Why the NEC?

Our pivotal The Advanced Ceramics Show and co-located The Advanced Materials Show returns on the 9th & 10th of July 2025 and will take place at the UK’s number one venue, the NEC Birmingham. This unique, free-to-attend exhibition and conference is dedicated to the innovation, design and use of high-performance materials technology and is hosted in partnership with leaders from across the advanced materials and ceramics industries.

Based in one of the largest cities in the UK, the NEC Birmingham is positioned minutes away from major R&D and manufacturing centres for some of the country’s leading companies including Jaguar Land Rover, London Electric Vehicle Company (LEVC), Aston Martin, Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG) and the brand new Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC).

1. Located close to Coventry and Warwickshire which are major centres of R&D, manufacturing and test and development within the UK
   .
2. The NEC is located a five-minute walk away from Birmingham International Railway Station. Located bang (keep bang?) in the middle of the UK’s motorway network with over 120 National Express and Megabus coach services running daily.
   .
3. Their central location and easy connectivity by road, rail and air allows visitors from almost anywhere in the UK to make same-day return trips to attend the shows. If visitors wish to stay overnight, they can stay in one of the 2,195 on-site hotel rooms.
   .
4. The venue offers huge benefits to both exhibitors and visitors: 16,500 parking spaces onsite, convenient travel links, cash points, toilets, lost property facilities and disabled-access services; the NEC has you covered.
   .
5. The NEC is located only 10 minutes away by train from the bustling city of Birmingham. With fabulous theatres, galleries, museums, music, nightclubs and bars to visit and over 1,000 shops in the city centre alone, you’ll definitely find exciting activities to do. The city is also a foodie’s paradise, hosting a fantastic blend of places to eat and drink and the 2^nd highest amount of Michelin starred restaurants in England. There is also the option of exploring Warwick, with its wonderful medieval castle, arts centre and charming town centre only a 25-minute car journey away. Just beyond lies the world-famous Stratford-upon-Avon, with the RSC theatres and Shakespeare heritage sites.

A world-class exhibition centre, onsite parking and easily accessible, the NEC is set in the very heart of UK manufacturing and R&D.