Exhibition Centres

London's Top Exhibition Centres

London is one of the largest and wealthiest cities in the world. Fantastic transport links to Britain and Europe, luxurious hotels, wonderful nightlife, and the capital’s status as a centre of international business combine to make it the ideal conference venue. All preferences and budgets are catered for, intimate meeting rooms contrasting with impressive modern spaces. See below for our guide to the top venues in the capital.

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Alexandra Palace

Alexandra Palace Way, Wood Green, London, N22 7AY
After a shaky start - destroyed by fire 16 days after 'The People's Palace' first opened in 1873 - Alexandra Palace re-opened again two years later becoming the place from where the BBC beamed its first broadcast in 1935. The palace title maybe a little misleading - it's charm being more shabby chic than regal. Still, it's a great venue for the regular rock concerts, raves and exhibitions staged, with two massive indoor spaces. And, perched above the city, it boasts beautiful surroundings and wonderful views over London. From the first warm days of spring until the annual fireworks display in November, outside is the place to appreciate Ally Pally taking in the nearby boating lake, children's playground and parkland. A London institution.

Current events at Alexandra Palace

I'll Be Your Mirror 2012 event Friday 25th May until Sunday 27th May
TIMES 25th May 2012 at 4pm & 26th May and 27th May 2012 at 12noon PRICING Fri £39, Sat/Sun £59, weekend ticket £130
All Tomorrow's Parties presents a three-day alt music festival featuring Slayer, Sleep, Melvins and Yob on Friday, Mogwai, Mudhoney, Dirty Three and ... More about this event

David Guetta, Nervo, Nicky Romero event Friday 1st June until Saturday 2nd June
TIMES Friday 1st June and Saturday 2nd June 2012 - 9pm PRICING adv £36.50
The renowned Parisian DJ and producer spins live house, mixed with upfront electronic dance, R&B, hip hop and electropop.... More about this event

The Maccabees event Friday 8th June
TIMES Friday 8th June 2012 - 7pm PRICING phone for times
Twinkling guitar riffs from the Brighton-based indie-pop five-piece.... More about this event

All events at Alexandra Palace

Barbican Centre

Silk Street, EC2Y 8DS
Described by the Queen as 'one of the wonders of the modern world' , the Barbican Centre has also been voted 'London's ugliest building'. Ugly or not, this multi-faceted performance and arts venue is truly wondrous. Open 363 days a year, it offers the most diverse program of any London venue. As well as being home to the London Symphony Orchestra, the centre's giant Barbican Hall attracts a host of international classical, jazz, rock, and world music stars. Two theatres offer a year-round program of some of the finest in international performing arts, while three cinemas mix mainstream films with specialist seasons. The Barbican Art Gallery, several smaller exhibition spaces, shops, cafes, restaurants, bars, live music in the foyer, and a host of talks, signings, and events for children are also on offer. The building itself is a labyrinth and finding your route from the station or car park is an adventure in itself. Staircases twist around each other, directing lost patrons into mysteriously empty mezzanines, where odd snatches of music are the only guide back to the main lobby. The joy of coming across exhibitions, live music, or talks from a major arts celebrity in some odd corner of the building is a unique feature of this remarkable concentration of artistic talent.

Current events at Barbican Centre

Dark Shadows event running until Thursday 24th May 2012
TIMES 20th May & 21st May and 23rd May & 24th May 2012 - Various Times PRICING £9.50 & £10.50, under 15s £6.50, concs £8.50, mems £7.50 & £8.50, family film club £5
Barnabas Collins re-awakens 200 years after a witch called Angelique cursed him to walk the earth as a vampire. While Barnabas acclimatises to the gro... More about this event

Dark Shadows (Subtitled) event running until Thursday 24th May 2012
TIMES Tuesday 22nd May 2012 - 6pm PRICING £9.50 & £10.50, under 15s £6.50, concs £8.50, mems £7.50 & £8.50, family film club £5
Barnabas Collins re-awakens almost 200 years after a witch called Angelique cursed him to walk the earth as a vampire. While Barnabas acclimatises to ... More about this event

Up 3D event running until Thursday 24th May 2012
TIMES Sat mat 11.00 PRICING £9.50 & £10.50, under 15s £6.50, concs £8.50, mems £7.50 & £8.50, family film club £5
Animated comedy from Pixar about a grouchy old man who uses helium balloons to turn his house into a flying machine. Finally able to fulfil his lifelo... More about this event

Song Dong: Waste Not event running until Tuesday 12th June 2012
TIMES 15th February 2012 to 12th June 2012 - Various Times PRICING Free
An installation of more than 10,000 items collected by the artist's mother over a period of 50 years, inspired by childhood memories of China's cult... More about this event

All events at Barbican Centre

Business Design Centre

52 Upper Street, London, N1 0QH
Exhibitors love this venue and it's easy to see why. The Business Design Centre in Islington is in a great location just one mile from The City and two from The West End. It also perfectly combines architectural beauty with modern facilities, offering a huge space to host the most stylish of events. One of its best features is the natural light that pours through the high barrel-vaulted roof of the Mezzanine. The ground level, Gallery Hall and Conference Centre combine to offer 6,000 square metres of flexible space in total and room enough to seat up to 1,500 visitors.

More info: Business Design Centre Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube

Central Hall Westminster

Storey's Gate, SW1H 9NH
Combining its dual functions as an event / conference venue and a Methodist church, the imposing Central Hall Westminster also offers visitors (curious about exploring the inside of this Edwardian structure) free admission and free guided tours daily from 9.30am to 5pm. Of the 30 meeting rooms, the largest holds 2,160. While refurbished to meet the needs of a modern functions host, the venue still has a strong period feel to it and has featured in a number of films, including 'Calendar Girls' and 'Jekyll and Hyde'. Gandhi, Churchill and the Price of Wales have all spoken here. The hall also played host to the first General Assembly of the United Nations in 1946.

More info: Central Hall Westminster Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube

Earls Court Exhibition Centre

Warwick Road, London, SW5 9TA
The Earl's Court and Olympia exhibition centres are the most popular in London for major public exhibitions. Located down the road from fashionable Kensington, this venue is as familiar to shoppers as it is to companies, and was selected as one of Britain's 'Superbrands', alongside Shell, Samsung, and Rolls-Royce. The centre has its own conference rooms, hotels, bars and a huge range of additional facilities. Events here are always well catered and set up for wireless internet use.

Current events at Earls Court Exhibition Centre

Mind Body Spirit Festival event Wednesday 30th May until Monday 4th June PRICING £10, adv £8
Mind Body Spirit 2011 is the essential show for anyone seeking the tools or methods to change and empower the... More about this event

London Rollergirls June event Saturday 9th June
TIMES Saturday 9th June 2012 - 5pm-9.30pm PRICING phone for prices
... More about this event

PINTA: The Modern & Contemporary Latin American Art Show event Thursday 7th June until Sunday 10th June
TIMES 7th Jun to 10th Jun 2012 - Various Times PRICING phone for prices
Exhibitions of works by artists from the region, Spain and Portugal, including Matilde Perez, with a programme of lectures and debates.... More about this event

All events at Earls Court Exhibition Centre

ExCel London Exhibition Centre

Royal Victoria Dock, London, E16 1XL
A stunning architectural achievement, gigantic amounts of floor space accompanied by shops, bars and hotels, London's purpose built exhibition centre, opened in 2000, is an exciting venue in the city. The range of flexible, high-spec rooms is second to none, as is their customer support service. Though not as close as other venues to the major airports and central London, it's very close to City Airport and the presence of a DLR stop inside the centre means it remains convenient for public transport.

Current events at ExCel London Exhibition Centre

Anthony Robbins: Unleash The Power Within event running until Monday 21st May 2012
TIMES From 12pm each day PRICING £595 per person
Anthony Robbins, the six foot seven leadership zeitgeist,... More about this event

London International Wine Fair event Tuesday 22nd May until Thursday 24th May
TIMES 9.30am-6pm (Thurs till 5pm) PRICING Free
A unique trade-only event, More about this event

Unleash The Power Within: Anthony Robbins event running until Monday 21st May 2012
TIMES Sunday 20th May 2012 at 9am-11pm & Monday 21st May 2012 at 9.30am-7pm PRICING phone for prices
Life coach Tony Robbins shows how control of your life.... More about this event

London MCM Expo: Comic Con event Friday 25th May until Sunday 27th May
TIMES 25th May 2012 at 2pm-7pm, 26th May 2012 at 9am-6pm & 27th May 2012 at 10am-5pm PRICING £10, child £5 (ages 11-14), under 10s Free, early entry day ticket £16, weekend ticket £29, under 10s must be accompanied by a paying adult
A convention for comic, anime, manga and video games fans, including a dedicated games zone area plus book launches and special guest signings.... More about this event

Seni: The International Combat Sports Show event Saturday 2nd June until Sunday 3rd June
TIMES Saturday 2nd June and Sunday 3rd June 2012 - 9am-6pm PRICING phone for prices
Interactive entertainment zones featuring combat and strength sports such as fencing, boxing, arm wrestling and MMA, with tournaments, open mat sessio... More about this event

All events at ExCel London Exhibition Centre

Royal Horticultural Halls and Conference Centre

Greycoat Street, SW1P 2PE
This architecturally unique venue boasts two halls and a conference centre. Lindley Hall, overlooking leafy Vincent Square, is a popular venue for corporate events. Since it re-launched in 2001 it has been the location for Paul Smith's fashion shows and Decanter Wine Awards. Originally built in 1904, this classical Edwardian structure has state-of-the art contemporary facilities including fully integrated sound system. Next door, Lawrence Hall has gorgeous high vaulted ceilings. This Art Deco style multi-purpose hall has become well established for hosting niche market trade shows such as antiques shows, wine fairs and classic car auctions. When combined with the Conference Centre - which can house any number from two to 200 people - it has proved a successful choice for exhibition organisers looking for up to 1,800m² of stunning space.

More info: Royal Horticultural Halls and Conference Centre Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube

Olympia

Olympia Exhibition Centre, Hammersmith Road, W148UX
The Olympia Exhibition Centre is the most popular in London for major public exhibitions. Located down the road from fashionable Kensington, this venue is as familiar to shoppers as it is to companies, and was selected as one of Britain's 'Superbrands', alongside Shell, Samsung, and Rolls Royce. The facilities here are first rate and the in-house technical and support staff are the most experienced in Britain. They can cope with just about any request.

Current events at Olympia

The 55th London International Antiquarian Book Fair Olympia event Thursday 24th May until Saturday 26th May
TIMES 24th May 2012 at 3pm-8.30pm, 25th May 2012 at 11am-7pm & 26th May 2012 at 11am-5.30pm PRICING phone for prices
... More about this event

Olympia International Fine Art & Antiques Fair event Thursday 7th June until Sunday 17th June
TIMES 7th June 2012 to 17th June 2012 - Various Times PRICING phone for prices
Over 150 dealers from Britain and abroad showcase their collections of antiques, jewellery, paintings, ceramics and contemporary designs.... More about this event

All events at Olympia