What is the quality and effectiveness of exhibiting at major UK trade shows like the Ideal Home Show, Eat and Drink Festival Christmas, and the Casual Dining Show at ExCel?

Members have mixed experiences with UK trade shows, with some finding value but others warning about footfall and positioning issues.

**Ideal Home Show / Eat and Drink Festival Christmas:** - Described as "absolutely massive" - Requires significant sample preparation — be prepared to give out a lot of samples - At least one member found it worthwhile enough to exhibit again the following year

**Casual Dining Show (ExCel London):** - **Low footfall** compared to other shows at the same venue - Significantly less busy than the **Lunch section** of ExCel events - **Poor booth positioning** is a risk — members reported being positioned between machinery and irrelevant product categories (e.g. veggie meat suppliers), reducing quality of visitor engagement - Members recommend prioritising the Lunch show section instead if exhibiting at ExCel

**General caveat:** Several members flagged bad press around trade shows at ExCel more broadly. The Casual Dining Show in particular appears to attract lower-quality footfall for drinks brands.