the national wedding show

What the national wedding show does

The National Wedding Show, operated by Otis Media Ltd as a UK private limited company, runs a portfolio of five annual consumer wedding exhibitions held at Birmingham NEC, London Excel, Manchester Central, and — newly added for 2027 — Liverpool LEX. The shows connect engaged couples with wedding suppliers (venues, photographers, attire retailers, florists, cake makers, stationers, and related services) in an in-person format, drawing more than 43,000 visitors per year across the circuit. The audience profile skews toward brides-to-be (85%) aged 25-34 (70%), with an average stated wedding budget of around £35,000, which is the primary value proposition sold to both exhibitors and brand sponsors.

The business operates as a two-sided marketplace plus branded experience layer. Revenue is generated from three streams: consumer ticket sales (including a premium VIP Experience tier offering fast-track entry, exclusive talks, a gift bag, and a champagne bar), exhibitor booth fees across hundreds of suppliers per show, and brand sponsorships that package on-site activations such as the Lillet VIP Lounge, Cricut signage, and similar partner zones. Ticketing is fulfilled through SeeTickets and marketing is supported by standard automation tools such as Mailchimp. There is no disclosed proprietary technology, data product, or digital marketplace beyond the event listings on the company's website.

Operations are run by a small team of approximately eight staff spanning a Show Director, Sales & Partnerships Director, sales and sales support roles, Head of Operations, Marketing & Social Media Manager, marketing execution, and finance administration. The competitive position rests on 30+ years of continuous operation, established relationships with premier UK exhibition venues, and a long-running brand association with the UK wedding planning cycle, rather than on technology differentiation.

Name

the national wedding show

Legal name

Otis Media Ltd

Website

https://nationalweddingshow.co.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The National Wedding Show is a UK consumer exhibition operator running five annual wedding fairs at Birmingham NEC, London Excel, Manchester Central, and Liverpool LEX (from 2027), connecting engaged couples with hundreds of wedding suppliers and brand sponsors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wedding Exhibitions / Event Services

NAICS

Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries (713)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Wedding & Bridal Shows (MPAGAFAK)

Keywords

• Wedding exhibitions
• Consumer trade shows
• Exhibition services
• Bridal industry events
• Event management

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Exhibitor booth/sponsorship revenue: The company sells exhibition space (shell scheme and space-only stands) to wedding suppliers (venues, bridal boutiques, florists, caterers, photographers, entertainers, etc.) across multiple show dates. Additionally, branded sponsorship packages (e.g., VIP Lounge sponsorship, Catwalk Stage) are sold to brand partners. The exhibitor contract price includes carpet, basic show guide entry, stand cleaning, and listing on the online exhibitor list. Stand share fee is £750 + VAT. The sales team is responsible for rebooking exhibitors year after year, indicating a recurring B2B revenue relationship.
2. Visitor ticket sales: The company generates revenue from selling admission tickets to consumers (brides, grooms, and their guests) attending the show. Tickets are sold via SeeTickets as the primary box office provider, with standard and VIP ticket tiers available. Early bird/discounted tickets are offered to drive advance sales. VIP tickets include premium benefits (complimentary drink, goody bag, VIP lounge access, reserved catwalk seating).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

The National Wedding Show organizes five annual physical wedding exhibitions across major UK venues (Birmingham NEC, London ExCeL, Manchester Central, and Liverpool LEX from 2027), bringing together hundreds of wedding suppliers and 43,000+ engaged couples per year. The events feature supplier showcases, live catwalk fashion shows, expert planning advice sessions, on-site hospitality experiences (Champagne Bar, Cake Gallery), and VIP hospitality tiers. Revenue is generated through both B2B exhibitor booth rentals and B2C visitor ticket sales.

Product overview

The National Wedding Show is a portfolio of five annual wedding planning events across four UK venues (Birmingham NEC, London Excel, Manchester Central, and Liverpool LEX launching 2027). The core offering consists of physical exhibition events where couples meet hundreds of wedding suppliers, view catwalk fashion shows, and receive expert planning advice. Supporting features include the Catwalk Stage (runway fashion shows), The 'Say I Do' Stage (expert planning talks), Champagne Bar, Cake Gallery, and VIP Experience (premium upgrade with dedicated lounge, goody bags, and reserved seating). The portfolio also encompasses ticketing services (via See Tickets) and exhibitor stand booking services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• London Excel Wedding Show Wedding exhibition event held at ExCeL London, featuring hundreds of wedding suppliers, live catwalk shows, expert planning advice, and VIP experiences, targeted at engaged couples in London and the South East.
• Birmingham NEC Wedding Show Wedding exhibition event held at the NEC Birmingham, featuring hundreds of wedding suppliers, live catwalk shows, expert planning advice, and VIP experiences, targeted at engaged couples in the Midlands region.
• Manchester Central Wedding Show Wedding exhibition event held at Manchester Central, featuring hundreds of wedding suppliers, live catwalk shows, expert planning advice, and VIP experiences, targeted at engaged couples in the North of England.
• Liverpool LEX Wedding Show Wedding exhibition event being launched at Liverpool LEX venue in March 2027, expanding The National Wedding Show to a fourth UK location and serving engaged couples in the Liverpool/North West region.
• VIP Experience Premium ticket upgrade available across all show editions, including complimentary drink on arrival, VIP goody bag, VIP lounge access with live entertainment, premium catwalk seating, and exclusive exhibitor discounts and competitions.
• Exhibitor Stand Booking Exhibition booth rental service for wedding supplier businesses to secure shell scheme or space-only stands at The National Wedding Show events, including standard inclusions such as carpeting, basic Show Guide entry, online exhibitor list listing, and stand cleaning.

Quantifiable outcome

• 43,000+ visitors attend the shows annually
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• See Group LimitedcoreTechnology or IntegrationPrimary ticket box office provider for The National Wedding Show, powering the SeeTickets platform through which all visitor tickets are sold for all show dates.
• Ticket Factory LimitedcoreTechnology or IntegrationSecondary ticket box office provider supporting the sale of visitor admission tickets across all show events.
• Whitespace Publishers Ltd (UKbride)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial media partner providing editorial coverage, brand visibility, and audience reach to The National Wedding Show. Listed among partners on the show's website.
• Guides For BridescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial media partner serving the engaged couple demographic, providing marketing reach and content partnership for The National Wedding Show.
• The Red Moose Group LtdminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partner providing content and marketing collaboration for The National Wedding Show audience.
• Maelstrom Event SolutionscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerOperations contractor for The National Wedding Show, providing event production and operational support across all show dates and venues.
• Full Circle Event & Exhibition LtdcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerStand build contractor responsible for constructing exhibition stands (shell scheme and custom builds) at The National Wedding Show across all venues.
• Pavilions Resorts LimitedminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCompetition partner providing prizes and promotional value for The National Wedding Show's competition campaigns (such as the £3,000 shopping spree giveaway).
• Journeys By EmergeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCompetition partner providing honeymoon and travel-related prizes for The National Wedding Show's competition campaigns.
• LilletcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerBrand sponsor of The National Wedding Show's VIP Lounge (branded 'The Lillet VIP Lounge'), providing complimentary Lillet Spritz for VIP ticket holders and gaining prominent brand visibility within the premium VIP experience.
• GlossifyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBeauty brand providing complimentary manicure services at the show as a feature/experience, adding value for visitors and gaining brand exposure.
• Six StoriesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBridal fashion brand operating a pop-up shop at the show, offering exclusive first looks at unreleased 2026 bridesmaid and bridal collections.
• CricutminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCrafting technology brand running live demonstrations, hands-on workshops, and expert talks at the show, engaging visitors with DIY personalised wedding detail creation.
• Otis Media LtdcoreOthersThe parent company and organiser of The National Wedding Show. Otis Media Ltd is the legal entity responsible for all aspects of the show's operations, contracts, promotions, and regulatory compliance. The company is also the promoter for all competitions run by the show.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• The Wedding Show: Another long-running UK consumer wedding exhibition series, hosting multi-vendor shows in major UK cities; directly competes for the same engaged-couple visitors and wedding-supplier exhibitor budgets as The National Wedding Show.
• Hitched: Major UK wedding directory and planning platform, listed as a media partner of competitors; serves the same engaged-couple audience with online vendor discovery that competes with the exhibition format.

Emerging players

• Bridebook: UK wedding planning platform connecting couples with vetted suppliers across categories; an emerging digital substitute for the in-person supplier-discovery function that The National Wedding Show provides.
• Rock My Wedding: UK wedding inspiration blog and curated supplier directory with a strong social media following; competes for the same brides-to-be audience via digital content, influencer reach and styled-shoot content.

Broad incumbents

• You & Your Wedding (Condé Nast): Established UK wedding media brand owned by Condé Nast Britain; reaches the same engaged-couple demographic through editorial content, supplier listings and brand partnerships.
• Brides (Condé Nast): Global bridal media brand covering planning advice, real weddings and vendor directories; an incumbent in adjacent wedding content that monetises the same audience through media and partnerships.
• The Knot Worldwide: Largest US wedding planning platform (The Knot and WeddingWire) with a global marketplace for couples and vendors; a broad incumbent demonstrating the digital scale that could ultimately pressure physical show formats.
• Zola: End-to-end US wedding planning and registry platform with vendor marketplace; a broad incumbent whose vendor marketplace functionality is the digital analogue of what The National Wedding Show delivers physically.

Others

• Eventbrite: Global self-serve ticketing and event marketplace; adjacent enabler to The National Wedding Show's SeeTickets-powered ticketing model and benchmark for consumer-events digital infrastructure.
• LiveBuzz / Eventim UK: Technology partner that builds and runs The National Wedding Show's event website and registration; an adjacent enabler and ecosystem participant in the UK consumer-exhibition technology stack.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/nationalwedding
• Facebookfacebook.com/nationalweddingshow
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/otismediatnws

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 the national wedding show