National Exhibition Centre
The National Exhibition Centre (NEC) is an exhibition centre located in Marston Green, England, near to Birmingham and Solihull.[1] It is near junction 6 of the M42 motorway, and is adjacent to Birmingham Airport and Birmingham International railway station. It was opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1976.
Not to be confused with NEC.National Exhibition Centre
National Exhibition Centre
Marston Green, England[1]
The Blackstone Group (since 2018)[2]
16 February 1973 to 1976
- Edward Mills
- Seymour Harris
2 February 1976
2009, 2018
1980, 1989, 1993, 1998
40–350
10–720
30–500
15,683 (Resorts World Arena)
190,000 m2 (2,000,000 sq ft)
16,500 spaces
Exhibitions[edit]
The NEC has 20 interconnected halls covering 190,000 m2 (2,000,000 sq ft) of floor space.[12] Regular exhibitions in the past have included the British International Motor Show and the international dog show Crufts.[12]
The NEC has 16,500 parking spaces spread around the site, with a shuttle bus service operating to and from the car parks. In 2020 the all-day parking fee for public exhibitions was £16.00.[13]
NEC Group[edit]
Parent company the NEC Group also owns and operates the Arena Birmingham and ICC Birmingham, both in central Birmingham, and the Resorts World Arena, based on The NEC site.[14] Birmingham City Council placed the NEC Group up for sale in 2014.[15] After short-listing three contenders to purchase the company, the sale to Lloyds Development Capital, the private equity unit of Lloyds Banking Group, was completed in January 2015 for £307 million.[16] In October 2018, Blackstone acquired NEC Group from Lloyds Development Capital,[2] paying around £800 million for the group.[17]
Preparations for an exhibition in Hall 3a
View from inside the atrium
Atrium roof structure
The atrium showing an upper level called the Gallery
NEC Pavilion (2008)
NEC Atrium entrance 2 (2005)
NEC Atrium entrance 3 (2007)
