ExCeL London has secured Newham Planning Committee approval to expand the venue, representing a significant investment in the Royal Docks venue.
This new investment will deliver an additional 25,000 square metres of premium event space, with 12,000 square metres of exhibition space on the ground floor, seamlessly integrated into the existing venue. This will be complemented on the upper level with high-end convention space, state-of-the-art meeting rooms and catering facilities.
In addition, a substantial investment will be made in greenery along the dock edge, improved landscaping, and a new pocket park. The extension will increase overall floorspace by 25%, enabling ExCeL’s customers to grow their events in a world class environment.
ExCeL’s ambition is to create the most sustainable development possible and will therefore be targeting a Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) rating of Excellent – surpassing the recognised industry standard.
Following the initial expansion of the venue in 2010, including the opening of London’s International Convention Centre (ICC), it has been a long-term ambition to further extend ExCeL to meet increased client demand.
ExCeL is committed to developing a world leading event space, which will culminate in the opening of the expansion. This commitment is underpinned by the venue’s owners ADNEC (Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company), who recently acquired the DoubleTree by Hilton London ExCeL.
ExCeL CEO Jeremy Rees said:
“This decision is a key moment not just for ExCeL but for our customers and the entire UK events industry. The expansion of ExCeL will ensure that London and the UK remains internationally competitive and a destination of choice for world-leading events, for years to come. Moreover, this investment will ensure that we can continue to meet the needs of our customers by providing opportunities for growth, complemented by a world-class guest experience.”
Humaid Matar Al Dhaheri, Managing Director and Group CEO of ADNEC, said:
“ADNEC continues to affirm its commitment towards developing its assets in London. This consolidates ExCeL’s position as one of the largest exhibition and conference hubs in Europe, and its pivotal role through the direct and indirect economic impact. The new expansion phase for ExCeL London contributes to our investments in the business tourism sector for the United Kingdom. It is an extension of the expansion phase launched in 2010 which supports our goals of meeting the needs of our partners and providing flexible spaces for hosting mega events.”
The entire ExCeL site will be further enhanced with the opening of the Elizabeth line in 2022. Set to transform travel across London, visitors will be able to reach ExCeL in 15-minutes from Central London and 43-minutes from Heathrow, via the venue’s onsite Elizabeth line station at Custom House.
Construction works are expected to start later this year.
For more information visit www.excel.london