Exhibiting at UK Construction Week, Birmingham NEC 2025
Make the most out of your exhibition stand at UKCW, Birmingham NEC
30 Sept – 2 Oct 2025, NEC, Birmingham
UK Construction Week (or UKCW) Birmingham promises to be the UK’s largest trade event for the built environment. As experienced exhibition stand pros, we want to maximise your impact at this exciting event.
The 2025 show runs from 30 Sept-2 Oct at Birmingham NEC. With over 300 exhibitors expected, this is your opportunity to showcase your products and services to a highly engaged audience.
To help you get the most out of this fantastic exhibition, we’ve put all our insider knowledge on one page.
Read on for everything you need to know to make your exhibition stand a success.
Need a price for your UKCW 2025 exhibition stand?
UK Construction Week Birmingham is where the entire construction industry comes together.
Over three action-packed days, 20,000+ professionals – including architects, developers, contractors, government decision-makers, and suppliers – connect, collaborate, and discover the latest industry innovations.
The event covers a range of specialist sections, including Build X, Infrastructure Live, Digital Construction, Roofing, Cladding & Insulation, and Onsite On Hire. UKCW attracts big-name brands like B&Q, EDF, Berkeley Group, Balfour Beatty, Highways England, NHS, and Tesco.
The NEC Birmingham offers plenty of space for all kinds of stands, from shell schemes to island and space-only setups. Whether you’re planning a compact setup or a large-scale display more immersive, you’ll have room to create a stand that really gets you noticed.
Let’s get your products and services in front of some serious buyers.
Before you commit to exhibiting, get clear on your plans. The NEC Birmingham is a major investment, so every penny needs to deliver results. Are you looking to build brand awareness? Generate leads? Meet decision-makers ready to place orders? Defined goals will make your exhibition experience much more effective.
Next, budget wisely. You need a stand that’s distinctive enough to attract the right visitors while leaving room in the budget for content – like engaging displays, furniture, marketing materials and technology.
Live demos and interactive displays draw crowds, but power, equipment, and compliance all need to be sorted in advance. To get ahead on your logistical needs, partner with experienced exhibition stand builders like us. We can handle the organisation, paperwork and health & safety to make sure everything runs smoothly.
Once you’ve worked out your goals, how are you going to measure success? Are you aiming for 50 solid leads? Do you want 10 buyers ready to commit on the spot? Specific targets keep your team focused and help you track your exhibition ROI.
Finally, create a detailed exhibition brief. Don’t skip this step – because whether you’re going it alone or working with a stand-building partner like us, thorough planning and design will save you money, effort and avoid many potential headaches.
If you want help to bring your ideas to life, our expert team has all the advice you need. Our handy briefing guide walks you through every step; so download your free copy below.
Get UKCW off to the best possible start with the perfect stand brief.
With 14% of visitors having a £1M+ of purchasing power, you want to put your product centre stage and make the buying process as smooth as possible. We’ve seen clients secure lucrative deals before the show has even ended.
“Our advice? Don’t skimp on your stand planning. If you want to showcase your products properly – best done with live demos – make sure you have the power and water resources to bring your creative vision to life. We handle these logistics on behalf of our clients, and it’s one of the things they most appreciate.
David Hennessy, Motive Exhibitions Managing Director
We’ve taken multiple brands to UKCW in the last few years. So, we understand how important it is for companies in this sector to have an exhibition stand which a) captures their brand identity and b) targets a specific audience.
With years of experience, we know that no two businesses are the same. That’s why our exhibition stands are fully customised for your brand, audience, and goals.
We don’t do one-size-fits-all, and we know what’s worked at past shows, so with our help, you will definitely stand out from the crowd. Each exhibition stand we build is designed to attract your ideal customers and partners.
And yours will be, too!
Showcase your brand values with a highly tailored Motive Exhibitions stand.
Exhibition stands we can build at UKCW, NEC, Birmingham
The NEC’s versatile space gives you a wide range of exhibition stand options.
Here are our top stand options:
Built from the ground up to match your brand and business goals, bespoke stands give you complete creative freedom.
Whether you opt for a single or double-deck stand, bold graphics, interactive elements, or a sleek product showcase, this option ensures you make a lasting impression.
A flexible, cost-effective solution, modular stands can be reconfigured for different events.
Made up of interlocking components, they create a seamless, professional display without the price tag of a fully custom build. Ideal for venues like the NEC, where space comes at a premium.
Shell scheme exhibition stands are a budget-friendly option, and come in a range of sizes from 3m x 3m to 6m x 3m or 8m x 3m, often as part of all-inclusive packages.
These stands may be smaller, but they still offer plenty of room to get creative. With the right design, a shell scheme can be just as effective as a larger setup.
Ideal for those new to exhibiting or testing the waters at UKCW Birmingham, shell schemes include flooring, lighting, and power (500 watts). You can also ask to remove the fascia board to help make the space feel more open. The larger the stand, the more you can add, such as product displays or video walls.
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.
Can’t decide which stand to opt for?
Everything you need to know about exhibiting at NEC, Birmingham
Having built and dismantled multiple client stands at the NEC, we know exactly what works best for this venue.
The NEC is one of the UK’s busiest exhibition venues, and exhibitors will be vying for attention at UKCW. Your stand location is key – pitches near networking and presentation areas get the most visibility but also come at a cost.
Our top tip is to book floor space at the front of the halls (but not directly in front of the doors – visitors tend to rush by without stopping).
Looking to exhibit at UKCW London? Get the lowdown here.
Pros of exhibiting at the NEC:
- Central UK location, making it easy to get to.
- All stands are on the main show floor, ideal for networking and increasing visibility.
- Attracts a large audience of potential customers.
- Can accommodate a variety of stand sizes, from large custom builds to smaller, flexible shell-scheme.
- Ideal venue for demos, with plenty of room for trailers and large displays.
- Free parking for exhibitors and contractors during setup and teardown.
- Complimentary shuttle buses between the car parks and exhibition halls.
- Free visitor Wi-Fi.
- A wide range of hotels nearby to suit all budgets.
Cons of exhibiting at the NEC:
- Floor space can be expensive.
- The venue’s food and drink are priced at a premium.
- The traffic management system can be a hassle.
- It’s a popular venue, so you need to book early – especially for large or custom stands.
- There’s no on-site storage, so you’ll need to arrange separate storage for packing cases, equipment, etc.
- The venue doesn’t provide logistics equipment (trolleys, pump trucks, etc.). However, if you work with us, the project costs will cover all of this!
- Smaller stands can sometimes be overlooked in such a vast space. But don’t worry, with smart design and the right partner, you can still make a big impact.
Motive was a brilliant company to work with. They were so accommodating (especially given our extremely tight deadline) and came up with some great concepts that suited our budget.
From initial conversations with David, through the design stages with Ed, right through to the set-up and build at our event , Motive was a super team to work with. They took away so much of the stress and hassle that events can sometimes bring.
We definitely recommend them!”
Mixergy
Clients we work with
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FAQs
Do you have other clients exhibiting at UKCW?
We do indeed. 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 on hand at all times.
We regularly work with businesses who want to connect with construction brands and engage with buyers. They often want us to manage everything – stand design, installation, breakdown and transportation – so they can focus on networking and achieving their event goals.
How much does an exhibition stand cost?
How much your exhibition stand costs can depend on multiple factors:
- Size of your space: How much room do you have to work with?
- One-off or reusable: Are you looking for something just for this event, or do you want a stand you can adapt for different venues?
- Your goals: What are you hoping to achieve by exhibiting?
We’ll work closely with you to come up with plans and designs that fit your both budget and your goals.
What makes a good trade show stand?
Interesting, eye-catching, and targeted at your specific audience. A standout exhibition stand reflects your brand’s values, and is designed to help you achieve your goals for the event. We help brands get a great return on their investment by working with them to clarify their vision – and it all starts with a detailed exhibition stand brief.
Should I hire a stand or buy one?
It really depends on what you’re aiming for. Here’s why hiring might be the right choice for you:
- You’re new to exhibiting and want to test things out.
- Your teams exhibit regularly and need to frequently update the stand’s graphics.
- You want to experiment with new ideas and concepts.
- You’re looking for a more sustainable exhibiting solution than a permanent stand.
- You don’t have space to store a stand.
- You don’t exhibit enough to justify the cost of owning a stand.
If you’re planning to exhibit more than three times a year, owning a stand is likely to be the most cost-effective option.
Can I put large products and machinery on my UK Construction Week exhibition stand?
Yes – just bear in mind that it can be a real logistical challenge to bring large products and machinery to an exhibition stand – for both exhibitors and stand builders.
If large products are in your plan, it’s really important to work with experienced exhibition stand builders. They have the expertise and experience to handle the logistics, health and safety, and necessary event paperwork to ensure everything runs smoothly.
However, there are other creative ways to showcase complex products and services in an engaging way. We can talk you through the possibilities of how to have an eye-catching stand that gives your sales team all the tools needed to develop prospective customer relationships without the logistics of incorporating large products and machinery.
Can you help transport our supplies to NEC, Birmingham?
Yes! We know that carrying brochures, iPads, and products can be a hassle – especially if you’re using public transport.
When you work with us, just send your items ahead of time, and we’ll take care of everything. We’ll bring them to the exhibition hall and set them up with your stand, so you only need to bring the essentials!
Motive Exhibitions, 3 Orion Court, Ambuscade Road, Colmworth Business Park, Eaton Socon, St. Neots, PE19 8YX
