Trade Shows & Exhibitions at Westpoint Exeter: The Complete Guide

The Southwest's business community needs a trade show and exhibition venue that delivers on both scale and sophistication. Westpoint Exeter has established itself as the region's premier destination for trade shows and exhibitions, combining expansive facilities with professional service that ensures every event achieves its commercial objectives.

Our main arena serves as a versatile exhibition space, accommodating up to 3,500 attendees across 4,590 square metres. This substantial capacity enables everything from intimate trade displays to major regional exhibitions, all supported by comprehensive amenities that enhance every attendee's experience. Whether you're planning industry-specific trade shows or broad-based business exhibitions, our facilities provide the foundation for commercial success.

Located adjacent to Junction 30 of the M5 motorway with free parking for over 2,000 vehicles, Westpoint eliminates the logistical challenges that often plague exhibition venues. Exhibitors and attendees arrive stress-free, allowing everyone to focus on business connections rather than parking concerns or traffic navigation.

Flexible exhibition space in the main arena at Westpoint Exeter

Professional exhibition environment supporting business connections

Why Choose Westpoint for Trade Shows in Exeter

The success of trade shows depends on creating environments where business connections flourish. Westpoint Exeter delivers this through carefully designed spaces that facilitate meaningful interactions whilst providing the infrastructure modern exhibitions demand.

Exhibition Space in the Main Arena

The main arena serves as our primary exhibition space, offering the flexibility to accommodate diverse exhibition formats. At 4,590 square metres with capacity for 3,500 attendees, this versatile space can be configured to support various exhibition layouts, from traditional trade shows to interactive corporate events and business meetings.

This adaptable environment has hosted countless successful exhibitions where businesses have forged partnerships, launched products, and expanded market presence. The neutral, professional setting keeps focus on commercial objectives whilst the spacious layout prevents the crowded feeling that can discourage attendee engagement.

Comprehensive Parking Solutions

Trade show success begins with stress-free arrival. Our free parking for over 2,000 vehicles eliminates the logistical challenges that often plague urban exhibition venues, ensuring exhibitors and attendees can focus on business rather than parking concerns.

For exhibitors transporting display materials, samples, and equipment, convenient vehicle access simplifies setup and breakdown. Large vans and commercial vehicles navigate easily to loading areas, whilst attendees park close to entrance points that minimise walking distances with purchases or materials.

Strategic Location Advantages for Regional Trade Shows

Direct access from Junction 30 of the M5 motorway positions Westpoint as the accessible choice for trade shows in Exeter, drawing attendees from across Devon, Cornwall, Somerset, and beyond. This connectivity ensures maximum attendance potential for every exhibition.

Regional Accessibility

Trade shows succeed when they attract attendees from across their target geographic markets. Westpoint's position adjacent to the M5 makes us equally accessible for businesses and buyers throughout the Southwest. Plymouth-based companies reach us as easily as Taunton firms, whilst Cornwall businesses benefit from straightforward motorway access that city centre venues cannot match.

This regional accessibility extends beyond convenience to affect attendance numbers directly. Venues requiring navigation through city traffic or complicated parking arrangements discourage marginal attendees. Westpoint eliminates these barriers, maximising the audience pool for every exhibition.

Westpoint's accessible location welcomes exhibitors and attendees

Transport Links for National Exhibitors

Major trade shows often attract exhibitors from across the UK. Our proximity to the M5 corridor provides excellent connectivity for companies travelling from the Midlands, South Wales, and beyond. Exhibition contractors and logistics companies appreciate the straightforward access that simplifies equipment delivery and collection.

For attendees arriving by public transport, Exeter's rail connections to London and other major cities complement our venue location. We can provide guidance on coordinating shuttle services for events expecting significant numbers of rail arrivals.

Supporting Corporate Events and Business Gatherings

Beyond traditional trade shows, Westpoint Exeter serves as a comprehensive venue for corporate events, conferences, and business meetings that complement exhibition activities.

Conference Integration

Many successful trade shows incorporate conference elements to add educational value. Our conference facilities seamlessly integrate with exhibition spaces, enabling organisers to create comprehensive business events that combine networking opportunities with knowledge sharing.

Seminar theatres, workshop rooms, and presentation spaces can be positioned adjacent to exhibition areas, allowing attendees to move fluidly between learning sessions and exhibition floor browsing. This integration enhances the overall event experience whilst maximising time efficiency for busy professionals.

Corporate Meeting Facilities

For business meetings that accompany major exhibitions, our versatile meeting spaces provide professional environments for supplier negotiations, client presentations, and strategic planning sessions that often emerge from trade show connections.

Exhibitors frequently schedule private meetings with key prospects during exhibition hours. Our additional meeting rooms support these important conversations in quieter settings where detailed discussions can occur without exhibition floor distractions.

Catering and Hospitality Services

Trade shows and exhibitions generate significant catering demands throughout extended event days. Our professional catering team understands the unique requirements of exhibition attendees, providing solutions from quick refreshment stations to formal networking lunches that enhance business relationship building.

Exhibition Floor Catering

Attendees browsing exhibition stands appreciate convenient access to refreshments without leaving the exhibition environment. Strategically positioned catering stations provide coffee, pastries, and light refreshments that keep energy levels high whilst encouraging attendees to remain on the exhibition floor longer.

Our catering partners work with organisers to design service patterns that avoid congestion whilst ensuring all attendees can access refreshments easily. This attention to flow management maintains the professional atmosphere essential for business environments.

Networking Hospitality Options

Many trade shows include hosted networking lunches or receptions where business relationships develop beyond stand conversations. Our catering capabilities scale from casual buffets to formal sit-down dining, supporting whatever hospitality approach best serves your exhibition's commercial objectives.

Quality catering enhances attendee perception of the overall event whilst providing natural opportunities for exhibitors and prospects to continue conversations in relaxed settings. These informal interactions often prove as valuable as formal stand presentations in generating business outcomes.

Professional catering enhances the exhibition experience

Multi-Day Exhibition Support

Significant trade shows often span multiple days to accommodate comprehensive exhibitor participation and allow attendees sufficient time to engage with all stands. Westpoint provides the infrastructure and support services that multi-day exhibitions require.

Secure Overnight Storage

Exhibitors investing substantial resources in display materials, product samples, and demonstration equipment need assurance these assets remain secure between exhibition days. Our venue provides secure overnight storage with controlled access, allowing exhibitors to leave displays in place.

This capability eliminates the expensive and time-consuming requirement to break down and rebuild displays daily, reducing exhibitor costs whilst ensuring consistent presentation quality throughout the event.

Extended Setup and Breakdown Schedules

Professional exhibitions require adequate time for setup before opening and breakdown after closing. We work with organisers to schedule access periods that accommodate complex stand construction whilst ensuring the exhibition floor presents perfectly when attendees arrive.

Our experienced team understands the choreography required when multiple exhibitors and contractors work simultaneously. Clear access protocols and effective communication ensure efficient operations that meet everyone's scheduling needs.

Planning Your Trade Show at Westpoint

Successful exhibition planning requires understanding both the opportunities and practical considerations that influence trade show success. Our experienced events team provides comprehensive support throughout the planning process, ensuring every element aligns with your commercial objectives.

Flexible Space Allocation

Different trade shows require different spatial approaches. Whether you're organising focused industry exhibitions or broad-based business shows, our venue configurations adapt to support optimal exhibitor placement and visitor flow patterns that maximise business interactions.

Shell scheme layouts work efficiently for exhibitions with numerous small exhibitors, whilst space-only configurations suit events dominated by larger companies with custom stand designs. We can accommodate hybrid approaches that combine both options within a single exhibition.

Industry-Specific Exhibition Experience

Westpoint has hosted successful trade shows across diverse industry sectors, from agricultural and construction exhibitions to technology and retail shows. This breadth of experience means we understand the unique requirements different industries bring to their exhibitions.

B2B Trade Show Expertise

Business-to-business trade shows focus on facilitating professional connections between suppliers and buyers. Our experience with B2B exhibitions helps organisers create environments conducive to serious business discussions, from meeting room provision to quieter networking areas where detailed negotiations can occur.

Professional buyers attending B2B shows appreciate efficient layouts that allow comprehensive exhibitor coverage within limited time. Our team works with organisers to design floor plans that optimise buyer journeys whilst ensuring all exhibitors receive appropriate visibility.

Consumer Exhibition Capabilities

Public-facing exhibitions require different approaches to B2B events, with emphasis on creating engaging environments that encourage browsing and impulse purchases. Our experience with consumer shows helps organisers balance commercial objectives with the entertainment value that draws general public attendance.

Adequate facilities for high visitor volumes become critical for consumer exhibitions. Our venue infrastructure including extensive parking, catering capacity, and circulation space ensures professional operations even when attendance exceeds expectations.