London small business guide 2026

Top 20 Small Business Events in London in 2026

The best places in London to meet founders, buyers and partners this year, plus a simple digital business card strategy to turn every conversation into a lead.

London is full of meetups, expos and conferences that are perfect for small business owners, but it can be hard to know which ones are worth the time and travel. Below is a curated list of 20 high value events and networks that are particularly useful if you run or are planning to start a small business in London.

Note on dates: All dates and venues are correct at the time of writing and many of these events repeat every year. Always check the official event website before you book tickets in case timings change.

Top 20 small business events and networks in London

1. The Business Show London 2026

Date: 11 to 12 November 2026
Location: ExCeL London, E16
Website: greatbritishbusinessshow.co.uk

One of the largest business events in the UK, with thousands of SMEs, start ups, workshops and a huge exhibition floor. Ideal if you want to meet suppliers, partners and potential clients in almost any sector.

Digital business card play: Save your card QR code as your phone lock screen. When you finish a conversation, ask the person to scan it and tap to share their details straight into your CRM or inbox.

2. SCALE Expo and Summit 2026 (evolution of SME XPO)

Date: 22 to 23 April 2026
Location: Business Design Centre, Islington, N1
Website: scale-london.com

A focused expo and summit for scale up founders and leadership teams, with content on growth, funding, tech and operations. Great if you are ready to grow beyond the solo stage.

Digital business card play: Create a special version of your card with a headline like “Looking for partners or investors in 2026” so people remember why to follow up.

3. Enterprise Nation StartUp Show

Date: Typically a Saturday in late January (for example 25 January 2025)
Location: Central London venues such as Sancroft, St Pauls
Website: enterprisenation.com/startupshow

A flagship event for new founders, covering everything from ideas and business planning to marketing and funding. Expect lots of early stage entrepreneurs and advisers in the same room.

Digital business card play: Add a simple lead magnet to your card, such as “Free 1 page business plan template” that people receive when they share their email.

4. Support for StartUps: Scale smarter, sell more, grow faster

Date: Multiple dates, including 31 January to 3 February 2026
Location: Toynbee Hall, E1 and other London venues
Website: Eventbrite listing

A practical workshop style series focused on sales, pricing and growth tactics for early stage businesses, often run by Enterprise Nation and partners.

Digital business card play: Tag each new contact in your digital card system by interest (sales, marketing, funding) to send more personalised follow ups later.

5. Enterprise Nation small business events and webinars

Date: Year round calendar of online and London events
Location: Online and various London venues
Website: enterprisenation.com/find-something/events

Enterprise Nation runs a constant stream of workshops, meetups and webinars on marketing, finance, sales, legal and more. Many are free or low cost, and they attract serious small business owners.

Digital business card play: For online sessions, drop your digital card link in the chat with a short line about what you do and who you help.

6. City of London Small Business Research and Enterprise Centre networking

Date: Regular networking events and “Ask the Experts” days
Location: SBREC, City of London
Website: cityoflondon.gov.uk - SBREC

The SBREC runs networking events and a recurring “Ask the Experts: SME Growth and Guidance” mini expo, bringing together advisers, lenders and founders in the Square Mile.

Digital business card play: When you get advice from an expert, scan their card and send yours back immediately so you are not just another face they met that day.

7. Small Business Network, London

Date: Events and workshops throughout the year
Location: Mainly South West London
Website: smallbiznetwork.co.uk

A community of small business owners with friendly, practical events and workshops. Good for local service providers and creatives who want genuine relationships, not just pitchy networking.

Digital business card play: Include a short “about you” sentence on your card so people you meet at informal events can remember you later without reading a full website.

8. London Small Biz Network lunch and learn events

Date: Monthly networking and speaker events
Location: Putney and South West London
Website: lsbn.london

London Small Biz Network began as Putney Mumpreneurs and now runs relaxed lunch and learn meetups with guest speakers across topics like PR, social media and sales.

Digital business card play: After the event, send a short personalised message that references the talk, plus your card link, so the follow up feels natural rather than salesy.

9. UK Business Network - small business events

Date: Regular social and business events
Location: Venues across London
Website: ukbn.co.uk

UK Business Network organises social and networking events aimed at small business owners looking for a like minded community. Think relaxed evenings, not stiff conferences.

Digital business card play: Use your card to collect social handles as well as email, then connect on LinkedIn or Instagram the same evening while the conversation is fresh.

10. London Business Network (LBN) events

Date: Ongoing cross sector, property and young entrepreneur events
Location: Central London and online
Website: londonbusinessnetwork.uk

LBN runs curated events and trade delegations that connect founders, investors and decision makers, with specialist groups for young entrepreneurs and those going global.

Digital business card play: Create a card variation that highlights your ideal partner or client type so strategic connections can instantly see if there is a fit.

11. eCommerce Expo 2026

Date: 23 to 24 September 2026
Location: ExCeL London, E16
Website: ecommerceexpo.co.uk

The UKs biggest ecommerce event, covering acquisition, conversion, logistics and customer experience. Ideal for product brands, DTC businesses and agencies.

Digital business card play: Add a trackable discount code or offer to your card so you can measure exactly how many orders came from the expo.

12. Tech Show London 2026

Date: 4 to 5 March 2026
Location: ExCeL London, E16
Website: techshowlondon.co.uk

A huge multi show tech expo that brings together cloud, cyber, data, AI and DevOps. Ideal if your small business sells tech or services into larger organisations.

Digital business card play: Use your card notes to write one or two bullet points about each conversation, so your follow up email can refer back to specific pain points.

13. London Tech Week 2026

Date: 8 to 12 June 2026
Location: Olympia London and venues across the city
Website: londontechweek.com

A city wide festival of tech, innovation and entrepreneurship, with stages covering AI, fintech, climate tech and more. Many side events are ideal for early stage founders.

Digital business card play: Because there are so many side events, create a short message template on your card that summarises what you do in two lines so people can recall you after a busy week.

14. The AI Summit London 2026

Date: 10 to 11 June 2026
Location: Tobacco Dock, E1
Website: london.theaisummit.com

A specialist event focused on commercial AI use cases, tools and strategy. Ideal if your small business builds tech products, uses AI heavily, or serves larger enterprises.

Digital business card play: Include one clear AI related use case on your card so people instantly understand how you can help them, not just the tech buzzwords.

15. Accountex London 2026

Date: 13 to 14 May 2026
Location: ExCeL London, E16
Website: accountex.co.uk/london

The biggest accounting and finance expo in the UK, bringing together small practices, finance teams, software vendors and advisers. Great if you run a finance related small business or need advisers.

Digital business card play: Add a “Book a free 15 minute call” button or link on your card, pointing to a booking page, so contacts can schedule time there and then.

16. Business Travel Show Europe 2026

Date: 24 to 25 June 2026
Location: ExCeL London, E16
Website: businesstravelshoweurope.com

A major show for corporate travel, TMCs and travel tech. Relevant for small businesses that sell services into the travel industry or travel frequently for client work.

Digital business card play: Add a line on your card about how you help with cost control or sustainability, as these are big themes for travel buyers.

17. B2B Marketing Expo / B2B Marketing Live 2026

Date: 18 to 19 November 2026
Location: ExCeL London, E16
Website: b2bmarketingexpo.co.uk

A specialist event for B2B marketers and founders who want to improve lead generation, content, sales alignment and martech stacks. Packed with case studies and vendors.

Digital business card play: Include a link on your card to a short “show only” resource such as a checklist, and mention it when you meet people.

18. ProductCon London 2026

Date: 24 February 2026
Location: Barbican Centre, EC2
Website: productschool.com

A leading product management and AI product conference, bringing together product leaders, founders and tech teams. Perfect if your small business is a product led company.

Digital business card play: Add a line that clearly states your product metric focus, such as “We help SaaS companies reduce churn” so product people can instantly qualify you.

19. London B2B Growth Expo 2026

Date: 3 to 4 March 2026
Location: Olympia London, W14
Website: Eventbrite listing

A dedicated B2B growth expo for founders, sales teams and marketers who want to find tools, partners and tactics to scale up faster.

Digital business card play: Use your digital card to quickly capture which category a contact fits into (partner, reseller, client, investor) and follow up with a tailored message.

20. Business and networking events in London (AllEvents)

Date: Daily listings of business and networking events
Location: Venues across London
Website: allevents.in/london/business

AllEvents aggregates hundreds of business meetups and niche networking sessions across London, including fintech, property, life sciences and more. Great when you want something hyper specific.

Digital business card play: Before each event, tweak the headline on your card to match the niche (for example “Helping fintech founders with content that raises capital”).

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How to use digital business cards to turn events into leads

Going to events is only worth it if conversations turn into leads and revenue. A good digital business card turns every chat into something you can track and follow up properly. Here is a simple process you can reuse for any of the events above.

1. Set up a high converting digital card

• Use a clear headline such as “I help London small businesses increase online sales by 20 percent”, not just your job title.
• Include one primary call to action: “Book a free 15 minute call” or “Grab my free checklist”.
• Add links to your main social profiles and a single focused landing page, not lots of scattered links.
• Make sure your card generates a QR code and a short link you can share in messages.

2. Make sharing instant and smooth at the event

• Save the QR code from your card to your phone lock screen so people can scan it without you opening an app.
• Practice a simple line such as “Shall I send you my digital card so you have everything in one place”. Say this as the conversation ends.
• When they open your card, ask them to tap your main button and drop in their email or book a slot while they are with you.

3. Tag and segment people while you talk

• Most digital card tools let you add notes or tags to a contact. Use three or four tags such as lead, partner, investor, press.
• After each chat, quickly add one tag and one sentence about what you discussed. It takes 20 seconds and massively improves your follow up.

4. Follow up within 24 hours

Once you are home, send short, personal follow ups grouped by tag type. For example:

• For potential clients: remind them what you talked about, include your card link again and suggest one small next step (for example a call or sending over an example).
• For partners: suggest a joint idea such as a co hosted webinar or a content swap, and include your card and calendar link.
• For investors or advisers: send a short deck or one pager plus your card, and propose a specific time window to talk.

5. Track what actually works

• Use different card links or UTM parameters for big events like The Business Show or SCALE Expo so you can see which show generated which leads.
• Each month, check how many meetings, proposals and sales came from each event. Keep attending the ones that bring revenue and drop the ones that only bring chat.

If you follow this process, every event on the list above becomes more than a nice day out. It becomes a predictable way to put new, qualified leads into your pipeline, without carrying a stack of paper cards around London.