History-making exhibition gears up for 30th anniversary at NEC

History will be made at the NEC next month when the National Homebuilding & Renovating Show celebrates its 30th birthday at the venue.

Running from 21 to 24 March, the event will feature its biggest-ever line-up of property experts under one roof.

Since the first event took place in April 1994, the Homebuilding & Renovating Show has attracted visitors with a combined project spend of £150 billion and has sold enough exhibition space to fill Wembley Stadium 200 times. Totalling all the show days from the past 30 years, the event will have run for over 450 days.

Nearly three-quarters (73 per cent) of visitors have a project on the go and on average they spend nearly four hours at the show, with over half (54 per cent) saying the Homebuilding & Renovating Show is the only show they visit.

Ian Taylor, managing director for Conventions & Exhibitions at the NEC, said: “We’d like to wish the National Homebuilding & Renovating Show a very happy 30th birthday, in what we know will be a special celebratory event.

“The show is set to bring together the entire homebuilding sector, with more than 400 industry experts exhibiting at this year’s event, celebrating a long and rich history with the NEC that started back in April 1994.”

The show, in partnership with Express Bifold, offers visitors the chance to experience thousands of products from over 400 exhibitors, as well as getting expert advice on all aspects of building and renovation, from planning a new extension to embarking on period renovations.

During the Home Energy Hour, industry leaders from the Home Energy Academy will be talking on topics including how to slash energy bills and make your house cosy, including how to pick the right mix of heating, ventilation and renewables, as well as moving towards net zero in designing and building a home.

Experts in the Seminar and Masterclass Theatres (partnered with Kitchens for DIY) will present on topics ranging from a beginner’s guide to building your own home, estimating and controlling build costs, integrating smart technology seamlessly, sustainable home design and construction and the planning permission rules for extensions.

The Advice Centre, partnered with Internorm, will provide opportunities to book free one-on-one sessions with period renovation expert and chartered building surveyor Marianne Suhr, self-build expert Mark Stevenson, quantity surveyor Tim Phillips, Tom McSherry, finance expert from Buildstore, and Richard Hawkes, from Hawkes Architecture.

As well as this, Homebuilding & Renovating magazine experts Allan Corfield (design), Andy Stevens (master builder and broadcaster), David Hilton (eco expert), Michael Holmes (property expert) and Sally Tagg (planning) will be at the event.

The Tricks of the Trade Theatre will feature industry experts from DIY Doctor, who will present tips on working successfully with tradespeople and avoiding ‘cowboy builders', as well as live demonstrations on handy DIY jobs such as hanging a door, skimming plaster and more.

Free tickets to any one day of the National Homebuilding & Renovating Show can be found here, or for more show details visit the event's website.