EW focuses on the UK’s key exhibition venue developments.
1-ExCeL-ing at food
ExCeL Venue Services (EVS) is ExCeL London’s latest project, providing a one-stop-shop for planners to order all additional services via a central team, including an online platform for exhibitors.
The venue has also completed a multi-million pound project to revolutionise catering across the board, for both delegates and crew. Visitors can now feast on flavours from around the world across 27 high-end eateries, including collaborations with UK celebrity chefs.
Meanwhile, investment in infrastructure remains strong, with an additional 16,000 hotel rooms coming online by the end of 2019, increasing overall capacity to 161,000 bedrooms, and the launch of the Elizabeth line (Crossrail) next year, which will link ExCeL to Heathrow in 43-minutes.
2-Life’s a beach
Birmingham’s NEC’s most recent addition is a beach area that has been created next to the venue’s iconic man-made lake. The beach, coupled with the new lakeside garden has transformed the landscape of the NEC’s front door.
The new feature, which sits next to the lake between the NEC venue, Genting Arena and Resorts World Birmingham, includes a sand coloured pebble beach and contemporary designed Gabion wall, with integrated seating which arc’s around the beach, set off by seven striking topiary trees.
The lake was originally built to take away surface water from the venue, but since the opening of Resorts World Birmingham at the end of last year, which attracts an additional three million visitors to the NEC campus, it has now become a focal point.
3-Record breaking
The SEC has posted a record year for its exhibitions business for 2016/17, achieving 17 per cent growth year on year and another strong year forecast.
Over the last three years, the exhibitions business has increased its turnover by 50 per cent. In the last 12 months, the venue hosted 45 exhibitions, hosted over 10,000 exhibitors and welcomed nearly 540,000 visitors.
Director of exhibition sales Dan Thurlow, said: “We are delighted with these results and are looking forward to another strong year in 2017/18. The whole campus works hard to help existing events flourish and we look to add new and exciting events into the mix each year. These results are a combination of retaining 98 per cent of our existing business combined with a record year for new event wins.
“The rebrand to the Scottish Event Campus at the beginning of 2017 reflects the increasingly flexible nature of our event space here. Organisers are responding to that and each year the SEC is hosting some of the best and most varied content in the world.
“Scotland presents a massive opportunity to engage a new audience and we’re continually demonstrating that the SEC is the ideal partner to help reach them.”
Highlights from the past financial year in exhibitions include the launch of IGNITION Festival of Motoring, the return of MCM Comic Con and All Energy and the ever popular Scottish Golf Show.
4-Economic boon
The QEII Centre generated £218m of gross UK expenditure in 2015/16, creating a GVA (Gross Value Added) of £100m, according to a new economic impact study.
Following the completion of Phase four of a £12m refurbishment programme, the largest dedicated conference and events space in central London commissioned Grant Thornton in June 2016 to undertake a detailed analysis of its contribution to the economy.
An analysis of the QEII delegate data from 2013/14, 2014/15 and 2015/16 also applied official data sources, industry benchmarks and multipliers, qualitative data from interviews with key partners, stakeholders and a number of clients as well as modelling to assess the impact of several key events.
The study also incorporated data relating to employment which advised that the QEII supported an estimated 1,088-2,255 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) jobs.
5-Re-opened
Twickenham’s South Stand conference and events centre has reopened after a three-month refurbishment project to modernise its facilities.
As part of the renovation work a new business and marketing suite has been added to the centre, with onsite computer and printing facilities.
Chris Morris, managing director at Twickenham Experience, commented: “We are very excited to offer a fresh new look to the South Stand.
“We pride ourselves on keeping all our facilities up to date in order to deliver the best possible service and experience to our delegates and hospitality clients.”
The South Stand has 12 rooms and the capacity to host more than 1,200 delegates.
