, and bars on-site.
- The waste removal teams do a sterling job cleaning the venue and show floors after each show day.
- There’s ample parking for over 3,000 vehicles.
Cons of exhibiting at ExCeL London:
- It is expensive to book space (eye-wateringly so).
- Venue charges like rigging, internet connectivity, and logistics are also budget-breakers.
- On-site parking is £25 a day (make sure you factor this into your show budget).
- Food and drink at the venue are expensive (can you see the pattern emerging here?).
- Despite the cost, it’s a very popular venue and prime spaces go quickly. You have to be proactive and book early to avoid disappointment.
- As the space is so large, you need to double-check access points to ensure you choose the correct point to bring in equipment. Otherwise, you could be in for quite a hike!
Ultravision worked with the team at Motive Graphics for a stand to exhibit at the ExCeL centre.
One of the first things Dave said to me was “we will look after you” this was so true!
The stand design was beautiful, great price and the service from every member of their team was faultless, nothing was too much trouble for them.
I could not recommend them highly enough, look no further for your next project.
Thank you Dave and team.
Kelly Fenn, Ultravision, 100% Optical
Clients we work with
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FAQs
Do you have other clients exhibiting at 100% Optical?
Absolutely! 100% Optical is one of our regular events, and we team up with several clients each year for exhibition design, installation, and breakdown.Having multiple stands at one venue is a win-win for us and our clients. With a larger team on-site, we have extra tools and project managers ready to go.
How much do exhibition stands cost?
Here’s what to think about when budgeting for your exhibition stand:
- The size of the space you’ve booked.
- Whether this is a one-off exhibition or whether you need an exhibition stand you can reuse and reconfigure multiple times.
- What you want to achieve from exhibiting.
- Whether you’re hiring or buying.
We’ll work closely with you to come up with a plan and design that fits within your budget.
What makes a good trade show stand?
A good custom exhibition stand reflects your brand’s values and business objectives, while aligning with your goals for the specific event.
To make sure we all know what we’re working towards and are singing off the same hymn sheet, we need a detailed exhibition stand brief. We have a helpful briefing template which walks you through all the important steps.
Should I just hire a stand?
It really depends on what you’re looking to achieve! People often decide to hire a stand for a few reasons:
- They don’t have a place to store a stand.
- They want to experiment with new ideas and concepts.
- They’re new to exhibiting and want to give it a try.
- They don’t exhibit often enough to justify buying their own stand.
- Different teams within a company frequently exhibit and need to change the graphics often.
- They are looking for more sustainable ways to exhibit and mirror their businesses’ pledge to reduce their carbon footprint.
As a general rule, if you plan to exhibit more than three times a year, it’s usually more cost-effective to invest in your own stand.
Motive Exhibitions, 3 Orion Court, Ambuscade Road, Colmworth Business Park, Eaton Socon, St. Neots, PE19 8YX
