London is set for another blockbuster year of new openings in 2023, making it an even more attractive destination for event, meeting and incentive planners. From a range of exciting new hotel openings to brand new venues and more sustainable options, the UK capital is set for an exciting year ahead.
The London Convention Bureau recently exhibited at IMEX Frankfurt 2023 alongside 24 of the city’s best hotels, venues, DMCs and services, with London’s Deputy Mayor for Business, Rajesh Agrawal, joining the London delegation to connect with event organisers and emphasising the importance of business tourism to London’s economy.
New developments and hotel openings
London is home to a number of new developments and expanding neighbourhoods, such as Battersea Power Station, which reopened with a complete transformation in October 2022. In addition to an eclectic F&B and retail offering within the Power Station, the new development brings with it new event spaces and vibrant hotels, including art’otel.
2023 and beyond will welcome the opening of long-awaited international hotel brands, including The Peninsula London and Raffles’ first UK brand which opens at the OWO, on the historic royal site of Whitehall Palace.
Once home to the 2012 Summer Olympics, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in east London is launching its new cultural quarter East Bank, set to be home to world-renowned universities like UAL, plus the V&A, BBC and Sadler’s Wells. The area has also recently become home to the ABBA Arena, a custom-built venue hosting revolutionary virtual concerts.
In addition to new hotel and venue openings, London’s existing iconic venues like ExCeL London are currently undergoing major transformations to increase capacity. ExCeL is in the final stages of a £200m, 25,000 square metre expansion programme, set to open in October 2024.
Next year will also see the regeneration of Olympia London, as it undergoes a £1bn project to become the newest arts, culture, and entertainment district, complete with a 4,400 capacity live music venue and 1,575-seat theatre.
Greater connectivity
London is the most connected city in Europe, with six international airports and increasing slow and sustainable rail travel options. Its transport options will be boosted further this year with a series of new routes opening.
Eurostar connects London to Brussels and Paris, and a new merger with Thalys now offers even greater connectivity to European cities. A new European Sleeper service was launched in May, taking visitors from Berlin to Brussels, with just a quick transfer to the Eurostar needed before arriving in London.
Within the city, the recently opened high-speed Elizabeth line has transformed the visitor experience, connecting Heathrow airport with central London in just 30 minutes, with a number of venues including ExCeL London located on the line.
More sustainable options
The Mayor of London has set ambitious targets for London to reach net zero carbon by 2030 and become a zero-waste city by 2050. London’s business tourism industry has big role to play in reaching these targets and is already home to 59 hotels and venues with Green Tourism accreditation.
With revolutionary carbon neutral event spaces like Oceandiva arriving in London in 2023, and world-famous venues like ExCeL London being the first UK venue to achieve carbon neutral certification in 2022, London offers many sustainable venue options for event planners.
Tracy Halliwell MBE, Director of Tourism, Conventions & Major Events at London Convention Bureau, said:
“London is a city that is constantly evolving and offering something new in addition to keeping its heritage and historical offer that visitors know and love. Improvements to our city’s infrastructure have not only made it easier to travel to and around London but also provide more sustainable travel options for delegates. We’re excited by the amount of quality new hotels and venues set to open in the next 12 months and these new developments offer further proof that London remains a top global destination to host your next meeting or event.”
James Rees, Executive Director at ExCeL London, said:
“2023 is shaping up to be our busiest year yet – not only has London’s events sector recovered, but it’s performing better than ever before with visitor numbers up 10% on 2019. As we look to the future, the expansion of ExCeL and increasing connectivity options with the new Elizabeth line means we will be able to host more delegates and therefore more exciting and transformative events in London.”
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