Advanced Engineering

At Advanced Engineering you can meet suppliers and buyers from aerospace, automotive, space, rail, maritime, energy, defence and electronics, with 400+ exhibitors, 9,000+ visitors and six CPD forums, according to the organiser. Advanced Engineering is a two-day manufacturing and engineering exhibition organised by Easyfairs in Halls 3 and 3a at NEC Birmingham, which the organiser presents as a meeting point for those sectors.

Advanced Engineering dates and opening times

Dates for the 2027 show have not been announced yet. The 2026 edition ran over two days with these hours.

Day	Opening hours
Wednesday 4 November 2026	09:00 to 17:00
Thursday 5 November 2026	09:00 to 16:00

Free registration and who can attend

In 2026 you got in free as a qualified professional who registered online, and the free badge covered all forums and features plus the two co-located shows. Registering on arrival is usually possible, but the organiser recommends booking ahead to guarantee entry. The confirmation email shown on a device collects a Smart Badge at registration, and tapping it on readers around the halls triggers an end-of-day email listing the stands and features you visited. Registered visitors can book supplier meetings in advance through the Industrial Connect app.

The show is for over-18s, although the FAQ also admits over-16s in full-time employment or on an apprenticeship. Students aged 18 and over were welcome on Thursday 5 November 2026, with a programme of sessions, exhibitor meetings and networking for them.

Who you meet and what you can see

You can see working kit, as the organiser says many exhibitors bring working prototypes, demos and test set-ups, and exhibitors can reach the job titles it targets. Those titles include directors of engineering, manufacturing or operations, plant managers, chief engineers, senior process engineers, continuous improvement managers, owners of manufacturing SMEs, and machine builder, OEM and integrator leads. Product areas on the floor include:

• CNC machine tools and forming equipment
• Industrial robotics and automation systems
• Additive and hybrid manufacturing
• Tooling, workholding and fixturing
• Metrology, test and quality control
• Maintenance technologies and condition monitoring
• Safety systems, controls, materials and process technologies

The show also has an Innovation Gallery & Trail. The organiser showcased 18 innovations, from recycled titanium to industrial AI, at the 2026 show, where twelve emerging engineering businesses competed for a growth opportunity.

CPD forums and speakers

You can hear more than 200 speakers across six CPD-accredited open forums on the show floor: Automation, Robotics and AI; Composites Engineering; Automotive, Mobility and Electrification; Aerospace, Defence and Satellite Engineering; Additive Manufacturing and Advanced Materials (AM²); and Electronics and Semiconductor. Named 2026 speakers included Stephen Phipson, chief executive of Make UK, Katherine Bennett CBE of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, Simon Rose of Airbus Defence and Space, James Passemard of McLaren Accelerator and Andrew Mair of the Midlands Aerospace Alliance.

Three shows on one badge

Your badge also gets you into UK Metals Expo and Lab Innovations, which are co-located with it, and you can walk straight from one hall to the next. See what a co-located exhibition ticket covers.

What you get as an exhibitor

As an exhibitor you get a ready-built shell scheme stand, and the organiser says exhibitors collect an average of 80+ quality leads. Shell scheme packages come in multiples of 12m² and include the stand build, name board, carpet, three spotlights, a 1kW twin power point, a catalogue entry and unlimited admission tickets. Premium shell scheme adds a 2m² secure storage area and the company logo on 3m high side panels. Formats run from shell scheme to flagship stands, arranged through an enquiry form; see shell scheme or space only. Exhibitors also get an EasyGo package, part of the standard Easyfairs offer: GoLeads includes one Smart Badge reader, GoPlus two and GoPremium three, and EasyGo includes the Visit Connect badge-scanning app, managed through the My Easyfairs portal. Easyfairs also runs Packaging Innovations & Empack at the NEC from 24 February 2027 and Southern Manufacturing & Electronics at Farnborough from 2 February 2027, while Subcon is at the NEC from 9 June 2027.

Getting there

You can reach the NEC step-free by rail, and you save £5 on NEC standard parking tariffs by booking online by midnight the day before. By rail to Birmingham, Birmingham International station links directly to the NEC by the covered, step-free Bridgelink, and Birmingham New Street is about 15 minutes away. Drivers should use the postcode B40 1NT, and a free shuttle bus runs from the car park to the venue. Leaving without paying incurs a £25 exit fee. From Birmingham Airport, a free 90-second air-rail link runs from Terminal 1 to Birmingham International.

Source: advancedengineeringuk.com, advancedengineeringuk.com/advanced-engineering-faqs-app, advancedengineeringuk.com/advanced-engineering-exhibitors/exhibit, advancedengineeringuk.com/getting-here