Last Updated on March 17, 2026 by Jane Nriapia
The Aesthetics Conference & Exhibition (ACE) is one of the largest medical aesthetics events in the UK. The conference is currently held at the Business Design Centre in Islington, London, where it brings together aesthetic practitioners, clinic owners, brands, and industry experts for two days of education, product launches, and networking.
This is my first time visiting the Aesthetics Conference & Exhibition (ACE), and I don’t have a very clear idea of what to expect beyond the obvious: exhibitors, industry talks, and networking opportunities. What I am hoping for most is the chance to meet some of the many talented and interesting people working in the aesthetics industry, particularly clinic owners looking for ways to grow their clinics and attract more patients through search.
Because I’ve been wondering what attending ACE will actually be like, it occurred to me that others probably feel the same way before their first visit. That’s why I decided to write this blog, to give future delegates a genuine first-hand insight into what the event is like.
Check out my Instagram to see more about #ACE2026 and the Aesthetics Awards
My first potential mistake may have been not travelling to London on Thursday so that I could arrive when the conference doors opened at 9am. Whether that turns out to be a bad decision remains to be seen. I’ve started writing this piece from the train from Leeds, which we caught at 9.40am.
We should arrive in London around midday before dropping our bags at a friend’s pub in Kensington, where we are staying tonight.
From there we’ll need to make our way across the city to Angel, where the conference is held. Realistically, this probably means we won’t arrive until the afternoon. The exhibition itself runs until 5pm today, although I believe some networking opportunities continue into the early evening.
I’ll be updating this blog throughout Friday and Saturday as the event unfolds, so feel free to check back later to see how my first ACE experience develops.
Friday at the Aesthetics Conference & Exhibition (ACE)
We arrived at the conference at around 2pm. It was really easy to find.
Angel is just one stop away from King’s Cross, which is about the level of navigation even I don’t struggle with. From the station it was about a five-minute walk to the Business Design Centre, where the conference is held.
We had already registered in advance, but it looked like you could also scan a QR code outside the building if you hadn’t registered beforehand. This means you can still get a ticket on the day if you decide to attend on a whim.
One really great thing about this event is that it is completely free to attend, which is a real bonus for a conference of this size.
When we walked in, there were stands and displays everywhere, and we weren’t completely sure where to start. After taking a quick look at the map, we decided the best approach was simply to mooch around and go with the flow.
All the big aesthetics brands you would expect to see were exhibiting.
For someone who owns a clinic and may be looking to invest in new devices or skincare lines, the exhibition floor would probably be very valuable. As someone who doesn’t run a clinic and isn’t in the market for an expensive device, it was still interesting to see, but much of it wasn’t really aimed at me.
We made our way up to the second floor, which had a similar layout, before heading to the third floor where there seemed to be much more activity.
At one point we asked a member of staff what was happening in one of the presentation rooms, and she kindly gave us her paper guide to the talks and seminar spaces. We hadn’t been given one when we arrived, and although some of this information is available in the event app, we actually found the printed guide much easier to use.
The Cutting Edge Theatre
We walked into one of the theatres where a presentation on regenerative aesthetics was already underway. It was a really interesting talk presented by Dr Zunaid Ali, Dr Vania Hiratsuka Dalmedo, and Dr Magdalena Bejma.
I recognised Dr Bejma straight away as she runs a clinic in Leeds.
Members Lounge Networking
Next, we went to find the members’ networking event, which started at 3.30pm. This session was for Aesthetics members, and although it wasn’t particularly busy, it turned out to be a great opportunity to chat with a few people.
We received a really warm welcome from Shannon Kilgariff, the Event Director at Aesthetics Journal. She kindly shared some insight into the future plans for the event and explained a little more about how people in the industry can get involved.
While we were in the lounge, I also spotted Amer and Mia, who are both journalists for Aesthetics Journal. Amer helped me get my piece published in the February edition, so it was lovely to see them both in person.
After this, the bubbles I’d been given at the members’ networking started to kick in, so we decided it was probably a good time to head back to our hotel, with a stop at PizzaExpress for dinner along the way.
I’ll update you on day two tomorrow, although it might actually be the day after since we’re also heading to the Aesthetics Awards on Saturday night!
Unfortunately, we never made it back for day two of the conference. We ended up having a slightly slower start to the day than planned and before we knew it the afternoon had disappeared. With the 2026 Aesthetics Awards taking place later that evening, we needed to head back to the hotel to get ready.
Final Thoughts on the ACE Aesthetics Conference
Even though we only attended the ACE conference for a few hours, we still managed to see quite a lot. From exploring the exhibition floor to attending a talk on regenerative aesthetics and meeting members of the Aesthetics Journal team, it felt like a worthwhile visit.
My overall impression is that ACE is a well-organised and accessible event, particularly for clinic owners and practitioners who want to grow their aesthetics businesses and attract more patients.
If you are planning to attend ACE for the first time, my advice would be to arrive early, download the event app, and spend some time reviewing the talk schedule before you arrive. There is a lot happening across multiple floors, so having a rough plan will help you make the most of your time.
Even with our late arrival, I was really glad we came along. It was a great opportunity to connect with people in the industry and get a feel for one of the UK’s biggest aesthetics events.
And with the Aesthetics Awards 2026 still to come on Saturday evening, the fun was far from over.
