NEC marks 50th anniversary with new future-facing brand that 'brings everything we do together'
The NEC Group is celebrating 50 years since the opening of the NEC by bringing its venues and experiences together under a single brand which will be known as the Nation’s Experience Capital.
Once best known for its exhibition halls, the business has grown into a multi-venue operator hosting exhibitions and conferences alongside international arena tours, major sporting events and immersive experiences.
It now encompasses the NEC Campus, bp pulse LIVE, the Vox conference venue, Utilita Arena Birmingham and ICC Birmingham.
As it turns 50, the focus is on the future.
The new brand signals a shift towards an experience-led model, bringing together all the venues under a single, consumer-facing identity.
The year ahead will also see significant investment ploughed into the NEC Campus.
Central to the next phase will be immersive visitor experiences with a dedicated venue designed to host the content, which will launch later this year.
The NEC Campus is also preparing to host a series of landmark events including the UK’s largest gaming festival DreamHack in March 2026, plus long-stay immersive content like the Gladiators Experience and Invictus Games Birmingham 2027.
The arenas will welcome global artists including sold-out Tame Impala and The Prodigy, while the ICC aims to further strengthen its reputation as a destination for world-leading conferences and events including IWG Global Summit and the European Robotics Forum.
Paul Reeve, CEO of the NEC, said: “Reaching 50 years is a proud milestone, but this moment is really about what comes next. The way audiences engage with live experiences has changed and so has our business.
"The Nation’s Experience Capital brings everything we do together under one cohesive identity and gives us a platform to grow new experiences, attract major national and international events and continue playing a leading role in the cultural and economic life of the UK.”
The NEC celebrates 50th birthday with long standing team member Bily Sondh, new team member Grace Conlon, the Crufts agility team and Crufts ambassador Jessica-Jane Applegate, pupils from Fordbridge Primary school who performed in Young Voices, Jen Warren and Steve Arnold for Invictus Games Birmingham 2027.
