The Ice Cream & Artisan Food Show

At The Ice Cream & Artisan Food Show you can meet ice cream and artisan food suppliers gathered in a single hall, over two days in Hall 9 at NEC Birmingham. This trade exhibition is organised by the Ice Cream Alliance, which describes it as the only UK trade show dedicated to ice cream and artisan food. The 2027 edition runs on 9 and 10 February.

The 2027 show and free member entry

If you are an Alliance member, you and your staff get in free, as the Alliance says visitor entry is free for its members and their staff. The show runs on Tuesday 9 and Wednesday 10 February 2027, from 9am to 5pm on both days, according to the NEC event listing. Visitors register online before the show, and the NEC lists tickets from £0.

The registration form asks for your name, job title, company, address, contact details, type of business and the parts of the show that interest you. Once registered, you can add colleagues at the next step. Jonas Event Technology handles registration for the Alliance.

Who the show is for

If you already trade in ice cream, or you are thinking of launching an ice cream venture, the NEC listing aims the show at you. It names rising costs, changing consumer tastes and finding reliable suppliers among the problems the show sets out to address. Exhibits cover equipment, ingredients, packaging and point-of-sale ideas, and the programme includes expert-led seminars on business issues. The Alliance puts attendance at more than 7,000 trade visitors across the two days.

Among other food and drink trade shows, The Source Trade Show opens at Westpoint Exeter on 2 February 2027. Packaging Innovations & Empack opens at the NEC on 24 February 2027.

Run by the trade’s own association

You visit a show run by the Ice Cream Alliance, which says it is the only UK trade association for ice cream makers, retailers and mobile traders, and that it has supported the trade since 1944. Alongside the show it publishes Ice Cream magazine, a quarterly trade title, and runs industry competitions including Parlour of the Year, which closes to entries on 30 April 2027, and the Golden Scoop Awards.

Exhibiting

If you exhibit, you can choose anything from a small shell scheme to a large space-only build, a choice our guide to shell scheme or space only explains. The Alliance head office handles stand sizes and availability. You say how much space you want and receive options and prices in return. Alliance members get priority booking, preferential stand rates and an entry in the show guide, and the organiser invites businesses to join before they book. Confirmed exhibitors use an online exhibitor manual for forms, deadlines and build times. The Alliance event page offers a downloadable recap of each show day.

Getting there

If you come by train, you have a five-minute covered walk to the halls from Birmingham International Railway Station, the NEC says, and Birmingham Airport is reached on foot over the station bridge and the Air-Rail Link. Birmingham city centre is about 14 miles by car or a ten-minute train ride. Parking charges apply, and on exhibition open days a free shuttle bus runs between all car parks and the halls, usually starting an hour before opening. The campus has seven hotels within walking distance. Cloakrooms charge £2 per coat and £3 per bag, and visitors may bring their own food and drink but not alcohol. The NEC notes that some trade shows do not admit children, so check with the organiser before bringing them.

Other food shows at the NEC

You can compare this show with earlier food events at the venue, including Cake International and Bake International from 6 November 2026 and the Festive Good Food Show from 26 November 2026. The full list of trade shows in Birmingham sits alongside the national UK show calendar, and our guide to choosing your first UK trade show covers how to compare them.

Source: ice-cream.org/ice-cream-expo, ice-cream.org/register-to-visit, thenec.co.uk, thenec.co.uk/visitors/visitor-faqs