I wanted to take this opportunity to share my thoughts on the year ahead and outline why I believe there’s never been a better time to come to London.
I believe passionately in the power of our industry. Events are a driving force for commerce and trade and the most effective way of raising global brand awareness. In today’s digital world, the one thing that technology can’t replace is personal communication and face-to-face interaction. Together our industry represents a dynamic, creative, world class sector and a leading catalyst for business tourism.
Events at Excel are thriving. From global brand showcases, to international association meetings, every year we bring together 4 million people from all over the world to meet, trade and do business. On average, events hosted at Excel experience a 15% delegate uplift, with over 300 world-leading events hosted annually.
With the opening of the Elizabeth line in December 2018, the future is set to be even better. Excel will have its own onsite Elizabeth line station, delivering an additional 18,000 visitors per hour. By dramatically reducing journey times, it will allow delegates to spend more time at your event, including senior decision makers who will be able to drop in for a meeting or stay for the day.
This £15 billion ‘Events Super Highway’ will link the world’s busiest airport at Heathrow to Excel in 43-minutes, allowing more international visitors to attend your event. In between, delegates will be able to access the very best of what London has to offer, with connections to hotels, Michelin starred restaurants, world-renowned theatre and attractions, all within record time.
As a world leader for technology, finance, life sciences and education, London provides meeting planners with instant access to inspirational speakers, new business partners and a talent pool of 14 million people. Global brands continue to show their confidence in London with long term commitments to open new offices and expand their workforce, with recent announcements from Google, Spotify and Merck.
Whatever the ambition, we genuinely care about what our clients do and are committed to helping you achieve great things. Our dedicated and experienced teams, are here to work with you to identify opportunities for growth and deliver the best possible event outcome.
My ambition is to make each and every event hosted at Excel truly memorable, ensuring that we fulfil your commercial needs. Our teams are working together every day to create the best guest experience and we look forward to welcoming you to Excel soon.
Jeremy Rees
Acting CEO
