| Next edition | 26–28 Feb 2027 · ExCeL London |
|---|---|
| Starting price | £3,950+ |
| Venue | ExCeL London |
| Next edition | 26–28 Feb 2027 |
| Sector | Automotive |
| Duration | 3 days |
| Quote turnaround | 48hr |
The London International Motor Show Stand Builders: ExCeL Logistics, the Car Buyer, and What Wins the Floor
The London International Motor Show returns to ExCeL London on 26–28 February 2027, bringing the automotive world back to the capital alongside Motorsport Expo and Car Culture UK. It gathers leading manufacturers, the latest hybrid and electric models, concept cars and mobility tech in front of thousands of enthusiasts, families and fleet buyers, with live demonstrations and test drives across three days.
The audience is consumers and enthusiasts choosing and dreaming about their next car, so the brief is display plus experience: present the vehicles so people can get close, sit in and compare them, tell the brand and technology story — increasingly the EV story — and give your team room to talk a serious buyer through a model. The vehicles are the heroes, and the stand is the setting that shows them at their best.
Because much of the floor is given over to actual cars, this is a physical, logistics-heavy build that rewards careful planning.
For an automotive brand that means a stand built to make the cars look their best and let people get close: walk around, sit in, and feel the brand — with room for your team to talk to a serious buyer. The exhibitors who win the floor design the display and the experience together.
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.
What a winning motor-show stand needs
The stand is a stage for the vehicles, so we design clean, well-lit space that lets visitors walk around, get close and sit in the cars, with sightlines that pull people in and clear brand and model storytelling. We design in a welcome or sales point that doesn't block the flow, screens or displays for the technology and EV story, and somewhere for your team to talk a buyer through a model — because plenty of genuine interest and intent is generated on the day.
Lighting and finish make or break a car display: a vehicle under flat light looks ordinary, so we light the cars properly and build the surrounding stand to a finish that matches the brand, because the setting tells visitors how to feel about the product.
Across three days the stand has to keep its shine: we plan cleaning, valeting access and turnaround so the cars and the stand look as sharp on the final afternoon as they did at opening.
Showing vehicles — the logistics that matter
Putting cars on a stand turns the build into a logistics exercise as much as a design one. We plan vehicle access, positioning, turntables or ramps if used, the floor protection and loading ExCeL requires, and the power each vehicle and display needs, all from the first drawing — and coordinate move-in so vehicles and stand come together cleanly during build-up rather than colliding on the day.
Because ExCeL runs tight build-up and access schedules, we book your space-only window, plan the vehicle move-in route and confirm power and rigging through the appointed contractors in good time, so a vehicle-heavy stand isn't held up during a busy build week.
We also plan where keys, charging and any running of vehicles are handled, because moving or starting a car on a busy consumer floor needs to be safe and controlled.
What a motor-show stand costs
A turnkey stand typically runs roughly £3,950–£12,500 for a compact custom build, £12,500–£28,000 for a mid-size build staging a vehicle or two with a display and meeting area, and £28,000 and up for a large multi-vehicle flagship. The quote is turnkey — design, build, graphics, flooring, lighting, delivery to ExCeL, install, dismantle and the venue paperwork are all included — and the vehicle staging, flooring, lighting and finish usually move the number.
Because the value is in how memorable and on-brand the display is, the spend that pays back is in lighting, finish and a setting that shows the cars beautifully — the things a consumer audience actually responds to.
Stand sizes and layouts
Stands range from compact spaces for accessory, aftermarket and service exhibitors up to very large pitches for manufacturers staging several vehicles. The layout balances open, walk-around vehicle display with the brand story and a space to talk to interested visitors, so we keep the cars where the aisle sees them and a calmer spot for the conversation. Open and corner positions help you catch a busy three-day consumer crowd.
Whatever the size, we light and present the vehicles well, because a car on a clean, well-lit stand looks like the aspirational purchase it is to a visitor comparing models across the hall.
Getting into ExCeL: build-up timing
A consumer show with vehicle move-in is a serious build, so ExCeL's schedule and services book up early. We confirm your space-only build-up window, plan vehicle access and floor loading, order power and rigging through ExCeL's contractors before the deadlines (late orders attract surcharges), and crate and stage to a schedule that lands the stand and vehicles ready before the doors open to the public.
We confirm vehicle dimensions, weights and access routes against ExCeL's specifications before anything is finalised, because a car that won't reach or fit the stand is a disaster on build day.
Reusing your stand between editions
Automotive brands exhibit across motor shows and events through the year, so a modular, reusable stand is excellent value. We store the core, refresh the graphics and vehicle staging for each event, and keep your access and services plan on file — so you can exhibit across the calendar with a consistent, current stand rather than rebuilding each time, scaling the vehicle count to the space.
Next step for your The London International Motor Show stand
Send us your space size, hall position and goals for The London International Motor Show. 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 automotive, motorsport & transport and beyond, all with the same in-house team, fixed all-in pricing and full venue paperwork.