CRE Enters A New Era Following Highly Successful Sandown Park Exhibition

Church Resources Exhibition (CRE) welcomed more than 2,300 church leaders, ministry teams, volunteers and decision-makers to Sandown Park, Esher on 14-15 October, delivering what many exhibitors, speakers and visitors described as one of the most successful editions in the event's history.

The UK’S leading exhibition for church resources, services and ideas brought together hundreds of exhibitors, a packed conference programme and visitors from across the United Kingdom and overseas for two days of inspiration, learning, networking and worship.

A clear indicator of CRE’s growing national reach was the geographical spread of attendees. While 36% of visitors travelled from Greater London and the South East, an impressive 64% journeyed from further afield across the UK and beyond, including visitors from the Netherlands, Ireland and the USA. The figures demonstrate that churches and ministries are travelling further than ever before to attend CRE.

One of the defining features of this year’s event was the strength of the conference programme. The Church Leaders Conference and the
newly launched Building Resources Conference attracted exceptional audiences, with standing room only at many sessions across the two days. The largest audience of the event gathered to hear evangelist and author J.John, whose keynote address proved a major highlight of day one.

For the first time, all conference sessions were recorded and will be available to view on-demand from the CRE website in the coming weeks. 

The exhibition opened in uplifting fashion with a live worship and music session led by Noel Robinson on the Music Stage, setting the tone for two days focused on serving and strengthening the church in the UK.

Commenting on the event, CRE organisers praised the enthusiasm and engagement shown by visitors and exhibitors alike. “The atmosphere throughout the halls was incredibly positive. Churches are looking for practical solutions, fresh ideas and meaningful connections, and CRE continues to provide a unique environment where those conversations can happen,” remarked Tony Crinion, Managing Director of Quartz Business Media. “The feedback from exhibitors, speakers and visitors has been overwhelmingly encouraging.”

An exciting new chapter for CRE

Building on the success of this year’s event, organisers also announced that CRE will move to the iconic Business Design Centre in Islington, London for its next edition on 24-25 June 2027, opening an exciting new chapter in the exhibition’s development.

The move positions CRE at the heart of the UK's largest concentration of churches, ministries and Christian organisations. More than 3,500 Christian churches are located within the M25, with over 1,000 situated within a 30-minute journey of Islington.

Combined with excellent national rail and London Underground connections via Angel, King’s Cross and Euston, alongside on-site parking facilities, the new venue will make CRE more accessible than ever before.

“Moving to the Business Design Centre represents an exciting step forward for CRE. It places us at the centre of one of the most significant church communities in the country and strengthens our position as a truly national event that can be easily accessed by churches and ministries from every region of the UK,” Tony Crinion added.

Further details about the next edition of CRE, including exhibitor and speaker opportunities, will be announced in the coming months.