ExCeL – Britain’s Pride

Business and Exhibitions magazine № 1 (61) 2013

ExCeL is not only the MS Office application we all use, but also one of Britain’s busiest exhibition hubs. ExCeL London (Exhibition Centre London) is the venue for significant conferences, conventions, and festivals.

The centre was founded in 2000. Since that time it has seen more than 3800 events; it has been attended by more than 12 000 000 visitors from over 200 countries, participating in various events ranging from sports contests and religious festivals to official ceremonies and all imaginable and unimaginable conferences. ExCeL London is the primary basis for such legendary British exhibitions like Grand Designs Live, the biggest designers“ event and Top Gear Live, an automobile forum. Prestigious VIP-events for government organizations and professional associations are also frequently organized here.

ExCeL London (Exhibition Centre London)

In 2008 the centre was extended, new halls were built, increasing its total exhibition space up to 100 000 square metres. The main building comprises two non-column rectangular halls with retractable dividing walls, 44 500 square metres each.

The centre’s exhibition space can provide for a wide range of events. Apart from the two pavilions ExCeL can offer 2 conference-centres, 45 halls for business meetings, as well as Britain’s largest multitask, fully reconfigurable lecture-hall that can accommodate 5 000 listeners. Experts estimate the centre’s value at £560 000 000.

Every January ExCeL London hosts the London Boat Show that gathers
the world’s leading motor-boats and yacht manufacturers, as well as all passionate sailing lovers.

This exhibition and convention centre has more than 40 bars and restaurants, 6 hotels, 1400 rooms, ranging from 2 to 4 stars and a car park for 3700 cars.

It’s also quite easy to get there – you can use London’s medium-capacity rail transport system, connected to the main London Underground Jubilee line. In summer 2012, due to the upcoming Olympic games, a new tramway line was set up to provide a convenient link between ExCeL London and Arena O2, the capital’s main Olympic facility. The London City Airport is within a 5 minute drive from the centre, busy with over 350 flights a day.

Over the recent years ExCeL London has focused on environmental projects and “green” technologies implementation. The centre’s premises house a recycling plant to recycle all waste left over after exhibitions. The waste is sorted in differently coloured containers according to their material.

One of the centre’s distinctive features is the country’s only commercial cocoonery, a special facility for breeding worms that could later digest organic waste. In 2011 89% of the centre’s waste was recycled.

These environmental efforts have lead to gas and electricity consumption decrease by 65% and 28% respectively, carbon dioxide emissions have been reduced by 65% over the last four years.

ExCeL London was 47th on the 2010 top “green” companies list according to The Sunday Times. The centre was awarded the Diamond Prize at Green500 Awards under the aegis of London Mayor, as well as the Golden Standard Award for carbon monoxide and a best recycler award. Moreover, ExCeL got the C category in the governmental power-efficiency rating, which means that it is 38% more power-efficient than any other such centre in the country.

The centre has elaborated a unique PR-programme to support the exhibitions’ participants and organizers, the underlying principle being an individual approach to clients. In 2010 ExCeL London Support Club, involving more than 100 East London enterprises, ranging from bars, hotels, restaurants to airlines companies and travel agencies was established. The club members conduct special meetings on a regular basis to discuss the ways to enhance client-friendly services. Conference and other events promotion campaigns are destined to cater for both British and foreign companies. Their principle strategy is maintaining the image of London as a key European capital; therefore the centre joined its efforts with London & Partners – London’s official image promotion company.

Over the years ExCeL London has received numerous prestigious awards from the industry’s largest authorities, including recognition from World Travel Awards 2010 that defined it as the best exhibition and convention centre of the world. In 2011 and 2012 ExCeL London was recognized as Britain’s best exhibition space, as well as the best conference centre by Conference Awards.

WorldSkills 2011 can be fairly defined as one of the most important exhibitions held at the centre.
WorldSkills is the largest carrier forum and occupational fitness contest among young specialists of 17-22 years old

ExCeL London is more than just an exhibition centre, the company had given a pledge to its clients to continue its growth and development, accruing investments, fueled by the staff’s enthusiasm, amassing experience and enhancing services provided, aiming at acquiring the status of the leading international event-centre, bearing in mind London’s ecology and history. These vows conform to ADNEC Group (UAE) – ExCeL London founder and principle shareholder – long term strategy and objectives. They are also substantiated by the team’s unfaltering dedication to create perfect environment for any sort of event.

Source: Business and Exhibitions magazine № 1 (61) 2013