Exhibition Stand Builder for Highways UK 2026
Highways UK runs 14–15 October 2026 in Hall 5 at the NEC Birmingham, co-located with Asphalt World UK, with more than 360 exhibitors and 10,000+ attendees expected from across the roads and infrastructure supply chain. We build exhibition stands at the NEC, in custom wooden construction or on our DUM FLEX™ frame, with the drawings, the organiser submissions and our own crew on site. Our most recent work in that hall is an 18 m² DUM FLEX stand for Bren Power at Smart Manufacturing Week.
Get a quote →Highways UK is a heavy-industry floor, not a consumer one
The organiser's own numbers set the tone: National Highways, local authorities, contractors, consultants, technology providers and policymakers, there to look closely at asset management systems, digital construction software and kerbside technology.
Product on the stand, not just messaging
A road-sector visitor wants to see the equipment, the sensor, the software dashboard or the material sample working. That changes the brief from the first drawing: power and data runs to a demo point, a surface strong enough for physical product on display, and open sightlines so the product reads from the aisle instead of being boxed into a corner meeting room.
Space for the conversations that follow
Procurement conversations in this sector run longer than a two-minute pitch, and a contractor or local authority buyer often wants to sit down. We build in a semi-private meeting corner or a raised conversation area as standard on a stand this size, on either custom wooden construction or the DUM FLEX™ frame, so the demo area and the discussion area do not compete for the same square metres.
A stand next to the Vehicle Display Zone and the Start-Up Zone
The organiser has added two features for 2026 that change what a neighbouring stand needs to do: a Vehicle Display Zone showing full-size commercial fleet vehicles, and a Start-Up Zone for 40+ early-stage companies.
Standing out next to full-size vehicles
A stand backing onto or facing the Vehicle Display Zone competes with genuinely large objects for attention. Height, a clean roofline and strong graphics at eye level do more work there than they would in a row of standard shell schemes; we design the sightline from the vehicle zone into the stand as its own consideration, not an afterthought.
A leaner build for a start-up budget
Companies in the Start-Up Zone are usually working to a tighter footprint and a tighter budget than the main exhibitors around them. A smaller DUM FLEX™ build, reused from a previous show or built to be reused at the next one, keeps the cost proportionate without the stand reading as an afterthought next to the larger contractors on the floor.
A two-day show, and a stand that goes up fast
Highways UK runs for two days. The build-up and breakdown windows around it are the same tenancy pressure we plan for at every NEC show on a short cycle.
What a two-day show changes about the build
A shorter open period does not shorten the build programme; the drawings, organiser submissions and rigging orders still go in on the NEC's schedule. What it does change is the payoff calculation on the stand itself: a system built to come apart cleanly and go back into storage for the next NEC show, rather than a one-off build, earns its cost back faster over a two-day event.
An 18 m² DUM FLEX build at the same venue
The 18 m² DUM FLEX™ stand we built for Bren Power at Smart Manufacturing Week, also in the NEC's Hall 5, is our closest reference for the venue's rigging, loading and hall rules; the Highways UK exhibitor manual, once you are appointed, sets any show-specific detail on top of that.
One hall, two shows: Highways UK and Asphalt World UK
A single free pass covers both Highways UK and the co-located Asphalt World UK, so the aisle in front of your stand carries two audiences at once.
A visitor moving between the two shows reads less of any one stand's messaging than a single-show crowd would. We keep the headline of what you do to one clear line, visible from a distance; the detail belongs in the conversation, not the fascia.
Talk to us about Highways UK →Exhibiting at Highways UK: the questions we get asked
When and where is Highways UK 2026?
14–15 October 2026, Hall 5 at the NEC Birmingham, co-located with Asphalt World UK. Dates and hall are published by the organiser on terrapinn.com.
What is Highways UK?
Highways UK is the UK's flagship roads and highways trade show, organised by Terrapinn with National Highways as official partner. The organiser expects more than 360 exhibitors, 10,000+ attendees and 250+ conference speakers for 2026, covering asset management, digitalisation, safety and future mobility across the roads supply chain.
Is there a Vehicle Display Zone at Highways UK 2026?
Yes, it is new for 2026: a dedicated area showing full-size commercial fleet vehicles alongside highway-safety innovations. A stand facing or backing onto that zone benefits from a design that reads clearly next to large vehicles rather than competing with them at ground level.
Have you built exhibition stands at the NEC Birmingham before?
Yes. Our most recent NEC project is an 18 m² DUM FLEX™ stand for Bren Power at Smart Manufacturing Week, Hall 5. The venue's rigging, loading and hall rules carry across NEC shows, and we design to the Highways UK exhibitor manual once you are appointed.
Do I need to register in advance to exhibit or attend?
Both the conference and the exhibition are free to attend with the organiser's registration; exhibitor space is arranged directly with the organiser rather than through general ticketing. We work to whichever crew and access process the exhibitor manual sets once your stand is confirmed.
How early should we appoint a stand builder for Highways UK?
As soon as your plot is confirmed with the organiser. Appointing the builder early puts the design, the organiser's drawing approvals and the NEC's own logistics booking on one programme, rather than racing the tenancy dates once the hall opens for build-up.