lunch! 2026: Essential Guide for Exhibition Stand Success
Posted by Richard | Last updated 17/03/2026
Are you planning to exhibit at lunch! in London this September? This guide provides the essential dates, venue logistics, and advice on designing a high-impact stand for the UK’s leading food-to-go event.
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Trusted Supplier – lunch!
lunch! is the premier trade show for the food-to-go industry. It serves as the primary meeting point for cafe owners, sandwich bars and coffee shop chains. The event takes place at ExCeL London. It brings together over 300 suppliers showcasing the latest food, drink and sustainable packaging.
This exhibition is part of The London Food & Drink Festival. It is co-located with three other major events: The National Restaurant, Pub & Bar Show, the Natural & Organic Food Show and the Artisan Food & Drink Show. Attendees can move between these halls to discover a wide range of hospitality innovations.
At a Glance: Key Event Details
- Event Name: lunch! 2026
- Venue: Excel London (One Western Gateway, Royal Victoria Dock, E16 1XL)
- Dates: 16 – 17 September 2026
- Opening Times: 10:00am to 5:00pm (Last entry at 4:00pm)
- Official Website: https://www.lunchshow.co.uk/
- Recommended Planning Start Date: March – June 2026
- Primary Service: Exhibition Stand Design and Build by Graphic Mill
Why Exhibit at lunch!?
Visitors at this event are active buyers looking for the latest in food-to-go innovation, sustainable packaging, and drink trends. They attend to find practical solutions for busy retail environments.
Your exhibition stand must act as a functional space for product sampling and high-volume networking. It needs to reflect the quality of your brand while remaining accessible to busy operators. We have a proven track record of delivering stands at major hospitality events, and we understand the unique requirements of the food-to-go sector.
Key benefits of a Graphic Mill exhibition stand:
- Sustainable Design: We prioritise eco-friendly exhibiting. Our team uses modular Aluvision frames, recyclable fabrics, and FSC-certified timber. This reduces waste and supports your company’s social responsibility goals.
- Stress-Free Project Management: We handle all the complex logistics. Our team manages risk assessments, method statements, and technical orders. You can focus on your product launches while we manage the venue requirements.
- Guaranteed Quality via Pre-Build: We build your entire exhibition stand in our workshop before the show starts. We test every surface, graphic, and light off-site to ensure a perfect installation at Excel London.
- Cost-Effective Scalability: We design stands that adapt to different spaces. You can use your full structure for lunch! and reconfigure the modular elements for smaller regional trade shows or pop-up events.
- Interactive Engagement: We go beyond static displays. We integrate professional sampling stations, catering equipment, refrigeration, high-quality AV screens, and dedicated meeting areas to turn passive visitors into active leads.
When to Start Planning
Custom-feel modular exhibition stands require 3 to 6 months of planning.
For the September 2026 show, start now (March/April/May/June 2026).
Late planning often leads to rushed decisions, higher material costs, and limited installation slots.
The Graphic Mill Planning Roadmap
- January – March (Strategy & Space): Secure your location on the lunch! floorplan. Define your goals for the event.
- March – May (Design Concepting): Begin the design process with our team. We create concepts that prioritise your products.
- May – July (Refinement): Finalise your graphics, furniture and lighting choices. We handle the technical drawings for the venue.
- July – August (Production): We build your stand in our workshop. We check every detail to ensure a smooth installation.
- September (The Event): Our team installs your stand at Excel London. You arrive to a ready-to-use professional space.
Stand Design Tips for Food and Drink Brands
Information security professionals value clarity and technical excellence.
1. Prioritise Sampling Areas
Ensure your stand has enough space for visitors to taste your products. Consider integrating catering equipment into your designs, and clad bulky refrigeration with graphics to maximum your branding space. Use wipe-clean surfaces and integrated bins to keep the area tidy.
2. Use Strategic Lighting
High-quality LED lighting makes food and drink products look more appealing. Bright, clean light helps your brand stand out in a busy hall. Take a look at our stand gallery for inspiration.
3. Incorporate Digital Displays
Use large screens to show your brand story or preparation methods. This attracts people from the aisles without blocking the flow of traffic.
Logistics at Excel London
Food Safety and Hygiene
Excel London enforces strict rules for exhibitors preparing or serving food. If you are sampling on-site, your stand may require a dedicated hand-wash station with a continuous supply of warm water, soap, and paper towels. We can integrate these functional elements into your design to ensure full compliance with health and safety regulations.
Sampling Restrictions
The venue has specific rules regarding sample sizes to avoid competing with on-site catering businesses. Generally, food samples must be bite-sized and drinks must be served in small tasting cups. We can help you plan your storage and serving areas to work within these parameters while still providing a great experience for visitors.
Rigging and Ceiling Services
If you want to increase your visibility from across the hall, we can manage the installation of hanging banners or rigged structures. Excel London charges specific rigging fees and requires detailed technical drawings for any overhead items. Our team coordinates with the venue engineers early in the design phase to ensure all banners are safely secured and positioned correctly.
Vehicle Access and Loading
Excel uses a booking system for vehicle arrivals during build-up and breakdown. Access to the loading bays is strictly timed to manage traffic flow around the Royal Docks. We handle the entire booking process and logistics to ensure your stand materials arrive on schedule and are off-loaded efficiently.
Frequently Asked Questions
Costs vary by space and complexity. Budget for design, production, installation, and de-rig. Contact us for a quote based on your space size, or have a look at our exhibition stand pricing page for a rough estimate.
Standard exhibition stand height limits at Excel are typically 4 metres. You can build higher than this with sign-off from a structural engineer. We also rig ceiling banners up to 6 metres to ensure your brand is visible from across the hall. Our team verifies all specific venue regulations for every project we manage.
Yes. Our modular solutions allow you to reuse components at future shows. We also provide secure storage between events.
A standard shell scheme typically includes carpet, lighting and a company name board. We can help you upgrade this with custom graphics and furniture to make it more impactful. See our shell scheme gallery for more inspiration.
Ready to get started?
A free consultation with our team will give you a clear roadmap of costs, timelines, and fresh design ideas guaranteed to make your brand the main attraction.
Ready to start? Book a meeting with our exhibition specialists, Miles 📅 or Ben 📅 at a time that works for you.
Prefer to talk now? Call us on +44 (0)800 4647974 or email us at hello@graphicmill.co.uk
