| Next edition | 3–4 Mar 2027 · ExCeL London |
|---|---|
| Starting price | £3,950+ |
| Venue | ExCeL London |
| Visitors | 7,000+ |
| Exhibitors | 300+ |
| Duration | 2 days |
| Quote turnaround | 48hr |
International Confex Stand Builders: ExCeL Logistics, an Expert Audience, and What Wins Event Buyers
International Confex is the UK's leading trade show for the events industry, held at ExCeL each spring and running for more than 40 years. It brings together around 7,000 event professionals with 300-plus exhibitors — venues, AV and production companies, event-tech and suppliers — across two intensive days.
There is a twist that changes the brief: your visitors design and build events for a living. They read a stand's construction, lighting and finish instantly, because it is literally their job. So at Confex your stand is your portfolio — it has to demonstrate your own production values while giving you space to talk to buyers who know exactly what good looks like.
For an exhibitor that means the stand has to earn credibility at a glance and then convert it in conversation. The planners and agencies you most want are building supplier shortlists as they walk the floor, and a stand that looks the part is what gets you onto the list.
Building at ExCeL London: the rules that shape your stand
ExCeL is a pillar-free hall with around 10m of clear internal height, but your stand does not get all of it. For space-only stands the working height limit at most ExCeL shows is 6m, and anything ExCeL classes as a complex structure — double-deckers, heavy suspended elements, long unsupported spans — triggers a formal sign-off you need to budget time for, not just money.
Complex designs must be submitted with engineering calculations applying a minimum factor of safety of 1.5. An independent structural engineer reviews the drawings and, if satisfied, issues a Certificate of Structural Adequacy at design stage, which releases your Certificate to Build; the same engineer inspects the stand on site during build-up before you can open. Miss a calculation or submit late and you do not build.
Overhead rigging is controlled tightly: all primary rigging to the ceiling is installed exclusively by ExCeL's own team, ordered through ExCeL's webshop and confirmed around 28 days before tenancy for the advance rate. Lightweight static items hang from drop wires up to 50kg; heavier loads are separate, costlier orders.
The smaller rules catch people out too: platforms above 170mm need ramped, accessible access; solid walls along an open gangway edge are generally not allowed; only water-based paint may be used on site; and every structure must be fully self-supporting. We design to all of this from the first sketch and submit the venue paperwork, so the build you approve is the build that opens.
Your stand is your portfolio here
At most shows you can get away with a competent stand; at Confex you can't, because the audience builds stands and stages for a living. Finish, lighting, cable management and the small details carry real weight, and a stand that looks thrown together quietly tells event buyers how you'd run their event. We build to a standard that stands up to that scrutiny — clean lines, considered lighting and a level of detailing that reads as ‘these people know what they're doing’.
If you are a venue or production supplier, the stand is also a live demo of what you sell. We can build in the lighting states, screens or staging that show your capability in use, rather than just describing it on a graphic.
It also helps to leave event buyers with a tangible next step — a reason to remember your stand among three hundred and a clear way to picture working with you. We design that into the layout and messaging, so a good two-minute conversation has somewhere to go rather than ending at the edge of the aisle.
Designing for two short, intense days
Confex is two days, so there is no slow build of footfall — the conversations have to happen fast and well. We design an open, welcoming front that makes it easy to start a conversation, clear messaging about who you serve, and a comfortable spot to take a promising lead into a proper discussion. Lead capture is built into the flow so two busy days don't end in a pile of unsorted cards.
We also design the stand so a small team can work it well: a clear point to greet and qualify, a natural handover into a seated conversation, and signage that does some of the qualifying for you, so your people spend two days on the right visitors.
What an International Confex stand costs
A turnkey Confex stand typically runs roughly £3,950–£12,500 for an enhanced shell scheme or compact custom build, £12,500–£28,000 for a mid-size custom build with bespoke design, lighting and AV, and £28,000 and up for a flagship build. Given the audience, lighting and finish quality are usually worth prioritising over raw size.
The quote is turnkey — design, build, lighting, AV mounting, graphics, delivery to ExCeL, install, dismantle and the rigging and electrical paperwork are all included. What moves it is the lighting and AV specification and the amount of bespoke joinery, which at this show are usually worth the spend.
Stand sizes and layouts at Confex
Stand sizes run from compact spaces for first-time suppliers up to large builds for major venues and groups. The layout balances visibility with the quality of conversation: an open island pulls planners in, while a defined meeting area protects the longer discussions that lead to bookings. We recommend a size and layout based on your hall position and how much of your selling happens in seated conversation.
Open sides matter for a two-day show because they multiply the aisles your stand is seen from. Where your space allows, we orient the most eye-catching element and the entry point to the busiest routes rather than treating every edge the same.
If you exhibit as a venue group or a portfolio of brands, we design the stand so each can be recognised and approached without the whole thing reading as a maze: distinct zones under one coherent identity, a single clear welcome point, and signage that tells a planner who they're talking to. That clarity matters most on a busy two-day floor where a confused visitor simply moves on to the next stand rather than working out who you are.
Getting into ExCeL: build-up timing
Confex sits in the busy spring run at ExCeL, so material-handling, rigging and the electrical contractor book up early and late orders attract surcharges. We confirm your space-only build-up window, order rigging at the advance rate (around 28 days out), coordinate power with the appointed contractor, and crate to a schedule that lands your stand inside its slot.
Because Confex returns to ExCeL each year, we keep your build-up plan and contractor orders on file, so each edition is quicker to schedule and less exposed to last-minute surcharges.
Reusing your Confex stand
Confex is an annual fixture for most suppliers, so a reusable, modular stand makes sense. We store the core between editions and refresh the graphics and lighting for each year, keeping cost down and the stand current — and because the audience notices wear, we specify finishes that still look sharp on a second and third outing.
We keep your build specification, lighting plan and contractor orders on file, so a returning stand is faster to brief and cheaper to mount, and you can evolve the look year to year rather than starting from a blank sheet.
Next step for your International Confex stand
Send us your space size, hall position and goals for International Confex. You'll get a custom 3D concept and a fixed, all-inclusive quote within 48 hours — designed to ExCeL's rules, with structural sign-off built into the timeline if your design needs it. We build in-house and install at ExCeL London, so the stand you approve in the rendering is the stand that opens.
We also design and build exhibition stands for other major UK shows — see the full show calendar for events, meetings & business and beyond, all with the same in-house team, fixed all-in pricing and full venue paperwork.