What Subcon does

Subcon is the UK's specialist sourcing trade exhibition for subcontract manufacturing, founded in 1977 and operated by MA Exhibitions, part of the Mark Allen Group. The event is held annually at the NEC Birmingham and connects 6,000+ manufacturing buyers, specifiers, and procurement decision-makers with 200+ UK and international specialist suppliers across two focused days. The 2027 edition is scheduled for 9-10 June 2027.

The show's product surface spans the core exhibition, a CPD-accredited conference programme with 100+ sessions, the Manufacturing Solutions Show Awards (launched 2024), an annual Manufacturing Trends Report, a Show Magazine, and a Subcon Event App. Revenue is generated through three primary streams: paid exhibition stand bookings by suppliers, sponsorship packages (awards, conference, and event-level), and value-add content that drives registration for the free-to-attend visitor base. Visitor admission is free; exhibitor pricing is quote-based through a direct sales motion.

Subcon serves aerospace, automotive, defence & security, and medical manufacturing verticals, with strategic partnerships spanning industry associations (Make UK, GTMA, The MTA, BTMA, Royal Aeronautical Society), international bodies (EEPC India), trade media (The Engineer, Aerospace Manufacturing, Manufacturing Management), and accreditation partners (The CPD Group). The event is an official 'Made in Britain' badge holder and won the Exhibition News 2026 Exhibition Expansion Award. It is a private, non-listed asset within the Mark Allen Group's events portfolio.

Name

Subcon

Legal name

Subcon - The Manufacturing Solutions Show

Website

https://subconshow.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Subcon is the UK's specialist sourcing trade exhibition for subcontract manufacturing, operating since 1977. It connects 6,000+ manufacturing buyers with 200+ specialist suppliers across aerospace, automotive, defence, and medical sectors at NEC Birmingham.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trade Exhibition Services

NAICS

Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920)

akta.pro primary industry

Exhibitor/Sponsor Management (Corporate Conferences) (THACAFAN)

Keywords

• Subcontract manufacturing sourcing
• Manufacturing trade exhibition
• Industrial supplier event
• B2B manufacturing show
• Engineering trade fair

Headquarters

HQ city

Birmingham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Exhibition Stand Bookings: Companies pay to book exhibition stands to showcase their subcontract manufacturing and engineering capabilities to attending buyers and decision-makers.
2. Sponsorship Packages: Sponsorship opportunities for the exhibition, awards, and conference programme provide additional revenue streams.
3. Conference Sessions: Free CPD-accredited sessions are offered to visitors as part of the event value proposition, with speakers from industry-leading companies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Subcon is an annual B2B trade exhibition organized by MA Exhibitions (part of Mark Allen Group) that connects manufacturing buyers, specifiers, and decision-makers with specialist subcontract suppliers who can make, process, finish, and deliver parts and components. Held over two days at NEC Birmingham, the event features 200+ UK and international exhibitors, a CPD-accredited conference programme, the Manufacturing Solutions Show Awards, an event app, a show magazine, and an annual Manufacturing Trends Report.

Product overview

Subcon is a UK-based exhibition and conference event for the manufacturing industry, not a software product. The company's offering consists of the Subcon exhibition (the core event featuring 200+ exhibitors), a CPD-accredited conference programme, the Manufacturing Solutions Show Awards, the annual Manufacturing Trends Report, a Show Magazine, and a digital Event App. These services are designed to help manufacturing buyers source suppliers and connect industry professionals across sectors including aerospace, automotive, defence, and medical.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Subcon Exhibition The UK's specialist sourcing event for subcontract manufacturing, connecting buyers with specialist suppliers who can make, process, finish and deliver parts and components. Features 200+ exhibitors across two focused days at NEC, Birmingham.
• Conference Programme CPD-accredited sessions covering topics such as human-robot collaboration, sustainability, clean mobility, digital transformation, and manufacturing insights.
• Manufacturing Solutions Show Awards Annual awards celebrating manufacturing and engineering innovation, with categories including Start-up of the Year, UK Manufacturing Partner of the Year, International Manufacturing Partner of the Year, Product Innovation of the Year, The Rising Star Award, and Lifetime Achievement Award.
• Manufacturing Trends Report Annual report exploring key pressures shaping UK manufacturing including energy costs, skills shortages, access to finance, supply chain resilience, and growth opportunities across defence, data centres, aerospace, and automotive sectors.
• Subcon Event App Mobile application for event attendees to navigate the exhibition, access schedule, network with exhibitors, and view exhibitor information.

Quantifiable outcome

• 6000+ visitors connect with 200+ suppliers at each event
• +1 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor, moderate and core.

• Aerospace ManufacturingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partner providing industry coverage and marketing support
• BTMA (British Tooling Association)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerIndustry association media partner
• GTMAminorGTM or Marketing PartnerManufacturing Technologies Association - industry association media partner
• The MTAminorGTM or Marketing PartnerManufacturing Technologies Association - strategic partner and thought leader contributor to conference programme
• The EngineerminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEngineering publication media partner
• The Royal Aeronautical SocietyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAerospace industry association media partner
• Made In BritainmoderateGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial 'Made in Britain' badge holder - official endorsement of UK manufacturing focus
• Make UKmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor UK manufacturing association - provides thought leadership content, speakers, and industry insights for the conference programme
• The CPD GroupmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides CPD accreditation for conference sessions and workshops
• NEC BirminghamcoreOthersVenue provider - the NEC is the exhibition venue for Subcon. Hotel accommodation partner also available for attendees.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Advanced Engineering Show: UK trade show for advanced engineering and subcontract manufacturing services. Direct competitor to Subcon in the subcontract sourcing space, held annually in the UK and targeting the same buyer personas across aerospace, automotive, defence, and medical.
• IMTS (International Manufacturing Technology Show): One of the largest industrial trade shows in the Western hemisphere, focused on manufacturing technology and subcontract services. Direct comparator for Subcon's core 'manufacturing buyers meet specialist suppliers' proposition, though at significantly larger scale and North American geography.
• FABTECH: North America's largest metal forming, fabricating, and welding event. Comparable to Subcon as a B2B trade exhibition serving subcontract manufacturing buyers with similar vertical exposure (automotive, aerospace, industrial).
• EMO Hannover: World-leading trade fair for metalworking, held in Hannover. Direct comparator for Subcon's subcontract manufacturing focus, operating at a much larger global scale with similar buyer/supplier matchmaking dynamic.
• PPMA Total Show: UK trade exhibition for processing and packaging machinery, serving manufacturing buyers with supplier-discovery use cases similar to Subcon. Comparable as a UK-based B2B industrial trade show with exhibitor-pays, free-visitor economics.
• Automechanika: Global trade show brand for the automotive service industry, including manufacturing and components. Comparable to Subcon's automotive vertical offering and trade-show economics, though automotive-specialized rather than cross-sector.
• MACH Exhibition: UK-based manufacturing trade exhibition focused on machine tools and manufacturing technologies. Closely comparable to Subcon as a UK-focused B2B event connecting manufacturing buyers with specialist suppliers, serving overlapping verticals such as aerospace and automotive.

Broad incumbents

• Hannover Messe: The world's leading industrial trade fair covering the full industrial value chain. Comparable to Subcon as a global B2B manufacturing trade show, but at vastly larger scale and broader scope, with Subcon effectively serving a specialized niche within this category.
• Informa Markets: Global B2B events group operating hundreds of trade shows across manufacturing, engineering, and industrial verticals. Comparable to MA Exhibitions as an exhibition organizing parent, with significantly larger scale and broader geographic reach.
• Reed Exhibitions (RX): One of the world's largest trade show organizers, operating across dozens of industrial verticals including manufacturing. Comparable to MA Exhibitions as the parent organization behind Subcon — both run multi-event B2B exhibition portfolios.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/subconshow
• Facebookfacebook.com/subconuk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/subconshow

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Subcon