International Book Fairs of Europe

Popular events go way beyond things like music gigs, theatre tours and corporate exhibitions. Over the years, international book fairs have put down their own roots in the wide world of event transport. To help you keep track, we’ve put together a list of Europe’s top international book fairs and literary festivals!

1. Frankfurt Book Fair

Every October (16th–20th October 2019)

The Frankfurter Buchmesse launched in 1949, and is the world’s most important market for printed and digital content. Today’s attendees use it as a vital trading venue for everything from children’s books to scientific databases. Visitors to the fair can rub elbows with writers, publishing experts, creative industry representatives and culture lovers from several countries.

However, the fair isn’t all about business; it’s also become an important social and cultural event in its own right. The most recent fair saw more than 285,000 book fans, as well as 10,000 bloggers and journalists. Moreover, the fair offered 4,000 events, and attracted approximately 7,500 exhibitors from more than 100 countries.

2. LIBER International Bookfair Madrid

Every October (9–11th October 2019)

Now celebrating its 37th year, the LIBER International Bookfair focuses on Spanish-language books. The commercial organisation IFEMA organises the event, while the Spanish Association of Publisher’s Guilds promotes it. This year’s event promises to be the largest one of its kind.

The book fair is open to all book sectors, though its specialities are digital content, new publishers, desktop publishing and intellectual property. 2018’s event saw almost 11,000 attendees, confirming the fair’s importance to the Spanish publishing sector.

More than 450 companies from 11 countries—including France, Mexico, the US and China—will attend this year. The fair will also feature more than 150 presentations and round tables from 300 speakers. If you decide to attend, you’ll be in good company; the fair anticipates more than 11,000 professional visitors and 180 journalists.

3. London Book Fair

Every March (10th–12th March 2020)

As you might expect, books are at the heart of the London Book Fair. However, over the years it has evolved into something much broader—a global marketplace for rights negotiation, and the sale of content across both print and digital channels. Exhibitors at the London Book Fair can directly engage with customers and businesspeople, demonstrate products, build brand awareness and make sales.

Exhibitors from more than 60 countries come to the fair at Olympia London each year, along with visitors from over 135 countries. Approximately 25,000 publishing professionals—whether they’re authors, editors, designers or talent scouts—walk through the fair’s doors, to speak with more than 1,000 separate companies. These companies cover many different areas, from blockbuster novels and children’s books to graphic novels and gaming startups.

If you’re active on social media, you can follow the latest news via the #LBF20 hashtag. You can also see what happened this year with the #LBF19 hashtag.

4. Helsinki Book Fair

Every October (24th-27th October 2019)

The Helsinki Book Fair is a key event for literature fans and industry professionals in Finland. It takes place at the Messukeskus Helsinki convention centre, and is organised by the Finnish Book Publishers Association and the Booksellers’ Association of Finland.
Bringing together established authors and new talent, this year’s fair promotes key themes like freedom of speech and American culture.

The fair features a programme of over 800 debates and interviews across 15 programme venues. 1,000 performers will be speaking, including authors, artists, journalists, politicians and 40 international guests. There will also be more than 300 publishers and booksellers taking part. More than 84,000 literature fans visited last year’s fair; we expect a similar level of success this year as well!

5. Buch Wien (Vienna International Book Festival)

Every November (6-10th November 2019)

The Buch Wien is an Austrian event, and a relatively new addition to the world of international book fairs. It first launched in 2008, aiming to boost the (much older) Viennese Book Week and improve publisher-reader relations.

Rather than taking place in a single venue, the festival takes place in 30 events across the city. There are also 450 exhibitors attending the festival this year. Last year’s festival attracted exhibitor attendees from 20 countries; 51,000 visitors attended, and 100,000 books were represented as well.

6. Malta Book Festival

Every November (6-10th November 2019)

The Malta Book Festival is a literary conference focussing on sci-fi and fantasy. It first opened in 1979; each festival attracts about 40,000 visitors, more than 40 exhibitors, and offers networking opportunities for professionals in the industry.

Visitors to the festival (in Valletta’s Mediterranean Conference Centre) can enjoy book launches, presentations and poetry readings, as well as meetings with authors, conferences and seminars. A number of guest authors will also be taking part in the festival including Loranne Vella, Jona Courtenay Grimwood, Kali Wallace and Dave Rudden.

7. Moscow International Book Fair

Every December (5th-9th December 2019)

The Moscow International Book Fair in the VDNH Exhibition Complex focuses on non-fiction books, including scholarly and popular science books. However, it also makes space for literary fiction amongst its factual works.

20 countries will be taking part in the next fair, including the UK, Canada, Germany, Ukraine, the Czech Republic and Estonia. More than 300 publishers and booksellers will be be attending, as well as 30,000 publishing professionals, literary critics and book fans.

The fair offers an international forum for signing contracts, and meeting authors, publishers, agents and translators. Visitors also have the chance to attend various seminars and round-table discussions, meet famous authors, and see the latest books and unique editions. If your tastes are a little more musical, this year’s fair also offers a Vinyl Club dedicated to this beloved medium.

8. Strokestown International Poetry Festival

Every May (30th April–4th May 2020)

This festival first launched in 1999, and takes place each May in County Roscommon, Ireland. It acts as a showcase for contemporary poetry—whether it’s local, national or international—while also helping newer writers to develop their skills. It also works to embed poetry in its local cultural life, and bring it to as wide an audience as it can.

The festival is famous for attracting large audiences to its poetry readings, as well as its friendly atmosphere and beautiful scenery. Visitors will be able to enjoy 70 readings over the weekend from a mix of Irish and international poets. Aspiring poets can also enter numerous competitions from September, including the Strokestown International Prize, the Duais de Hide and the Percy French Prize for Witty Verse.

9. International Belgrade Book Fair

Every October (20th-27th October 2019)

This book fair is informally known as the Book Fest, and it has been a fixture of southeast Europe’s cultural calendar for several decades. It’s the largest event of its kind in the region, and a popular meeting point for publishers from Europe, Asia, America and Africa. Only the Frankfurt Book Fair can boast more publishers. The Book Fest also brings together major authors from Serbia and promotes literary creation and education, as well as cultural exchange with foreign countries. This is very much an event where Eastern and Western cultures meet!

Each year, the Belgrade Book Fair hosts both national and international writers and publishers. Another major component is the fair’s numerous lectures, roundtables and public discussions. Participants make presentations to both professional and general audiences, covering topics around literature, publishing and culture.

The most recent fair boasted over 195,000 visitors and 980 exhibitors. A total of 18 countries made an appearance.

10. Göteborg Book Fair

Every September (26th – 29th September 2019)

The Göteborg Book Fair launched in 1985 as a conference for librarians. Today, it is a vital event for people in Scandinavia’s book business. Running over four days, it bills itself as a tribute to freedom of expression; readers, teachers and librarians come together to celebrate the power of stories. On average, the book fair attracts 90,000 visitors each year.

In addition to book-lovers the fair attracts more than 800 exhibitors, as well as publishing companies, agents and authors from across the Nordic region. There are also more than 3,000 events to enjoy; 2019’s seminar program will focus on South Korea, gender equality and media and information literacy.


The Next Chapter

Europe’s international book fairs offer plenty of opportunities for both literature fans and professionals. Whether your interests run broad or niche, the selection on offer means you will truly be spoilt for choice.

Thinking of running a similar exhibition? We at Stagefreight are proud to help exhibitors and sponsors across the UK and Europe with their event transport needs. We’re also happy to help literary agencies and publication houses with events throughout the year.

You can see the full range of our transport services on our Services page. Whatever job we take on, we’ve established a reputation for speed, scheduling and reliability. We can plan routes that minimise travel time and maximise fuel efficiency, without risk of damage to the load of our trucks. Our drivers can also do much more than driving; each one is trained in trailer unloading and fast loading, and will assist with construction and set-up tasks too.

Worried about piles of paperwork when travelling abroad? Our staff can take care of it all before you travel. Want to get the word out for future events? Our branding options for our trailers let everyone know what you’re planning. Working with Stagefreight means you’re in safe hands, regardless of what you want to do.

Got an event you think we’d be perfect for? You can give us a call today on 0113 797 898.

Theatre, stage and live event exhibitions of the world

Theatre, stage and live events bring joy to millions of people, but there’s plenty of hard work behind the scenes before that happens. Professionals in these industries need to know about the latest technologies, and network with like-minded pros to keep their professional edge.

Stagefreight has experience in multiple sectors, providing both exhibition and theatre transport services. We know how important theatre, stage and live event exhibitions are to theatre backstage teams. That’s why we’ve put together this new list of exhibitions for people in the theatre, stage and live event industries.

The Media Production Show

Tuesday 11th–Wednesday 12th June 2019

sound mixing board

This free annual event in London’s Olympia Exhibition Centre focuses on the technology behind content creation. It’s organised by publishers of market leading titles such as Broadcast Intelligence, KFTV and Screen International.

150 exhibitors present products and services connected to pre/post production and content distribution. The 5,300 attendees can also enjoy a free programme of seminars, where 200 industry superstars will be sharing their insights and knowledge.

Products and services at this event are organised into several distinct zones. Learn about post-production and rebuilding the internet for video at the Technology & Post Creative hub, or discuss podcasting and women in sound at the Audio Theatre. There’s even a Broadcast Sports zone where you can explore fan engagement, as well as AI and machine learning in sport.

For more details on this event, go to the official site here.

Stage|Set|Scenery

Tuesday 18th–Thursday 20th June 2019

This biannual international trade fair takes place in Berlin, with an emphasis on theatre, film and event technology. Attendees can learn more about stage machinery, lighting, acoustics, makeup and furnishings. There are also several different sectors represented, including film, decoration, events, safety and museums.

Organised by Messe Berlin GmbH and Deutsche Theatertechnische Gesellschaft, the event offers several distinct exhibition sectors including light, sound and security, and also covers newer technologies like virtual reality and augmented reality. There are more than 100 workshops, roundtables and presentations to choose from, as well as live demonstrations of sound systems and other new technologies.

274 companies will exhibit this year, 81 of which come from 21 foreign countries. There will also be over 6,500 attendees from 57 different countries. For more details on this exciting event, head over to the official website.

Event Production Show

Every February

Dedicated to live events of all kinds, Event Production Show at Olympia London brings together professionals from multiple event sectors. It’s suitable for concert promoters, festival organisers, production companies and even local authorities.

This year’s show offered over 200 exhibitors, allowing you to plan every part of your next event. It also offered a series of presentations and panels from 76 speakers discussing outdoor events, particulary independent festivals. The Networking Bar acted as a central hub for the show, allowing attendees to network with other event teams. There were also forums to discuss the matters the industry faces in the near future.

This year’s event is now over, but you can read all about it (and prepare for the next one!) at the official site. With over 6,000 attendees at 2019’s event, we’re sure you’ll be in good company.

Plasa Show

Sunday 15th September—Tuesday 17th September 2019

stage with crew, performers and spotlights

This flagship international event is dedicated to the entertainment technology industry. It’s a showcase for the latest developments in lighting, live sound, rigging, staging and AV equipment!

More than 200 brands will exhibit at this year’s show, with over 9,000 professionals attending. Visitors can also enjoy seminars and workshops across four theatres, while over 80 professionals will be presenting at this event.

With new product launches and groundbreaking technology by leading brands, as well as a full programme of thought-provoking content, this exhibition is a great choice for professionals in this industry. It takes place at the Olympia exhibition centre in London; you can learn more about it here.

Venues + Events Live

Wednesday 18th–Thursday 19th September 2019 (Old Billingsgate, London)

Monday 23rd–Tuesday 24th September 2019 (Manchester Central)

This events show focuses on a variety of venues, as well as restaurants, hotels, bars and event suppliers. It’s a great showcase of creativity, and sets out to inspire all kinds of event organisers. It’s known as an unmissable exhibition for people who organize events for a living, and has grown so much that it’s now also exhibiting in Manchester.

The event is free to attend, with more than 250 exhibitors showing their wares across five floors. You can attend talks from experts and celebrity speakers, or develop new skills in hands-on masterclasses. When you’re ready to take things a little easier, the expert tasting tutorials are waiting for you!

Offering broad appeal (and events in both London and Manchester) this show can inspire virtually any event. More than 6,000 people—including top-tier corporate event managers and event buyers from multiple industries—attend London’s event, while Manchesters expects over 2,500. For further details, visit the site here.

LDI Show

Monday 18th–Sunday 24th November 2019

This exciting event takes place at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Running since 1988, LDI (or Live Design International) focuses on live audience experiences. More than 80 countries, 300 exhibitors and 14,000 professionals attend each year, coming from theatre, concerts, festivals, clubs and even theme parks.

14,000 attendees can take advantage of hands-on product demos (the main attraction) and experiential networking events from more than 390 exhibitors and even industry training. There will be more than 100 cutting-edge training sessions to take advantage of, too; previous training events include safe laser operation, the fundamentals of entertainment rigging and tracking in three dimensions!

Learn more about this event here.

Live Event Expo Tokyo

Wednesday 5th–Friday 7th February 2020

purple fabric suspended in air and manipulated by fans

This is Japan’s largest exhibition for the live entertainment industry. Running out of the Makuhari Messe convention centre it focuses on B2B relationships, bringing together people working with LED displays, pro audio, stage art, merchandise production and digital entertainment (i.e. VR, AR and projection mapping). If you work in concert venues, theatres or amusement parks, the Live Event Expo is a great choice.

Japan’s central location in Asia’s entertainment market makes the show a must-see if you’d like to work in this region. A recent addition to the show is a zone dedicated to increasingly popular eSports (video games played competitively, often for huge cash prizes). Attendees can learn about eSport event operation, broadcasting, IPs and much more.

2019’s show attracted 25,872 visitors—an increase of 1,996 over 2018’s show. Next year’s show promises to be just as diverse and engaging an event! You can get further details on this show here.

Expo-Scène 2019

Monday 25th–Tuesday 26th March 2020

Taking place at the Palais des Congrès in Montreal, this is a major Canadian event dedicated to industry professionals working with sound, lighting, video and multimedia technologies. More than 75 exhibitors attend, while more than 1,800 people visit from North America alone.

In addition to the exhibition stands, there are several workshops for attendees to take advantage of. Previous subjects include AV network fundamentals, modern workplace solutions and eco-responsibility in the arts. There are even charging stations and free chair massages to keep you energised!

Get ready for next year’s event by clicking here.

Prolight + Sound

Sunday 31st March–Wednesday 3rd April 2020

This annual event bills itself as the most important international meeting place for people working with entertainment technologies. It covers areas like audio, lighting, stage and set construction, as well as events equipment and systems integration.

Although the event takes place at Messe Frankfurt in Germany, 63% of exhibitors (and 50% of visitors) come from outside Germany itself. The event also offers a Business Matchmaking programme, which helps to put you in touch with relevant professionals in your industry. Professionals from across the sector attend, including wholesalers, retailers, technicians and even DJs.

As well as a great networking event, Prolight + Sound offers free lectures on several topics. These include event management, security, and health & safety at events. There are also open-air presentations; check out PA systems, LED walls and mobile marquee systems in a realistic environment!

For more details on this event, visit the official website.

USITT Expo

Wednesday 1st–Saturday 4th April 2020

concert with crowd, scaffolding and lights

This American event is hosted by the United States Institute for Theatre Technology, and takes place in Houston. However, it tours the USA on a regular basis. A wide range of people will be attending, including designers, venue managers, business owners, educators and students. It offers a diversity of talent including experts from academic institutions) that few other events can provide.

Exhibiting companies cover several different professions, including video projection, special effects and scenic elements. The organisers work to keep booth rental costs low, while more than 3,000 professionals and 1,000 students attend the event itself.

Exhibitor highlights include a dark zone to showcase lighting and special effects. There will also be shows focused on costume rentals, makeup and related services.

For more information on this exciting event, visit the official website.


We hope you found our theatre, stage and live event exhibition roundup interesting. With events across the world, exhibitions in these industries have something to suit every area of interest! If you’re thinking of putting on a similar exhibition—or using all your new theatre tech to put on a show—Stagefreight has a broad range of event and theatre transport experience.

We can handle all the necessary paperwork and documentation if you’re thinking of exhibiting abroad. When you need something transporting, we can provide branding options for all our exhibition trailers. Our drivers can even support you throughout an exhibition, working as you need them to.

Take a look at our latest case studies to see what we can do, learn more about us on our About Us page, or just call us on 0113 797 898.

 

The Most Popular Corporate Event and Conference Venues of Europe


As experts in corporate event trucking, we at Stagefreight have seen a wide assortment of conferences and corporate events. But one thing that’s often overlooked is the venues themselves.

There’s all kinds of weird and wonderful places to hold an event, and it’s that we’ll be shining the spotlight on in this article.


Milano Convention Centre

If you need a larger-scale event, this Italian venue might be what you’re looking for. The Milano Convention Centre was opened in 2002, but doubled in size three years later. At maximum capacity it can hold 18,000 people, with up to 4,000 in a single room. According to the official website, it’s the largest congress centre in Europe.

If you’re looking for a great exhibition space, Milano can oblige. The exhibitions halls have 54,000 square metres of exhibition space, or turned into additional plenary rooms as required. Conference rooms boast a full range of technologies including video projection, sound systems, WiFi and translator booths. There’s also parking for over 1,000 cars, direct access to Milan’s subway and even a heliport!


The Royal Armouries Museum

Located in the heart of Leeds, the Royal Armouries Museum tells the story of weapons and armour from antiquity to the present day. Their collection includes 500,000 documents and more than 70,000 items, which visitors can enjoy over five floors. Highlights include Henry VIII’s horned helmet, elephant armour from the 1600s and a rapier that’s more than 3,500 years old.

It’s known as an essential historical and educational resource, but it’s also an amazing conference venue. Choose from 11 different spaces: at full capacity the largest venue, New Dock Hall, can hold 1,500 people. Upcoming conferences discuss topics like the oldest surviving fight book, and the changing roles arms and armour play in our society. In recent months it’s even hosted celebrities like Vinnie Jones and Robert De Niro, making this one of Yorkshire’s most remarkable venues.


Austria Centre Vienna

What’s most impressive about this venue is its sheer sense of scale! The Austria Centre Vienna is the country’s biggest conference centre. It can hold up to 20,000 delegates at once, with 24 lecture rooms, 180 meeting rooms and 22,000 square metres of exhibition space. The centre also boasts state-of-the-art technical equipment, with LED lighting, swivel spotlights and much more.

Thanks to its central location, Austria Centre Vienna is surrounded by contemporary architecture and is next door to the Vienna International Centre, which holds offices for the United Nations. If you’re in Austria, this is the place to be for big decisions of any stripe. Click here for more details.


The Eden Project

 

This eco-friendly tourist attraction is located in Cornwall, and recreates natural environments from around the world. The Rainforest Biome is one of its star attractions, approximating forests from Southeast Asia, West Africa and Tropical South America. Visitors can also enjoy outdoor biomes, sculptures and more hands-on attractions.

Since opening in 2001, The Eden Project has hosted many different conferences and business events. As well as the chance to wander around some natural wonders, you’ll have access to AV equipment, an in-house AV technician and branded goods for attendees to take away. Learn more about this one-of-a-kind venue here.


The Palais des Congrès

This French venue is located just a stone’s throw from the Champs-Élysées in Paris. Suitable for business events and exhibitions, as well as live entertainment, it boasts three levels and 19,000 square metres of exhibition space.

The Grand Amphithéâtre alone can hold more than 3,700 visitors, with a range of smaller rooms also available. When you’re ready to unwind, dive into the various eateries and cocktail bars!

You can even enlist the venue’s event planning team if you have a smaller event you want to pull off.

 


Salzburg Congress

This conference centre is located in the Austrian city of Salzburg—better known as the home of Mozart and The Sound of Music. Visitors to the city will be surrounded by lush greenery, beautiful architecture and awe-inspiring mountain ranges.

The Salzburg Congress itself sits very close to the iconic Mirabell Palace, and has plenty to offer any visiting professional.

First opened in 2001, the venue has 15 conference rooms, exhibition areas across three floors, suites, office space and plenty of natural daylight. There’s also plenty of equipment available, including furniture, IT infrastructure and even interpreting services. When you’re done with the day’s events, the centre’s hotel service makes finding a room as easy as possible!

 


Madame Tussauds

Founded in 1835, Madame Tussauds is a legendary museum of waxwork figures. It expertly recreates celebrities and pop culture icons; everyone from Prince Harry to Luke Skywalker can be found inside. There’s also more animated attractions; learn about London’s history in the Spirit of London ride, or get up close and personal with a Xenomorph in the Alien: Escape experience.

If you’ve got work to do, the museum can be used for evening conferences instead. It has fifty years’ experience of hosting parties and events, and up to 1,000 people can attend an event at once. Professionals can enjoy exclusive use of the museum, a red carpet reception, plasma screens and event staffing as needed.

Learn more about the museum here, and learn more about business events here.


Grafenegg Castle

Feel like a king (or queen) as you conduct business in this grand Austrian castle! With a variety of architectural styles, Grafenegg Castle boasts a soaring tower, intricate facades, and beautiful castle grounds. Its outbuildings, which were added over the centuries, offer many different possibilities from weddings to trade fairs.

There are several different venues to choose from; the Auditorium boasts excellent acoustics, space for conferences and lectures, several smaller rooms and a 1,300 person capacity.

The Wolkenturm is an open-air arena that can seat over 1,600 people, with indoor video transmission available in case of bad weather.

Finish off your event at the former Riding School, which can accommodate a variety of dining options and VIP occasions! For a truly glamorous reception, you can even have musicians trumpet from the castle’s turrets.

 


Hesperia Barcelona Tower

Located in Barcelona, the Hesperia Tower Hotel is one of the tallest buildings in the city. It opened back in 2006, and is famous for its distinctive ‘UFO’ restaurant on the roof. As well as a place to stay the night, it’s a popular conference centre; 13 meeting rooms are available on the premises, as well as an auditorium for 480 people. There’s also free WiFi throughout the hotel, ensuring you’ll never be out of touch with your business contacts.

This venue is an excellent choice for smaller-scale, more intimate business meetings.


Congress Centre Rosengarten

Most conference centres are hotbeds of conversation, but music doesn’t typically come up much!

Germany’s Conference Center Rosengarten—located in Mannheim—does things a little differently; first built in 1900 with a beautiful art nouveau facade, it hosts everything from business events to pop concerts. The venue has over 40 halls with space for more than 9,000 guests.

There is also 8,000 square metres of exhibition space, meaning there’s dozens of possibilities.


Square Brussels Convention Centre

Sat in the heart of Europe, this Belgian conference centre has plenty going for it. Its five auditoriums can host conferences of all shapes and sizes; whether you need space for a hundred or over two thousand, the Square can oblige.

There’s also a variety of grand halls suitable for meetings or exhibitions, smaller multipurpose rooms, studios and catering areas, with additional equipment like drapery, electrical connections and translation booths available.

Add in the rich cultural offerings on Brussels’ doorstep, and this is an excellent venue for any business event!

 


The Convention Centre Dublin

Winner of over 40 awards, the Convention Centre Dublin sits in Ireland’s capital city. It first opened in 2010, and has hosted over 1,500 events in the eight years since! The centre can host events of any size, from small, simple boardrooms to massive, 2000-capacity auditoriums. Exhibitors can also take advantage of everything from stand catering to technical equipment.

The convention centre has also been recognised as the first convention centre to be carbon neutral constructed, and is committed to long-term sustainability.


Zappeion Exhibition Hall

Looking to surround yourself with history? This Greek venue—located in Athens—is a wonderful choice. Constructed in the 1880s for the Olympic Games, the Zappeion Hall is now a top-rate business centre. Visitors are greeted by the classic Greek columns, while inside are 4,000 luxurious square metres for exhibitions and conferences.

The central atrium is probably of special interest. Spread over more than 980 square metres, it’s perfect for conferences, concerts, cocktail parties and even sit-down dinners. Smaller rooms are available with conference tables, microphones, headsets and space for 80 people. There are even video facilities and translation booths if you really want to wow your guests.

The Zappeion itself is also close to many legendary landmarks including the Acropolis, the National Garden, the Roman Cistern and several museums.

Expect any business trip here to include plenty of unscheduled detours…

 


Kongress Palais Kassel

Located in central Germany, in the city of Kassel, the Kongress Palais Kassel mixes classic design with modern amenities. The venue boasts 8,500 square metres of space, divided across theatres, classrooms and banquet areas. You can even use the entrance area as an amphitheatre, which connects perfectly to the surrounding garden landscape. There’s even a hotel directly connected to the building, which provided over 150 beds and even additional conference space. And with the InterCity train station nearby, all of Europe is within easy reach.


Canary Islands Convention Centre

Classed as Spain’s most Southern region, the Canary Islands act as a bridge between Europe, Africa and America.

It’s also home to the Canary Islands Convention Centre, a truly stunning location for any conference.

The convention centre has 25 meeting rooms and space for 4,600 attendees, while the venue can reconfigure other spaces to suit the needs of the event. The highlight, though, is the Symphony Hall, which has a 100m² window that provides stunning views of the Atlantic Ocean.

Businesses interested in holding an event here can take advantage of a range of services like stand setup, technical support, security, catering and even flower decoration.

The venue also features state-of-the-art technology such as modern audiovisual equipment, CCTV and simultaneous translation services.

Learn more about this wonderful venue here.


Whatever shape or size your conference or corporate event takes, there’s an amazing venue for it.

And when you need help to get there, look no further than the experts of corporate event trucking for the UK, Europe and more. 

Our driver will become part of your team and help you with build and setup, taking on any task big or small. We’ll also handle all the required documentation, keeping any planning headaches to a minimum.

Wherever you want to hold your conference, Stagefreight is on hand to help.

While most of our transport is to Europe, we’ve gone much further afield. Our drivers have planned routes to Dubai, Africa and even the Arctic Circle. 

Find out all about our services here.

And if you’re ready to get your corporate event on the road, call us on 0113 797 898 today. 

What I love about event transport

After asking the team what they love about music transport, we thought we’d ask them what they love about event transport.

There were naturally some parallels between the two, but below we’ve listed the main reasons why event transport jobs are so very rewarding.


The versatility

At Stagefreight we support events from music to conferences! You never know which event transport job is coming in next.

One day you’ll find yourself supporting a commercial vehicle conference. The next you’re getting a 16-foot cake sculpture to London’s Regent Park by dawn! (We’ve got a case study on that one).

The versatility of event transport is truly fascinating. Our team has supported ballet and theatre shows, live events and music tours, conferences and exhibitions of all shapes, sizes and topics.

Stagefreight at Tech Life 2018
Here’s the team arriving at the Tech Life / IFA 2018 Berlin conference to support Lenovo.

The venues

Our team loves getting out and about, which is handy considering we send them all over the UK and Europe.

Not only is there a lot of versatility on event types but also on venues.

We’re regulars at Birmingham’s NEC, a venue that exhibits over 500 events every year.

We’re also familiar with the Skenderija (Skender’s place) in Sarajevo that gets space for 70,000 m² worth of events and the 26 halls of the Berlin Meese.

There are also some stunningly designed venues out there.

Some of our design favourites include:

  • The Austria Centre Vienna is stunningly designed with 24 halls and 180 offices.
  • The Convention Centre in Dublin, which has won 40 industry awards for providing an international stage for conferences and events.
  • The MiCo Milan has been Italy’s leading convention centre sine 1994 with 500 event per year
  • The Square Brussels Convention Centre,  a venue with 13,000 m² worth of space and a key convention centre for Brussels since 1958
Europe's stunning convention designs
Image sources *

The Stagefreight camaraderie

You can probably tell we’re quite a friendly bunch of people. Our friendliness shines through when we’re interacting with customers (and when with each other).

Here we are supporting Production Light & Sound for their event at the NEC in Birmingham. Production Light & Sound kindly passed on all the good work via social media.

Stagefreight truck load with Production Lighting and Sound
Source: Twitter-@PLS_Leeds

The Stagefreight team also help each other out on Facebook with tips on locations, best routes and venue requirements.

Stagefreight Facebook Conversation

Of course, there is naturally a bit of good-natured banter too.


The growing urban challenge

According to Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue from the Transport Geography group, urban transport is one of the key challenges both freight operators and cities are facing.

Urbanisation is on the rise with public spaces growing alongside it. There are two exciting challenges that our team is well prepared for.

  1. Getting the schedule right
  2. Knowing when and how to optimise using urban trailers

Budapest chain bridge

The growth of city centres impact delivery timings.

But our team are pros at planning timings (having never missed a cue) and they are more than ready to meet the urban challenge.

One key tool for meeting the growing urban challenge is Stagefreight’s specially designed urban trailers.

Did you know that our director Chris designed our urban trailers?

Find out more about what makes the Stagefreight urban trailers so popular for venues in city centres.


If you think event transport is for you, take a closer look at our latest vacancies on the Stagefreight jobs page.

Or if you want the Stagefreight team to provide transport for your event give us a call on 0113 797 898 today. You can also use our contact page for more options to get in touch with us.


* Image sources:

The Most Important Healthcare Trade Exhibitions across Europe

At Stagefreight, we transport event equipment and props for many different clients.

But we aren’t just about the glitz and glamour of stage shows and music festivals. We’re experts in exhibition transport, including exhibitions for the healthcare industry.

That’s why we’ve highlighted some of the top healthcare trade exhibitions in Europe. These are perfect examples of the types of exhibitions we can help you with.

Altenpflege

Tuesday 6th to Thursday 8th of March, Hanover

exhibition transport Hanover

This event is self-described as the nursing industry’s flagship fair. It’s the perfect opportunity for exhibitors to show off their products and services.

Last year’s show attracted 27,000 visitors and over 650 exhibitors. 90% of visitors would also recommend Altenpfledge to others.

The exhibition features four halls of exhibitors, each one dedicated to a different area of nursing. Whether you’re interested in furnishings, mobility aids, kitchen equipment or IT solutions, there’s sure to be a hall you’re interested in.

There are also presentation opportunities at the Altenpfledge connect facilities, which let you present your company and ideas to an interested audience.

Learn more at the official Altenpfledge website. A downloadable brochure is also available.

Dental Expo 2018

Thursday 8th to Saturday 10th of March, Amsterdam

exhibition transport Amsterdam

This ‘integrated platform for dental care’ runs every two years, with a special focus on dental products, information and services. They work to connect and inspire the Netherlands’ dental industry, and it has a lot to offer all of its visitors.

People coming to the exhibition can check out equipment for dental technology, prostheses, laboratory materials, business services and much more.

There is also an extensive program of seminars on topics like teeth whitening, understanding privacy rules and the benefits of dental professionals digitising their dental practices.

As an added bonus visitors to the event will receive a ‘smart badge’ that eliminates the need for heavy brochures.

Touch it to an exhibitor’s badge reader, and you will receive an email with the details of the exhibitors you visited!

For more details, visit the official Dental Expo website.

Infarma 2018

Tuesday 13th to Thursday 15th of March, Madrid

exhibition transport Madrid

This event is dedicated to the European pharmacy industry, focusing on over-the-counter medicines and related products.

It’s actually divided into two separate events; one is to meet suppliers and learn about the latest products and technologies. The other one acts as a meeting point for discussion of current professional issues.

The Medicine and Parapharmacy Exhibition offers dozens of exhibitors, a variety of stand options and products from all corners of the pharmacy industry.

Meanwhile, the European Pharmacies Conference will host speakers from around the world, addressing the key issues in the world of pharmacy today.

People in this industry can look forward to an event firing on all cylinders! For full details, visit the official Infarma website.

Africa Healthcare Summit

Tuesday 6th to Wednesday 7th of March, London

exhibition transport london

This event is Africa’s largest healthcare event in Europe. Taking place at London’s Royal Institute, it begins with a conference of more than 100 speakers from African healthcare institutions.

The exhibition, meanwhile, offers distributors from 23 different countries, including big names like Canon.

The exhibition is part of the 5th annual Africa Healthcare Week, a scheme to improve African healthcare in the wake of significant economic and population growth.

It’s an excellent opportunity for companies to do business in a booming market! Learn all about it at the official website.

Exposanitá

Wednesday 18th to Friday 20th of April, Bologna

exhibition transport bologna

This Italian exhibition is focused on innovating the healthcare system.

Described as ‘an opportunity for business, knowledge and professional growth,’ it showcases the latest products and services the Italian healthcare industry has to offer.

More than 600 companies will be attending, with 11 exhibiting areas and over 230 workshops for visitors to attend.

The event is suitable for people working at all levels of Italian healthcare, including GPs, lecturers, researchers and healthcare workers. For a full programme of events visit the official Exposanita website.

CPhI Worldwide

Tuesday 9th- Thursday 11th of October, Madrid

This event is pitching itself as ‘the world’s leading pharmaceutical platform.’

More than 45,000 people and 2,500 exhibitors will be attending the event over three days.

It’s an excellent place to maintain business relationships, forge new ones in emerging markets and mingle with people from more than 150 countries.

The event also offers a series of in-depth seminars on relevant topics; all of these are free to access, and presented from a non-commercial perspective.

From pharmaceutical packaging to mergers and acquisitions, to the latest technological developments, they’re the perfect way to keep your finger on the industry pulse.

Visit the official website here for more details.

Medica 2018

Monday 12th- Thursday 15th of October, Düsseldorf

A world-leading trade fair for the medical industry, this event promises to be an excellent choice for all healthcare professionals.

Hundreds of exhibitors will be filling the exhibition halls, with many different countries represented.

From Argentina to Vietnam, you really will be spoilt for choice.

Its biggest draw is the range of forums and conferences that it has to offer. Attendees can learn all about the latest advances in the world of medicine, from wearable technologies in sport and healthcare, hot topics in diabetology, disruptive technologies like virtual reality, and much more besides.

For full details, visit the Medica 2018 website.


This is just a sample of the most important healthcare trade exhibitions across Europe.medical exhibitions running in Europe over the next few weeks. And it’s a great example of the exhibitions we can help you organise.

Our drivers can support you through the exhibition and perform a wide variety of tasks. If you’re exhibiting abroad, we will handle all the relevant paperwork and documentation. We can even add your branding to our trailers, giving your event some added promotion. Take a look at our exhibition transport service page for more details.

Or visit our Contact Us page to get in touch, and take the first step toward an amazing exhibition!

The Biggest European Automotive Shows of 2018

At Stagefreight, we transport event equipment for many different clients. But we don’t just facilitate live shows and theatre productions. We’re experts in exhibition transport, and we can help you organise exhibitions around the world.

Since we’ve helped clients in the automotive industry, we thought we’d put together an article highlighting some of the most exciting automotive shows Europe has to offer. They’re just the kinds of events our exhibition transport skills can be applied to.

A fan of automotive shows? View our new automotive shows of 2020 article here

Auto Messe Ried 

2-4 February

Taking place near Salzburg, this event describes itself as Upper Austria’s largest new car fair. It features representatives from Audio, BMW, Citroen and many other car manufacturers. Visitors to the event can compare over 250 models of 35 car brands. There are also several other attractions including a vintage car exhibition, children’s attractions, free workshops and even a Formula 1 racing simulator!

With a broad focus, this event offers many different opportunities. Click here to visit the official website (The official site is in German).

Automechanika Birmingham

5-7 June, Birmingham NEC

Described as ‘the UK’s leading exhibition for the automotive aftermarket and vehicle production sector,’ this exhibit is an excellent opportunity for anyone in these industries.

Over 500 exhibitors are expected to attend the event in 2018, with the likes of Bosch, Magal/Arlington and Polar Manufacturing exhibiting last year. 2017 also saw over 2,000 professionals attending, from companies like Ford, BMW and Rolls Royce. There will even be 9,300 professionals from the aftermarket. Look out for companies like  Kwik Fit, AA, Tesco and Halfords!

For 2018, the event will offer a facilitated meetings programme. This programme will put visitors and suppliers in touch with one another based on their needs and resources. The event will also extend some of the opening hours to allow more time for business networking.

With workshops, demonstrations and much more, Automechanika Birmingham promises to be a thrilling event for everyone. Visit the official website for more details.

IZB Wolfsburg

16-18 October, Wolfsburg

This German exhibition brings together many different stakeholders in automobile production. Running over 3 days, it presents many excellent networking opportunities for both entrepreneurs and industry suppliers. It also offers several different conferences, meetings and forums on topics relevant to the automotive market.

In previous years over 800 exhibitors and 51,000 visitors attended the event from 29 countries. Professional visitors from industries like automotive engineering, automotive accessories, subcontracting and many more can find something worthwhile at this event!

For more information on this event, visit the TradeFairDates website.

Paris Motor Show 2018

4-14 October, Paris

Taking place every two years, the Paris Motor Show is celebrating its 120th anniversary this year. The professional trade show debuts many exciting cars each time. These include production automobile and concept cars. 2016’s show featured cars from 10 different countries, with the likes of Ferrari, Tesla and Jaguar all in attendance.

This event takes place in Paris expo Porte de Versailles, Europe’s largest exhibition complex, renowned for the massive international events it plays host to. For more details, click here.

Warsaw Moto Show

16-18 November

This Polish automotive trade show promises plenty of glitz and glamour as its website promises. Last year’s show attracted over 160,000 visitors, over 200 exhibitors and 84 automotive debuts. Moreover, people visiting the event can check out the luxury vehicles showroom, a dedicated motorsports zone, and even specialised zones for tires and car care!

The event takes place at Peak Warsaw Expo, Poland’s largest exhibition centre. Located on the outskirts of Warsaw, it boasts 143,000 square meters of indoor exhibition space. Visit the official website for full details on the trade show.

These are just some examples of automotive exhibitions across Europe. There are, of course, also many more specialist exhibitions planned throughout 2018 across Europe.

And these are exactly the kind of events that Stagefreight can help you to run and organise.

Our professional and experienced drivers support you throughout the exhibition and even join your team as you need them to. And when it comes to transporting your exhibition material we can add your branding to the trailers themselves! This gives you some added promotion once we’re on the road.

Most importantly, though, we handle all the documentation and paperwork for exhibitions abroad. Whether you’re importing or exporting, working with Stagefreight for your exhibition transport makes things all the easier!

Take a look at our services pages for more details, or give us a call today on 0113 797 898.

The Rise of the Business Week

At Stagefreight we help set up many different events, from music festivals to theatre productions. But our business doesn’t end with entertainment. Today, we’d like to talk about a growing trend and how Stagefreight can help you make the most of it.

 

Over the last years, several cities have hosted special corporate events involving a collection of local businesses to promote the prosperity of the area. The business week as the name implies lasts over several days and requires multiple venues plus enticing seminar rooms to increase attendance. Thereby making this corporate event a large logistical undertaking.

Topics of the business week’s seminars are often around communication, digital marketing and how to best encourage more trade into the local area. There are also networking events and more informal meal networking events, where attendees can get to know each other.

 

The main purpose of the business week is to inform and educate other local businesses and therefore acts as a learning experience than a selling opportunity, but nevertheless offers businesses a great opportunity to increase exposure of their brand and services or products.

 

Business weeks are a great place to learn new things and meet new people.

The Yorkshire Mafia business group launched their latest Leeds Business Week event in October. Bringing together over 100 businesses and hosting over 100 events, it was a brilliant opportunity to learn about new topics and make new contacts.

But Leeds isn’t alone in its efforts. Wolverhampton, Humber and Inverness each held a business week of their own earlier this year, while the York business week is still to come in November.

There’s even a Responsible Business Week championing businesses that work to make a positive difference in society.

 

The idea of the business week is not a new one. York Business Week dates back to 2010, while Humber Business Week began back in 2004. However, their continued success (and emergence of new ones) suggests that they are here to stay, and businesses of all kinds can continue to benefit from them.

With business weeks growing in popularity across the UK, we’re confident that these will only get bigger and better over time. Bigger events require equipment and the right expertise to get everything set-up across multiple locations.

 

Much of Stagefreight’s work overlaps with the format of business weeks. One of the key parts of our business, for instance, is exhibitions. Whatever its format or content, we can transport exhibition materials to a venue on time and in perfect condition. We can also help set-up any exhibition materials onsite.

As well as exhibitions, Stagefreight transports materials for business conferences. These present their own challenges since conferences frequently follow location trends. This means we’ve transported materials for conferences around the world, from Africa to the Arctic.

 

Business week events can be serious and education-focused, or more relaxed and social-focused.

Our prior experience means Stagefreight can handle all the challenges a business week presents. We are able to transport goods safely, to a variety of locations around a city. We can help set-up on arrival, ensuring you’re ready to present any seminars or network with complete confidence. Whatever the task, Stagefreight is ready and willing to take it on.

If you’re looking to host your own business week (or improve the way you run an existing one) Stagefreight is on hand to help you out.

For a fast, obligation-free quote on your transport requirements, give us a call today on 0113 797 898.