Kings Dock · Liverpool Waterfront L3 4FP · Convention · Exhibition · Arena
ACC Liverpool: three venues, one site
The Kings Dock waterfront site holds a convention centre, an exhibition centre and an arena, all under the ACC Liverpool banner and all with different entrances. Giving us the site address is not enough; we need to know which building you are actually going to.
On one waterfront campus, often running different events simultaneously. A conference in one, a trade show in another and a concert in the arena on the same evening is a normal Tuesday here, and each needs a different drop point.
The three parts of the site
Same postcode, different entrances, and frequently different events on the same day.
Conferences and auditorium
Delegate arrivals, usually daytime, with a formal schedule.
Trade shows and expos
Exhibitor vehicles, heavy kit and build-up days before the public arrive.
Concerts and events
Evening crowds leaving all at once. A completely different job.
Around all three
Kings Dock, with the river on one side and the city behind.
Kent to Liverpool
A long run north west. Times include required rest breaks.
| Pick-up area | Distance | Each way |
|---|---|---|
| Bromley & Orpington | 248 miles | 4h 40m – 5h 35m |
| Sevenoaks & Tonbridge | 251 miles | 4h 45m – 5h 40m |
| Dartford & Bluewater | 254 miles | 4h 50m – 5h 45m |
| Gravesend & Northfleet | 259 miles | 4h 55m – 5h 50m |
| Maidstone & Aylesford | 264 miles | 5h – 5h 55m |
| Rochester & Chatham | 269 miles | 5h 5m – 6h |
| Canterbury & Ashford | 293 miles | 5h 30m – 6h 30m |
Three kinds of booking
What we are asked for depends entirely on which building you are in.
| Event type | What it needs |
|---|---|
| Conference | Arrival the day before, evening dinner runs, invoiced to an account |
| Exhibition, as a visitor | A day or two, with a hotel. Usually a straightforward return |
| Exhibition, as an exhibitor | Build-up days, stand kit and multiple runs. Book well ahead |
| Arena concert | Evening finish around 22:30, everyone leaving at once |
| Any of them | Tell us the building and the event, not just the postcode |
Getting to the waterfront
Name the building and the event
A conference delegate, an exhibitor with two vans of stand kit and a concert-goer at the arena all arrive at the same postcode and need three entirely different arrangements. It takes one line in an enquiry and it is the difference between a smooth arrival and being dropped at the wrong end of a large waterfront site.
Five hours means staying over, whatever the event
Two hundred and fifty miles is not a day return for a conference, an exhibition or a concert. Liverpool has a very large supply of accommodation on and around the waterfront, and the sensible pattern is up the day before, back the day after. We price the whole thing as one arrangement including any runs while you are there.
Exhibitors need to talk to us early
Build-up days, stand materials, multiple journeys and tight delivery windows are a different proposition from carrying eight delegates. Our ExCeL exhibitor guide covers how we handle that kind of work, and the same principles apply here at five times the distance, which makes planning ahead considerably more important.
The arena is a separate page
If you are going to a concert at the M&S Bank Arena rather than a conference or trade show, our arena page covers the evening exit, the collection point and the late finish, which are the parts that matter for a show. This page is the daytime, business side of the same site.
ACC Liverpool questions
One site, three venues.
What is on the ACC Liverpool site?
A convention centre, an exhibition centre and the M&S Bank Arena, all on the Kings Dock waterfront with different entrances and often different events on the same day.
Why do you need to know which building?
Because a conference delegate, an exhibitor with stand kit and a concert-goer need three different arrangements and three different drop points at the same postcode.
How far is Liverpool from Kent?
Around two hundred and fifty to two hundred and ninety miles, roughly four and three quarter to six and a half hours each way including rest breaks.
Can we do it in a day?
No, not for any event type. Liverpool has plenty of waterfront accommodation and the sensible pattern is up the day before and back the day after.
Do you handle exhibitor work?
Yes, including build-up days and stand kit, though it needs planning well ahead at this distance. Our ExCeL exhibitor guide sets out how we approach it.
What if we are going to a concert?
Our M&S Bank Arena page covers the evening exit and late collection, which are the parts that matter for a show rather than a conference.
Can we be invoiced?
Yes, against a corporate account with VAT shown separately and one named contact.
Is the fare fixed?
Yes, agreed at booking for the whole trip including any runs while you are there.
Conference venues and the north west
Liverpool and Manchester.