View source for National Exhibition Centre

{{Short description|Exhibition and conference centre in Solihull near Birmingham, England}}
{{Redirect-distinguish|NEC Group|NEC}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2011}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2018}}
{{Infobox convention center
| name             = National Exhibition Centre
| logo             = NECBirmingham logo 2019.svg
| image            = National_Exhibition_Centre_main_entrance.jpg
| image_caption    = The main entrance to the NEC (July 2015)
| address          =
| location         = National Exhibition Centre<br>[[Marston Green]], England<ref name="All About NEC" />
| coordinates      = {{coord|52|27|12|N|1|43|10|W|type:landmark_region:GB|display=inline,title}}
| owner            = [[The Blackstone Group]] (since 2018)<ref name="blackstone"/>
| operator         = [[NEC Group]]
| built            = 16 February 1973 to 1976
| inaugurated      =
| renovated        = 2009, 2018
| expanded         = 1980, 1989, 1993, 1998
| opened           = {{Start date|df=yes|1976|02|02}}
| closed           =
| demolished       =
| construction_cost=
| architect        = {{hlist|Edward Mills|Seymour Harris}}
| former_names     =
| classroom_cap    = 40–350
| meeting_cap      = 10–720
| banquets         = 30–500
| theatre          = 15,683 ([[bp pulse LIVE]])
| total_space      =
| exhibit          = {{convert|190000|m2|sqft|abbr=on}}
| breakout         =
| ballroom         =
| parking          = 16,500 spaces
| publictransit    = [[Birmingham International railway station]]
| website          = {{URL|thenec.co.uk}}
}}

The '''National Exhibition Centre''' ('''NEC''') is an exhibition centre located in [[Marston Green]], England, near to [[Birmingham]] and [[Solihull]].<ref name="All About NEC">{{Cite web|title=All About - NEC Birmingham - Birmingham Live|url=https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/all-about/nec-birmingham|access-date=5 September 2020|website=www.birminghammail.co.uk}}</ref> It is near junction 6 of the [[M42 motorway]], and is adjacent to [[Birmingham Airport]] and [[Birmingham International railway station]]. It was opened by  [[Elizabeth II|Queen Elizabeth II]] in 1976.

==History==
The NEC was originally going to be built adjacent to the [[M1 motorway]] (junction 21) near [[Leicester]] but it was turned down by [[Leicestershire County Council]] with claims that "The big shows won't move away from London".<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/ten-top-facts-nec-8460667|title=Ten top facts about the NEC|last=Brown|first=Graeme|date=16 January 2015|work=[[Birmingham Mail]]|access-date=24 December 2017}}</ref>

In November 1971, the [[Secretary of State for the Environment]] granted outline planning approval for the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-26438290|title=NEC Group sell-off: 40 years of events, exhibitions and concerts|publisher=BBC|date=5 March 2014|access-date=27 March 2020}}</ref> On 16 February 1973, then Prime Minister [[Edward Heath]] travelled up from London to cut a white ribbon and initiate its construction,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/assessing-the-future-your-qualification-our-regulation|title=Assessing the future: your qualification, our regulation|website=GOV.UK|date=8 December 2015|access-date=25 March 2019}}</ref> which was carried out by RM Douglas (know today as [[Tilbury Douglas]]),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tilburydouglas.co.uk/about-us/our-history/|title=Our history|publisher=Tilbury Douglas|access-date=3 January 2024}}</ref> to a design by Edward Mills.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/home/edward-mills-innovator-in-concrete-dies-aged-82/776590.article|title=Edward Mills, innovator in concrete, dies aged 82|publisher=Architects Journal|date=29 January 1998|access-date=27 March 2020}}</ref> The NEC was opened by [[Elizabeth II|Queen Elizabeth II]] on 2 February 1976.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/nostalgia/birminghams-nec-gearing-up-celebrate-9455769|title=Birmingham's NEC is gearing up to celebrate 40th birthday|date=15 June 2015|publisher=Birmingham Mail|access-date=27 March 2020}}</ref>

===Expansion of the complex===
The seventh hall of the NEC complex, a multi-purpose indoor arena named the [[Birmingham International Arena]] (currently branded BP Pulse Live), opened in December 1980.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-birmingham-26438290|title=NEC: From Eurovision to the G8|date=2014-03-05|access-date=2019-06-17|language=en-GB}}</ref>

[[File:NEC plaque 11y07.JPG|left|thumb|Plaque commemorating the opening of the "second phase of development" in 1989]]
On 23 March 1989, Queen Elizabeth II opened three new halls.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/nostalgia/gallery/national-exhibition-centre-celebrates-40th-9455730|title=National Exhibition Centre celebrates 40th birthday|publisher=Birmingham Live|date=15 June 2015|access-date=27 March 2020}}</ref> Four more halls were added in 1993, and another four new halls, designed by Seymour Harris and built by [[John Laing Group|John Laing]], were completed in January 1998.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newcivilengineer.com/archive/national-exhibition-centre-29-01-1998/|title=National Exhibition Centre|date=29 January 1998|publisher=New Civil Engineer|access-date=27 March 2020}}</ref>

A five-year, £40&nbsp;million venue improvement programme which saw improvements made to everything from the car parking to signage, seating and catering was carried out between 2006 and 2011.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.business-live.co.uk/economic-development/in-thursdays-birmingham-post-3999067|title=In Thursday's Birmingham Post|publisher=Birmingham Live|date=23 March 2005|access-date=27 March 2020}}</ref>

==Exhibitions==
The NEC has 20 interconnected halls covering {{convert|190000|m2|sqft|abbr=on}} of floor space.<ref name=guardian>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2001/feb/19/5|title=NEC widens its window on the world|work=The Guardian|date=19 February 2001|access-date=27 March 2020}}</ref> Regular exhibitions in the past have included the [[British International Motor Show]] and the international dog show ''[[Crufts]]''.<ref name=guardian/>

The NEC has 16,500 parking spaces spread around the site, with a free shuttle bus service operating to and from the car parks.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thenec.co.uk/visiting-us/car-parking|title=Car Parking|work=thenec.co.uk}}</ref>

==NEC Group==
Parent company the NEC Group also owns and operates the [[Arena Birmingham]] and [[ICC Birmingham]], both in central Birmingham, and  [[bp pulse LIVE]], based on The NEC site.<ref name="BM15">{{cite news|url=https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-397256676.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170331210608/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-397256676.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=31 March 2017|title=NEC Group Set to Be Sold for Price Tag Up to PS300m|last=Griffin|first=Jon|date=14 January 2015|work=Birmingham Mail|access-date=31 March 2017}}</ref> [[Birmingham City Council]] placed the NEC Group up for sale in 2014.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/mar/05/birmingham-council-sell-national-exhibition-centre-nec |title=Birmingham city council to sell National Exhibition Centre |last=Morris |first=Steven |date=2014-03-05 |website=The Guardian |language=en-GB |access-date=2019-09-23}}</ref> After short-listing three contenders to purchase the company, the sale to [[Lloyds Development Capital]], the private equity unit of Lloyds Banking Group, was completed in January 2015 for £307 million.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-birmingham-30835754 |work=BBC News |title=NEC group sold off in £307m deal |date=2015-01-16 |language=en-GB |access-date=2019-09-23}}</ref>  In October 2018, [[The Blackstone Group|Blackstone]] acquired NEC Group from Lloyds Development Capital,<ref name="blackstone">{{cite press release |author1=Rachel Dunachie |title=Blackstone acquires the NEC Group |url=http://www.necgroup.co.uk/news/blackstone-acquires-the-nec-group/ |website=necgroup.co.uk |access-date=20 February 2019 |date=12 October 2018}}</ref> paying around £800 million for the group.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-birmingham-45863974 |title=NEC Group sold 'for £800m' |work=BBC News |date=2018-10-15 |language=en-GB |access-date=2019-09-23}}</ref>

==Emergency hospital==
{{main|NHS Nightingale Hospital Birmingham}}
From early April 2020 the NEC housed [[NHS Nightingale Hospital Birmingham]], an emergency hospital scheduled to open on 10 April, and receive its first patients on 12 April,<ref name="ES">{{cite news |title=Birmingham's Nightingale Hospital to be operational within days |url=https://www.expressandstar.com/news/uk-news/2020/04/03/birminghams-nightingale-hospital-to-be-operational-within-days/ |access-date=10 April 2020 |work=[[Express and Star]] |date=3 April 2020 }}</ref> as part of a network of [[NHS Nightingale Hospitals]] in response to the [[COVID-19 pandemic in England|COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref name="BBC-2020-03-27">{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-52070611|title=Coronavirus: Birmingham and Manchester temporary hospitals announced|date=27 March 2020|website=BBC News}}</ref> On 1 April 2021 the hospital was closed without ever treating a patient.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.itv.com/news/central/2021-03-31/covid-birminghams-nightingale-hospital-closes-without-seeing-any-patients-coronavirus-nhs-matt-hancock |title=Covid: Birmingham's Nightingale hospital closes without seeing any patients| website=itv.com}}</ref>

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:NEC hall 3a 11y07.JPG|Preparations for an exhibition in Hall 3a
File:NEC inside atrium 11y07.JPG|View from inside the atrium
File:NEC atrium roof 10y07.JPG|Atrium roof structure
File:NEC atrium gallery 11y07.JPG|The atrium showing an upper level called the ''Gallery''
File:NEC horizontal escalator 11y07.JPG|[[Moving walkway]]
File:The NEC Pavilion - geograph.org.uk - 985608.jpg|NEC Pavilion (2008)
File:Atrium Entrance 2, National Exhibition Centre - geograph.org.uk - 81173.jpg|NEC Atrium entrance 2 (2005)
File:NEC atrium entrance3 10y07.JPG|NEC Atrium entrance 3 (2007)
File:NEC shuttle bus 10y07.JPG|An NEC [[Plaxton Pointer]] 1 bodied [[Dennis Dart SLF]] [[shuttle bus]] outside atrium entrance 2
</gallery>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|National Exhibition Centre}}
* {{Official website|http://www.thenec.co.uk}}
* [http://www.bvents.com/venues/64136-the-nec/ The NEC Birmingham Business event calendar]

{{London Spitfire}}
{{2022 Commonwealth Games venues}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Indoor arenas in England]]
[[Category:Exhibition and conference centres in England]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures completed in 1976]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Birmingham, West Midlands]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull]]
[[Category:Esports venues in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:London Spitfire]]
[[Category:2022 Commonwealth Games venues]]
[[Category:Table tennis at the 2022 Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:Weightlifting at the 2022 Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:Boxing at the 2022 Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:Badminton at the 2022 Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:Powerlifting at the 2022 Commonwealth Games]]