Travel hacks: How to make FAB 2026 smooth, swift – and sociable
11–12 March 2026, NEC Birmingham means chilly mornings, busy trains and prime chances to impress clients. Use the tips below to shave minutes off the journey, claim on-site perks and pick dinner spots that seal the deal.
Pick the quickest ticket
- Train: Birmingham International station sits inside the NEC estate; it’s a covered ten-minute walk to Hall 4 where FAB badges are printed. Pre-book an Advance Anytime return and you can hop earlier services if meetings over-run.
- Plane: Birmingham Airport is one stop from the venue; budget airlines from Edinburgh, Belfast and Dublin land before 9am, beating most cross-country trains.
- Car: Exit 6 of the M42 drops you at East Car Park. Pre-pay and number-plate recognition swings the barrier up – no queues at the machines. Electric? 150 7 kW chargers allow you peace of mind that you’re fully charged before you leave.
March averages 3-9°C in Birmingham; pack a coat for platform waits and the short outside hop between hotel and dinner.
Milk the on-site perks
- Free public Wi-Fi: NEC’s “NEC Free” network is stable enough for Teams calls. Switch to 5 GHz in settings to dodge the conference-crowd bandwidth dip. Your hands will stay free for product demos.
- Quiet pods: Hall 3’s Business Centre has four glass booths you can book at info desks – perfect for a quick client quote approval.
- Water-refill stations: Touch-free taps outside Halls 3, 4 and 5; saves lugging bottles.
- Mobility scooter and wheelchair hire: Atrium 2 desk; pre-book online, collect in five minutes.
Where to feed (and impress) clients within a 10-minute walk
|
Mood |
Venue |
Why book it |
Source |
|
Skyline cocktails |
Sky By The Water, Resorts World |
Rooftop views, private “Secret Garden” pods seat six. |
|
|
Effortless steak |
Miller & Carter, Pendigo Way |
Takes NEC vouchers, rejects nobody in dress code limbo. |
|
|
Pan-Asian buzz |
Tatsu Izakaya, Resorts World |
Counter seats for fast Bento; booths for CFO deep-dives. |
|
|
Pub classic |
The Little Owl, Bickenhill |
Five-minute cab, fireside tables, decent vegan list. |
|
|
All-out wow |
Orelle, Birmingham city centre |
24th-floor French, 15-min train hop post-show if you need skyline bragging rights. |
Tip: Tables at Sky By The Water vanish weeks out – email the concierge once you’ve booked your FAB pass.
Make downtime count
- Resorts World outlet mall sits across the lake – ideal for a 30-minute leg-stretch between sessions.
- Bear Grylls Adventure offers evening axe-throwing and iFLY; great vendor-client ice-breakers (group discounts kick in at six people).
- Hilton Metropole spa day-passes give access to the 20m pool and sauna from 6:30am – useful for early-bird gym fans.
Bottom line
Sort travel before February price hikes, lock dinner tables by end-January, and use NEC’s built-in perks to keep every hour focused on conversations that matter – not on logistics.
