Kent Event Centre

What Kent Event Centre does

Kent Event Centre is a venue rental and event management business operating from the Kent Showground in Detling, Maidstone, UK. Founded in 1991, the venue sits on 200 acres of grounds and offers 7,000 square metres of indoor space across three main exhibition halls (The Brachers Building at 3,000sqm, John Hendry Pavilion at 1,752sqm, and Clive Emson Hall at 1,700sqm) and six smaller meeting rooms, accommodating events from 2-person interviews to 30,000-person outdoor gatherings. It is wholly owned by Kent County Agricultural Society, a registered charity established in 1923, and all profits are reinvested in the charity's mission to support agriculture and rural education in Kent.

The business serves four primary customer segments: corporate and business events (conferences, exhibitions, AGMs, away days), public events and exhibitions (antiques fairs, trade shows, specialist fairs), private events including Asian weddings and celebrations, and entertainment production (film locations, music concerts, and a December 2025 drone light show). It also operates adjacent subsidiaries including the Kent County Show, Heritage Transport Show, Living Land educational event, and Oak View Caravan Park under the same charity umbrella. The venue is AIM Secure accredited by the Meetings Industry Association (2024) and has won Beautiful South and Kent Business Awards (2023).

Revenue is generated through six streams: Day Delegate Rates of £30-£65 per person, room and space hire ranging from a few hundred to several thousand pounds per day, bespoke whole-venue hire often exceeding £10,000 per event, in-house catering, AV and equipment rental, and tiered marketing support packages. Distribution is direct via website enquiry (Tripleseat-powered), phone, site visits, and repeat-client relationships, supported by content marketing through a blog comparing Kent and London venue economics, organic social presence on Facebook, X, Instagram and LinkedIn, and goodwill distribution through the parent charity's network.

Name

Kent Event Centre

Legal name

Kent County Agricultural Society

Website

https://kenteventcentre.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Kent Event Centre is a UK conference and exhibition venue in Maidstone, operated by the Kent County Agricultural Society charity, offering 7,000sqm of indoor space across 12 rooms and 200 acres of outdoor grounds for corporate events, public exhibitions, weddings, and film production.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Conference & Exhibition Venue Rental

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (711310)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Festival Grounds & Fairgrounds Operations (MPAGALAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fairgrounds & Expo Parks (THAHAAAH), Multipurpose Event Center Operations (Civic Centers, Community Event Complexes) (MPAGALAE), Specialty & Entertainment Venue Property Management (BPAJAGAO)

Keywords

• Conference venue hire
• Exhibition space rental
• Event catering services
• Wedding venue booking
• Meeting room facilities

Headquarters

HQ city

Maidstone

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Day Delegate Rate: Inclusive price per person for a full conference day covering room hire, tea and coffee, lunch, water and basic AV. Multiplied by headcount for simple budgeting.
2. Room and Space Hire: Room-only hire for spaces alone with catering and AV added separately. Suitable for short events or clients using their own caterers. Hourly, half-day, and full-day options available.
3. Whole-Venue Hire: Exclusive use of all 12 rooms and 200 acres of grounds. Bespoke pricing based on event requirements. Suited to large conferences, multi-stream events and exhibitions.
4. Catering Services: In-house catering team handles everything from arrival coffee to plated three-course dinners. Dietary requirements including allergens, vegan, halal, kosher and gluten-free options managed at scale.
5. Marketing Support Packages: Range of marketing opportunities from FREE standard offerings to premium Platinum Package, plus Individual Options for bespoke marketing support to help organizers promote events and secure ticket sales.
6. AV and Equipment Rental: AV equipment including microphones, projectors, live-streaming equipment available. Tables, decorations, lighting towers and specialist items sourced through events team.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Kent Event Centre operates as a multi-purpose event venue in Maidstone, Kent, renting 12 distinct conference, exhibition and function spaces to corporate, association and private clients. It provides in-house catering, audio-visual equipment, event coordination and on-site parking as bundled venue services. The venue is owned by the Kent County Agricultural Society (a registered charity) and serves as the society's fundraising and event hub.

Product overview

Kent Event Centre is an event venue operated by the Kent County Agricultural Society, offering 12 distinct venue spaces across 7,000 square metres of indoor space and 200 acres of outdoor space. The portfolio includes small meeting rooms (Stockbury 20m² for 8-16 people, Bredhurst 60m² for 20-60, Chilham for 20-60, Detling for 20-60, Cornwallis 110m² for 24-80, Astor Pavilion 151m² for 30-100), large exhibition halls (Clive Emson Hall 1,700m² for 800-1,700, John Hendry Pavilion 1,752m² for up to 1,000, The Brachers Building 3,000m² for 50-3,000), and extensive outdoor space (200+ acres). The venue provides conference, exhibition, wedding, and team building services with in-house AV, catering support, and event management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Cornwallis Large main hall used for conferences, exhibitions, gala dinners and large-scale corporate or association events; configurable layout for trade shows and banqueting.
• Astor Pavilion Flexible mid-size indoor event space suitable for exhibitions, breakout sessions, receptions and corporate functions.
• Clive Emson Hall Indoor function room used for conferences, presentations, dinners and private celebrations.
• John Hendry Pavilion Multi-purpose indoor space used for exhibitions, meetings and event activities.
• The Brachers Building Smaller indoor space used for meetings, seminars, training days and breakout sessions.
• Detling, Bredhurst, Chilham & Stockbury (Meeting Rooms) Smaller meeting rooms for board meetings, training sessions, interviews and small corporate gatherings.
• Outdoor Space Open-air grounds suitable for outdoor events, team-building activities, marquee events and large public gatherings.
• Team Building Event Packages Structured outdoor team-building event packages for corporate groups, using the venue's outdoor grounds and on-site coordination.
• In-House Event Catering Catering services bundled with venue hire including Day Delegate Rate packages, conference dining, gala dinners, canapé receptions and wedding breakfasts.
• Audio-Visual Equipment Hire Hire of in-house audio-visual equipment such as projectors, screens, PA systems and lighting for conferences and presentations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Kent venues cost 25-30% less than London across hire, catering and AV
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Kent County Agricultural Society (KCAS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1923Kent Event Centre is owned and run by Kent County Agricultural Society, a registered charity established in 1923. All profits from the venue go to the charity whose aims are to improve and promote agriculture, forestry, horticulture, allied industries, rural crafts and livestock breeding across Kent. The society also organizes the annual Kent County Show and supports agricultural education.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• ExCeL London: London's flagship exhibition and conference venue with 100,000sqm of event space. Competes for the same corporate conferences and trade shows that Kent Event Centre targets, but at a London price point and significantly larger scale.
• NEC Group (NEC Birmingham): National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham — the UK's largest exhibition venue complex with conference halls, arena and outdoor space. Competes for major UK exhibitions and conferences at a national scale Kent Event Centre cannot match.
• Farnborough International Exhibition & Conference Centre: Major exhibition and conference venue in Hampshire hosting trade shows, corporate events and large public exhibitions. Comparable conference and exhibition hire model with similar South East England catchment.
• EventCity Manchester: Large purpose-built events venue in Manchester offering 10,000sqm of flexible exhibition and conference space. Competes for trade shows and corporate conferences at a regional UK scale comparable to Kent Event Centre's larger halls.

Emerging players

• Hire Space: Online venue booking marketplace connecting event organisers with UK venues including conference centres, hotels and exhibition spaces. Represents an emerging digital distribution channel that could reshape venue discovery in Kent Event Centre's core market.

Direct peers

• Royal Highland Centre: Edinburgh-based exhibition and events venue operated by the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland. Directly comparable as a charitable agricultural society showground offering conference, exhibition and public event hire.
• NAEC Stoneleigh: National Agricultural & Exhibition Centre in Warwickshire. Highly comparable as an agricultural showground converted into a multi-purpose event and exhibition venue with conference halls, exhibition space and outdoor acreage for large public events.
• Sandown Park: Racecourse and exhibition venue in Esher, Surrey offering conference suites, exhibition halls and outdoor event space. Comparable as a multi-purpose South East venue combining heritage facilities with corporate event hire.
• Three Counties Showground: Agricultural showground in Malvern, Worcestershire hosting the Three Counties Show plus year-round exhibitions, conferences and public events. Directly comparable operating model combining charitable showground ownership with diversified event venue hire.
• Yorkshire Event Centre: Regional event venue in Harrogate hosting exhibitions, conferences and trade shows with both indoor halls and outdoor space. Closely comparable in scale and use cases to Kent Event Centre's mid-sized exhibition halls and conference facilities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Kenteventcentre
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheKentEventCentre
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kent-event-centre
• Instagraminstagram.com/kenteventcentre

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kent Event Centre