ES Live unveils new exhibition arm

The Evening Standard says SME XPO attracted over 4,100 visitors to the ExCel London for its annual exhibition, a 74% increase from 2022’s inaugural event. Hosted in partnership with Google ChromeOS, this year’s audience brought together entrepreneurs, thought leaders, suppliers and influential decision makers for two days of exhibiting, workshops and networking. Headline sponsors and exhibitors included Dell, AXA, Lloyds, HSBC, and Barclays.

This year’s SME XPO also marked the first event from the Evening Standard’s recently-launched exhibition arm. The new venture sees The Evening Standard partner with global brand partners to shape dynamic and bespoke experiences for London’s diverse audiences to share, learn and collaborate.

The exhibitions team has developed an agenda of new and returning events for 2023, including The Watercooler, an employee wellbeing and workplace culture exhibition which was held alongside SME XPO at the ExCel London.

In June, Step Up Expo, the UK’s first Expo for teens, education, careers & life choices will bring together students, educators and employers at the Olympia London and, in the autumn through a collaboration with Sneakerness, the international convention for sneaker collectors, sellers and enthusiasts will return to London for a 2 day event.

Snow Show London, a partnership between The Evening Standard and Raccoon Media Group will take place in October at ExCel London, where 25,000 snow enthusiasts are expected to attend. The event will showcase all winter sport and travel opportunities, and will also offer inspiration and solutions for consumers looking to travel more sustainably. Snow Show represents the fifth new event launch by the Evening Standard team in 18 months.

The expansion of the Evening Standard’s events offering builds on the success of ES Live in recent years. Events such as the Evening Standard Theatre Awards, Stories Festival and Plug It In, have engaged with diverse audiences representing thousands of individuals, and tackled topics from the arts to sustainability to entrepreneurship, added the publisher.

Expanding on the existing agenda, the publisher continued, ES Live’s exhibition team are focused on designing and delivering creative events designed to inspire audiences, and spark conversations across diverse themes.

Sam North, head of exhibitions, Evening Standard, commented, “Since the launch of SME XPO in 2022, it has been incredibly exciting to watch the exhibition go from strength to strength and see its audience grow so rapidly. Following the pandemic years, the success of SME XPO and ES Live’s other events demonstrates that demand for in person experiences has never been higher. We are excited to further build out the SME product through new events and programmes.

“Our mission now is to continue to replicate the success of SME XPO across ES Live’s other new and returning exhibitions by delivering the opportunities for Londoners to build connections, showcase innovations and share insights with other like-minded individuals.”