Cover Feature
2007
• NEC Box Office relaunches as The
Ticket Factory
• G-MEX rebranded to Manchester
Central
2008
• Manchester Central undergoes
major £30m renovation
• ACC Liverpool opens its doors
• ADNEC acquires ExCeL London
2010
• ICC London ExCeL opens
2011
• EventCity opens in Manchester
2013
• Plans for new £333m Scottish
venue approved – The Event
Campus Aberdeen (TECA)
• The SSE Hydro opens in Glasgow.
It is now the fourth-busiest
entertainment arena in the world
• First Direct Arena opens in Leeds
2014
• Earl’s Court shuts its doors
2015
• Resort’s World opens at the NEC
• The NEC acquired from Birmingham
City Council for circa £307m
• Eikon Exhibition Centre opens
outside Belfast
2017
• Olympia London acquired in £296m
deal
• SECC rebrands to The Scottish
Event Campus
2018
• Plans for £1bn Olympia London
upgrade revealed
• Blackstone acquires The NEC
Group for a reported £800m
2019
• ICC Wales to open, operated by
Celtic Manor Resort
• Plans unveiled by
NewcastleGateshead for £250m
convention centre
come together and recognise that for all
the competitive forces between ourselves
as venues, there are many ways we can
benefit each other if we collaborate.”
At one time there were myriad different
rules and ways of working, so the
formation of the AEV was an opportunity
to standardise the UK’s venue offering.
“That was how the working groups
started, and out of the working groups
came the e-guide,” continues Parker.
Launched in February 2008, the e-guide
addresses internal industry issues
concerning health and safety, as well as
other operational procedures/regulations.
Starting with three venues, there are now
19 that have adopted the guide.
The industry association working
groups have arguably taken the idea of
collaboration to its logical next step. The
AEV has 10 working groups, five of which
are cross-association with members of
supplier association ESSA and the AEO,
covering everything from advances in
sustainability and technology to HR.
“These groups draw from the broader
range of talent and expertise across all
areas of the events sector, giving members
a platform to collaborate on initiatives
that drive progressive change throughout
the industry,” continues Parker.
“The heart of the AEV is the working
groups,” adds James. “They drive
through best practice and that’s what the
association is all about.”
“It is a hugely relevant platform
promoting the industry’s interests;
be it in lobbying, sharing expertise or
encouraging best practice,” agrees Nigel
Nathan, MD of Olympia London.
The industry, comments ExCeL London
CEO Jeremy Rees, has been a leading
catalyst for business tourism, driving
£11.5bn of economic impact annually and
engaging millions of visitors every year.
“The AEV has been instrumental in
helping to drive this growth, ensuring
that the UK events industry continues
to thrive,” he tells EN. “The work of the
AEV team; boards; working groups and
committees, really matters; it has driven
change and caused positive impact. I
am enormously proud of what has been
achieved over the last 15 years and it
has been a pleasure contributing a little
towards the first 15 years.”
Evolving venues
As the timeline on the left demonstrates,
the past 15 years have seen some dramatic
changes to the UK’s exhibition venues.
Since first opening in 2000, ExCeL
London has overcome an initial ‘wild
west’ perception of its East London
location, and Crossrail, though delayed,
will only serve to increase its viability as
a venue. The NEC has seen the opening
of Resorts World, transforming the site
into a true destination for visitors, along
with continued investment in the venue
infrastructure and customer experience,
not to mention the addition of HS2 on the
horizon. Plans for the ambitious Olympia
London redevelopment have been
presented, which will certainly transform
the customer experience at the venue, and
in Glasgow the SEC has continued to go
from strength to strength.
However, as organising companies also
continue to grow in tandem, the loss of
Earl’s Court in 2014 has been felt keenly
by those with shows in the capitals.
“The closure of Earl’s Court has
resulted in a shortage of exhibition and
event space, handing the venue owners a
monopoly on space, which has in turn led
to high price increases etc.” comments
Lee Newton, CEO of Media 10. “The
failure to secure a permanent London
Underground service to Olympia has
also been a huge problem. Earl’s Court
provided customers with a transport
service that supplemented the offering
that an exhibition provided. If you make
it easy for visitors to attend then they will
return readily, if it is a difficult journey it
will impact on their experience and thus
their propensity to return.”
As the industry continues its meteoric
growth, the value of its associations
will continue to grow, especially when it
comes to the sharing of best practice that
is so valued by AEV members. And, as the
association continues to attract more non-
traditional venues, it’s clear that the UK
venue community is taking note. EN
July — 19