National Exhibition Centre

Went to the Gadget Show at the NEC as I managed to get free tickets for entry to the exhibition by applying online via latestfreestuff Facebook page.
I don’t actually watch the show but for those that know me I do like gadgets like cameras and iPhone attachments! But as I had only got back from Hong Kong the day before I was rather jet lagged! I just wanted to walk round and look … Plus seek out any freebies!!!
I did manage to get freebies (see photo) plus free massage. I bought some heat neck n shoulder pads to ease tension and pain etc. They let you try them out before buying and I managed to get more discount on two as I said I could do with two but only buy one, so he knocked off more money!
Food wise, the popular stalls like the hotdog, pork baps etc had long queues so I went for the shortest one which was like the health food style food! It was okay but I would preferred a hotdog! Lol they need a proper food court so people can sit down!!!

This is one huge exhibition centre. Adjoining the Birmingham international airport and train station for easy access via public transport and plenty of places to park. Catering facilities inside the halls and also at the beginning where it joins the train station
The size of this place rivals some airport terminals in terms of never ending walks from one end to the other which was whee the science fair I was going to was being held. Even had a long set of travelators to help with the long connecting corridors
Equipped to host anything of any size

I’ve had a great day out at the NEC with my brother at the Photography Show. It’s our second time there and we love to geek out.
Problem with this venue is it’s great for trade events but would not recommend for gigs or live music… years ago I saw Jamerquire who I thought was great but you lose the atmosphere at the back, I much prefer smaller venues for music.
Other thing is it’s so expensive! Food vendors are either crap or chain stores so not great for food.
I did enjoy the photography show and I think that’s what this place is good for.

So however much this is a good venue on the whole it also suffers from poor organisation and being a bit too big for its own good. There are a lot of car parks and getting to each of the venues is always a bit difficult from each car part, if the show you are going to is popular then go early and hope to be able to get on one of the shuttle buses (then need bigger shuttle buses because they are to small often for the number of visitors).
Luckily for me I went to the BBC Good Food Show, so I did not need to buy food this visit from one of the onsite vendors, but I have had to in the past and it feels very much like you are paying above what I like to call airport prices for food that would cost you half as much on the street.
If you are going to the shows to buy something I strongly suggest taking cash with you as all the onsite cash machines charge which feels a bit cheeky really. Also take comfortable shoes you will be walking around a lot.

Das NEC liegt zentral nahe des Flughafens Birmingham. Über einen Skytrain und ein paar hundert Meter lange Hallen kann man hier trocken, was in Engand sowohl wichtig, als auch nicht selbstverständlich ist, hin gelangen. Das NEC selber soll bereits soviele Besucher, wie die Insel Einwohner gehabt haben hat (oder so ähnlich). Naja, man muss eben auch nicht alle Fakten wissen. Letztlich ist das NEC ein kleineres Messegelände wo eine Halle mal locker die Nummer dreier Messehallen hat — so streckt man den Auftritt. Innen in den Hallen ist dann alles normal, Die Gastronomie ist einheitlich subcontractet an Costa, das bedeutet meist Convenience Food auf dem erwartet britischen Niveau. Also nicht dolle, aber im NEC ist auch ein Starbuck´s. Drinnen wurde es mir manchmal etwas stickig. Da ich hier nur ein Tag Messe verbringen durfte war es O.K., mehr wäre lästig geworden.

It’s quite hard to review the NEC as it is so many things. The place is giant! I’ve been to many gigs and events here over the years but hadnt realised the scope of the place until it took me 20 minutes to get from the train station to the Good Food Show recently!
There are many halls with giant lengthy walkways and esculators between each one. There are lots of chains like Wetherspoons just in case you start to starve on your walk.
The halls themselves are massive and souless. I suppose this is so the different events can put their stamp on it. There is a really great range of events throughout the year, something for everyone! When I was at the Good Food Show there was also a motorbike show on. The Clothes Show was also there recently.
Easy to get to by car or public transport though I would not recommend driving as I hear the car park can be a nightmare.

Aah the NEC… Once Britain’s finest exhibition venue, an 80’s symbol of national pride.
Sadly it feels like this place is stuck in 1985. It could do with a flying DeLorean to fast forward to 2015 and London’s Excel to see how it should be done.
The NEC is well connected, having its own train station, but it is in the middle of nowhere and if you’re driving you end up having to park really far away and either walking forever or taking a shuttle bus.
Inside the layout doesn’t work so well. There are a few dodgy food places outside the exhibition halls but definitely not enough of them. The food on offer isn’t exactly great either.
And the whole place feels a bit run down. It hasn’t been redecorated since Margaret Thatcher was in power and Jimmy Saville was advertising the age of the train. We’ve moved on since then, and it’s about time the NEC got with the programme.

I’ve been to NEC couple times and this thing is massive. I always get lost and gets crowded so it’s crazy trying find where to go and long walks. Great to know Birmingham has facilities capable of hosting many events. The halls are big, I’ve always imagined Birmingham Comic Con here
The Gadget Show Live takes place here every year and many other events too. There’s LG arena next door which is the competition but doesn’t hold as big events. Mainly concerts and smaller shows.
If you do plan on going make sure you go early. Parking is kind of a distance. I haven’t been on a train but I assume it’s about 5−10minute walk from Birmingham International Station. It does look weatherd and needs a bit of facelift/​refurb

The NEC is a vast exhibition space in Birmingham. It’s very easily accessed by train or bus, and is only one stop away from Birmingham New Street (in the Centre of town). The train is very busy over the weekend when an exhibition is on (on Saturday for MCM, I couldn’t physically move), but if you go on a weekday it’s much better. It’s easy to get to by car, but the parking charges are extortionate; try to get public transport if you can! Once you get into the train station or the car park, the way to the exhibition halls is clearly posted and the staff are quite helpful for directions too.
There are shows all through the year at the NEC. From Gardening to Motorcycles to Good Food to Comic Conventions, it’s all going on. And that’s just the shows! There are also large scale gigs at the venue showcasing everything from Rammstein to visiting pop superstars.
The venue itself is very dated. The décor is a bit shabby (the olé’ NEC is getting on in years now) and it’s not always the cleanest due to the thousands of people that descend on it. Saying that, it’s laid out in a fairly easy to understand way with each of the different halls being numbered and plenty of maps are dotted around to find your way.
Obviously tickets for events vary greatly, but the venue is costly. There is a Wetherspoons in the Venue (The Avion), but this is priced like an airport Wetherspoons rather than a regular bar. It’s pretty big and there is an outdoor smoking area (for when you really need to take a break from the crowds). If you are looking to buy a beer or merch at a gig, you very well may need to remortgage your home. From memory, a beer at a gig is around £7 (!?) for a Carling.
There is definitely a need for the NEC in Birmingham, but it’s not a cheap day out!

Having never been to the NEC before, I wasn’t sure what to expect but knew the place would be vast and it was!
My reason for visiting was to visit the BBC Good Food Show. Arriving into Birmingham International train station, it took me about 10 minutes to reach one of the many entrances.
Outside the main hall space there are a number of food and drink chains such as Wetherspoons and Starbucks, however I avoided these as I wanted to support the food traders — I was at the Good Food Show after all!
I was surprised to see that some of the restaurants were not open, but perhaps these are only open on weekends when it’s likely to be busier.
All day car parking is £10 for a car, which of course can add to the cost of your day. A shuttle bus is provided which cruises round to all the car parks.
There are cash machines located around the halls, but they do charge you to withdraw your dosh — cheeky!
There is a Crown Plaza hotel located on site, which is handy if you are exhibitor and don’t want to stray too far away from the venue.
A good exhibition space.

Good Food show 2013 — Lots of food and drink to sample. Also get access to Gardeners World Exhibition. Well worth a visit. Take good walking shoes though as its a bit of a walk :)

Not a pleasant place however it serves a purpose.
Large exhibition halls, food on-​site and free wifi. They have small subway franchises in house along with bars and a cornish pasty stand, none of them are cheap though.
Weatherspoons restaurant and costa coffee in the atrium area outside the main halls
Good connections with Birmingham International Airport and onto the rail network. Easy access to the motorway however the car parking is hellish and can queue up for hours to get in or out.
Lots of nearby hotels and right next door to the LG arena.
If you are working here you have hard floors, harsh lighting to look forward too.
Make use of the free wifi though it can be a life saver.

There is a reason it is the «national» exhibition centre — this place is HUGE. Seriously. It took a good 20 minutes to walk from the entrance to the other side of the hall. It is HUGE. Be sure to plan your «commute» accordingly and if you are a wheelchair user or have a pram it will take even longer as there are several series of escalators you’ll have to use lifts instead. It is extremely handy for the airport and rail station which are both connected to the front end.
The free wifi is easily over-​loaded and don’t expect your 3G to work on site. For such a large venue it is unfortunate they don’t have better internet capabilities. Food on site is extortionate. A baked potato and Coke Zero cost me £7.50; definitely pack your own food if you are needing to eat while on site.

The NEC and the NEC Arena are two distinct things. The NEC is where you go for the big trade shows and exhibitions. The NEC Arena is where you go to watch big stadium rock and pop concerts.
They are part of the same complex, but they offer quite a different experience. The arena tends to be louder and darker for a start.
The exhibition halls are spread across a huge complex, linked by depressing walkways and escalators. Getting to the halls is always a nightmare, whether you travel by car or train. Either way, it involves a LOT of walking.
I’ve been to several big shows here, including the Good Food Show, Wedding Show and Clothes Show Live. I find them largely soul destroying — hideous artificial lighting, steep admission fees and people pushing and shoving to get puny free samples.
The admission fees are what really bug me, especially with Clothes Show Live — why pay £30.00 to enter what is essentially a glorified shopping mall?
Rant aside, a visit to a NEC show is never complete without waiting in a mile long queue for the toilets and paying way too much money for a lukewarm Panini and bottle of coke.
Top tips: try to blag your way in, take a picnic and do some bladder control exercises in preparation.

I find the NEC slightly weird. I guess because it’s like being stuck in an airport that doesn’t go anywhere and because all the exhibition halls are so big and samey.
It’s pretty dated but they can’t exactly knock it down and start again. I think I’m just fed up with trudging round crappy exhibits and not being able to find anywhere decent to get food.

I cant say much as I’ve only been to Crufts here but going from one hall to
another can be a problem if using the slopes as they are rather steep.
Bus service is fine and can accommodate prams, pushchairs, Dog cages and maybe mobility chairs but I am not sure. I do recommend though that if you are going to be there all day take easy shoes as you feet will ache at the end of the day. It also can be cool at times so take a cardigan.

This vast, sprawling complex is the biggest exhibition centre in the UK and (by floor area) the 7^th largest in Europe. Sprawling over 650 acres and with 200,000 square metres of exhibition space in its 21 halls, it is however Europe’s busiest by exhibition numbers (160 last year), and has over 4 million visitors a year. It hosts the Crufts dog show and the annual Motorcycle Show, as well as a host of international trade fairs.
On the plus side, it has level access throughout, and plenty of facilities, although in my view some of these are in need of some upgrading now — more ATMs and better mobile phone reception would help — and some of the public areas fee a bit impersonal — it’s really just a series of posh sheds rather than anything that could remotely be called architecture. There are a fair number of shops, although not all of these are open for all events, especially at week-​ends.
The halls include the LG Arena, (formerly the NEC Arena), a major venue for touring rock and pop groups. It seats 11,000, so it’s not the most intimate of venues, but fine if you like the ‘big rock’ feel without being in a football stadium. This is currently undergoing major refurbishment, with new hospitality facilities being created.
It’s located right next to Birmingham International station, with frequent trains to central Birmingham, Coventry and London. It’s also surrounded by main roads and close to the M6 and M42, but although it has loads of car parking, this is quite expensive. I’ve not been impressed by the nearby hotels either — captive markets are never good for service in my experience — so I’ve taken to staying elsewhere and getting the train in.
The other tip is to remember that the sheer scale of it — it’s a good 15 minute walk from one end to the other, taking longer if its crowded, so don’t leave getting there too late if you’ve something specific to get to.

This was my first visit to the National Exhibition Centre and I have a few observations to make.
1. Care Parking. I recognise that there is a need to charge for parking but remember that this is an out of town location. To charge 8 pounds for a car park visit (regardless of length of stay during the day) seems a little excessive. Had a mixed experience on the shuttle bus from the car park to the centre — one driver was rude, the other very helpful.
2. Eateries. I was rather disappointed with the range of food outlets and the quality of food available. There was one ATM I could see which also was insufficient for the amount of people at my exhibition.
In all, it was ok but I was expecting somewhere with better facilities — would rather attend at some of the venues in London

The National Exhibition Centre has seen quite a lot of change over the years, but the Centre as it is at the moment serves it’s purpose well.
I have attended many concerts here, and have never had a complaint regarding the security or the building itself. Obviously it is quite a large venue, so walking from the train station to the concert halls can seem quite a trek.
There are cafes and shops around, but these work at normally hours so don’t expect them to be open if attending something in the evening. Cash points are quite plentiful which is always handy.
Within the exhibition halls there is quite a lot of natural light, which makes it pleasant.
The car parks can get very full when there is something big happening, but the train station and bus stops are near with quite a good service to many parts of the UK.