HomeIMPA London 2026 Review

IMPA London 2026 Review

January 27, 2026

IMPA London is where marine procurement gets practical fast. Two tight days in Westminster bring buyers, suppliers, and service providers into the same building to compare supply capability, tighten vendor shortlists, and sanity check pricing, quality control, and delivery execution across fleet and port needs.

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IMPA London 2026 — Event Snapshot

Dates
Sep 22–23, 2026
City & Venue
QEII Centre, Westminster, London, UK
Typical hours
Day 1: 9:00–19:00 • Day 2: 9:00–16:00
Core audience
Purchasing managers, marine procurement teams, and maritime supply chain specialists, plus suppliers and service providers supporting global fleets
Focus
Marine procurement and the maritime supply chain, built around sourcing, execution, and supplier capability
Official site
Venue map
Westminster location is walkable to St James’s Park and the Parliamentary area, which makes it easy to keep meetings tight between sessions.
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What makes IMPA London different

Procurement-first

This is built around buyers and supply chain execution. The conversations lean toward availability, delivery performance, quality control, documentation, and pricing structure.

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Buyer density you can work
If you are sourcing, it is efficient. If you are selling, it is direct. Plan it like a shortlist sprint, not a casual trade show.
Good goal: leave with 3 to 5 qualified suppliers per category plus a clear next step for each.
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Execution questions are welcome
The best meetings are about how a supplier performs under pressure: lead times, documentation, traceability, substitutions, and claims handling.
  • What goes wrong most often and how it is fixed
  • Proof of delivery and quality controls
  • Cutoff times and escalation paths
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Fast comparison across categories
You can cover multiple procurement lanes in one trip. That matters when you are balancing costs, quality, and service level across regions.
Handy approach: write your top 6 categories and rank them by spend and pain. Start at the top and work down.
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International mix
The event is positioned as a global meeting point for procurement and supply chain professionals, with broad international participation.
If you buy globally, use the week to compare how different suppliers handle cross-border logistics and documentation.
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IMPA London 2026 week game plan

QEII Centre, Westminster

Treat this as a two day shortlist sprint. Day 1 is for fast scanning and qualification. Day 2 is for deeper checks, pricing structure, and next steps.

Suggested time split for a high ROI visit
Adjust based on buyer vs supplier
Exhibition floor
45%
Sessions
35%
Targeted meetings
20%
Simple rule: one sweep to discover, one sweep to confirm, then lock next steps before you leave Westminster.
Pick your approach
Before you arrive
  • List your top 8 categories by pain, not by spend.
  • Write down the three failures you want to eliminate: delays, substitutions, quality issues, missing paperwork.
  • Bring one sample RFQ template and your minimum documentation requirements.
On the floor
  • Ask for lead times and what changes them.
  • Confirm QA, traceability, and what happens when something fails onboard.
  • Pressure test delivery to the ports you use most and the cut off times that matter.
End of day closeout
  • Score suppliers 1 to 5 on delivery confidence, documentation, and responsiveness.
  • Pick three follow ups to move into pricing or trials.
  • Send a same day recap while details are fresh.
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Practical notes for London and the QEII Centre area

Westminster

This is a central London venue. That helps you keep meetings tight, reduce transfers, and still fit a full day on the exhibition floor.

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Arriving by Tube and rail
  • Nearest Tube: St James’s Park and Westminster stations.
  • Mainline rail within walk range: Charing Cross, Victoria, and Waterloo.
  • Contactless pay is usually the fastest way to tap in and out across the city.
Keep one fixed meetup point outside the venue for your team. It prevents missed handoffs after sessions.
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Airports and transfer mindset
  • London City is usually the quickest airport into central London if schedules match your route.
  • Heathrow and Gatwick have strong rail links, but build buffer time for peak hours.
  • Plan morning arrivals early. The venue day starts fast and meetings stack quickly.
Best practice: arrive the day before and start Day 1 fresh. Westminster mornings are not forgiving.
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Hotel zones that work
  • Westminster and Victoria for short walks and early starts.
  • South Bank if you want easy evening plans plus quick access over the river.
  • Covent Garden and Soho if your week is dinner heavy, but expect higher rates and more walking.
If you have multiple meetings per day, stay near Westminster or Victoria. The time saved is real.
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Dinner and meeting rhythm
  • Westminster is efficient for quick meetings, but dinner options widen fast if you head toward Victoria, Soho, or Covent Garden.
  • Book dinner earlier than you think on a big event week.
  • Do one long relationship dinner per night, then keep the rest of the evening short and planned.
Schedule your best supplier or buyer meetings for the first half of Day 1. Energy drops late afternoon once the floor gets busy.
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Night before checklist
  • Pick your top 6 targets and write one question for each.
  • Set two meeting windows and protect them.
  • Prepare a one page note on your constraints and delivery ports.
  • Decide your internal decision path and who signs off.
  • Draft a short follow up template for Day 1 leads.
  • Choose one dinner district so the team stays aligned.
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