Successful Meetings - November 2009 - (Page 86)

LONDON > EAST ENDERS New additions to ExCeL London are intended to attract more large-scale events like the London Motor Show EAST ENDERS LONDON’S EAST END SHINES AS THE CITY READIES FOR THE OLYMPIC GAMES By Vincent Alonzo T raditionally, when one spoke of the wonders of London, it was specifically the West End that was being referenced. But infrastructure developments undertaken in the East End in recent years have the area challenging the West End for time in the spotlight. East London has emerged as the capital’s rising star. The Docklands have become the city’s key financial hub and the clubs and bars in this part of town are thriving on their cool reputation. Huge developments, such as the Thames Gateway and the Olympic Games coming to the city in the summer of 2012, have led developers to declare that the future belongs to the East. ExCeL London, the international exhibition and conference center, is at the heart of the East End’s emergence. Since opening in 2000, the venue has hosted over 2,000 events and welcomed more than 5 million visitors from over 200 countries. In October, plans were finalized for the addition of a London International Convention Centre (ICC). The project, to be officially named ICC London ExCeL, will cost an estimated $273 million. Visit London, the Greater London Authority, and Mayor of London Boris Johnson have all come out in support of the center. The launch coincided with a new commitment from the city to attract more conferences, conventions, and events with a large number of attendees, with ICC London ExCeL representing the first purpose-built large-scale convention venue in London. ICC London ExCeL is set to open in May 2010, on time and on budget. “London ICC ExCeL has been developed following intensive consultation with clients, buyers, and industry experts and meets every requirement of an ICC,” says Kevin Murphy, CEO of ExCeL London. “What’s more, it is completely privately funded without strain on the public purse but with a projected economic benefit of £1.6 billion ($2.65 billion) by the end of 2011.” “London’s fighting back—we want to attract more international events and overseas companies to the capital, building on the 7 million business travelers that come each year,” says Johnson. ESSENTIAL Tool Box CONVENTION CENTERS & FACILITIES ExCeL London (969,000 sf); Earl’s Court Exhibition and Conference Centre and Olympia Coference Centre (1,044,000 sf combined); The Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre (21,500-sf exhibit hall) FOR MORE INFORMATION www.visitlondon.com Other Developments But the rest of London isn’t sitting still. Many new hotels and hotel renovations are underway in preparation for the 2012 games. Most notable is the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge London, topped off in July in a ceremony in which Mayor Johnson bolted the final beam of the largest purpose-built hotel in London in place. When it opens early next year on the South Bank, the $582 million hotel will feature more than 1,000 guest rooms and 29,000 sf of meeting space. Park Plaza Hotels president and CEO Boris Ivesha cited the construction of the hotel as an example of the company’s commitment to serving as an economic engine for London. “We are passionate about London and are on track to deliver 5,000 beds across the capital, establishing Park Plaza Hotels as one of the city’s most important hotel operators,” he said. SM I SM I November 2009 I SuccessfulMeetings.com http://www.visitlondon.com http://www.SuccessfulMeetings.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Successful Meetings - November 2009

Successful Meetings - November 2009
Contents
Editor's Letter
Spain Hosts MITM Euromed
Meetings Law
Incentive Insights
Management Matters
Mouth For Sale
Golf Meetings
Corporate Social Responsibility
Places + Spaces
International Roundup
Paris
Hong Kong
Scotland
Colombia
Mexico
London
Copenhagen
Switzerland
Las Vegas
Dallas
Boston
Bermuda

Successful Meetings - November 2009