About Southern Manufacturing & Electronics
Southern Manufacturing & Electronics bills itself as the essential meeting point for the manufacturing and electronics industries of southern England. Organised by Easyfairs, it takes place each year at Farnborough International Exhibition Centre, in the heart of a region dense with high-value engineering businesses.
The exhibition covers production machinery and machine tools, subcontract manufacturing, electronic components and assembly, test and measurement, materials, automation and industrial software. Visitors are engineers, designers, production managers and buyers from sectors including aerospace, motorsport, mechanical and electrical engineering and electronics, with OEMs a key part of the audience. Registration is free for visitors.
The atmosphere is practical and sales-focused. Conversations tend to be about real projects, tolerances and lead times, and for subcontractors and component suppliers the show can be an efficient source of new accounts. Visitors have further reasons to attend in the seminar programme, the Innovations Gallery for new products, and hand soldering and cable and wire harness competitions hosted by the Global Electronics Association.
Live demonstration pays off here. A running machine, a robot cell or a component on a test rig will stop visitors, which means planning power, compressed air, floor loading and guarding early. For component and subcontract suppliers, well-organised sample displays, cut-away parts and clear capability statements work well, backed by a small table where engineers can talk through drawings. Branding is best kept simple and technical: what you make, which industries you serve and which accreditations you hold.
Next edition
Southern Manufacturing & Electronics 2027: what to expect
The 2027 show runs from 2 to 4 February at Farnborough International Exhibition Centre, open from 9:30 to 16:30 on Tuesday and Wednesday and until 15:30 on Thursday. The organiser reported 571 exhibitors and 10,722 attendees at the 2026 show, which was its 28th year, and expects more than 570 exhibitors in 2027.
Parking at Farnborough International is free for visitors and exhibitors, and free shuttle coaches run from Farnborough Main and North Camp stations during show hours. Heavy machinery needs delivery and lifting scheduled carefully with the venue, and running equipment on the stand may require approval, so raise it with the organiser early.