Exhibiting at London ExCeL? Here's What You Need to Know
ExCeL London is one of the UK’s most prestigious exhibition venues, drawing exhibitors and visitors from across the globe. With more than 100,000 square metres of flexible event space and a calendar packed with major industry shows, it is a venue that offers enormous opportunity. It also demands proper preparation. Whether you are exhibiting at ExCeL for the first time or heading back and wanting to get more out of the experience, here is everything you need to know.
Getting there
ExCeL sits in the Royal Docks in east London and is well served by public transport. The Elizabeth line stops at Custom House for the west entrance and Woolwich for the south entrance, while the DLR also serves both Custom House and Prince Regent stations. If you are driving, on-site parking is available but fills up quickly at major shows, so booking in advance is strongly recommended. For team members travelling from outside London, the venue is also within reasonable distance of London City Airport, which is a genuinely useful option for those coming from further afield.
Understanding the venue layout
ExCeL is divided into two main interconnected halls, North and South, linked by an internal boulevard running through the centre of the venue. Depending on your show, you could be in either hall or across both, so study the floor plan early. Understanding where the main entrances are, where foot traffic flows, and where the high-visibility positions sit can make a real difference to how you plan your stand layout and positioning.
Ceiling heights throughout ExCeL are generous, which makes it one of the better UK venues for tall stand structures. If you have been considering going big with height, ExCeL is a venue that genuinely rewards it.
Read your exhibitor manual thoroughly
Every show at ExCeL produces its own exhibitor manual, and it is essential reading. It will cover your allocated build and breakdown times, stand regulations, health and safety requirements, badge collection details, and any venue-specific rules that apply to your show. Rules around stand height, rigging, electrical specifications, and aisle widths vary between shows, and ignoring the manual is one of the most common and costly mistakes exhibitors make.
Book your services early
Electrical supply, internet connectivity, rigging, water, and waste management all need to be ordered in advance through the show organiser or venue. These services are not automatically included and last-minute requests are frequently unavailable or significantly more expensive. Get your orders in as early as possible.
Logistics and loading
ExCeL operates a structured loading and unloading system across its loading bays, which are shared between multiple events running simultaneously. Knowing your allocated delivery window and confirming your vehicle access slot well in advance is critical. Arriving outside your window can mean long delays, which on a build day causes a knock-on effect for everything else
If you are working with a stand contractor, make sure they are fully briefed on your delivery schedule and have done this before. A contractor who knows ExCeL, knows the loading bay layout, and has established contacts on the ground will save you considerable stress on build day.
Health, safety, and access
During build-up and breakdown, ExCeL has strict PPE requirements. Appropriate footwear is mandatory at all times on the show floor during build, and hard hats are required in designated areas. Hi-visibility jackets are necessary if your team is working near loading areas. Emergency gangways must remain clear at all times. Everyone on site during build and breakdown must wear the correct badge or wristband, so make sure your team’s accreditation is sorted before they arrive.
Stand design and visibility
ExCeL draws serious footfall, but it also draws serious competition. The stands that perform well at ExCeL are not always the biggest ones. They are the most considered. Think about how your stand reads from a distance, how lighting creates presence and draws the eye, and how the flow of your space encourages visitors to stop rather than walk past. A well-lit, well-structured stand at the right height will outperform a cluttered, poorly lit stand of twice the size every time.
Arrive early on show day
Give yourself and your team time on the morning of day one to check everything is functioning, brief the team properly, tidy the stand, and deal with anything that needs a last-minute fix. The doors open faster than you expect, and being caught mid-conversation when the first visitors arrive is not the impression you want to make.
Exhibiting at ExCeL with Insideout Events
We have been designing and building exhibition stands since 2003, and ExCeL is a venue we know well. From initial concept through to build, breakdown, storage, and rebuilds for future shows, we manage the process end to end so you can focus on what matters most: the show itself.
If you have an event coming up at ExCeL London and want a stand built to perform, get in touch at insideout.events.