“ We have this ongoing debate of quality versus quantity , volume and value ,” he said .
He added that the destination was an extension of the exhibition experience .
“ All events - so all venues- are actually a destination to start with . You go to something .”
Oliver Gardiner , development director at Deutsche Finance said that the success of exhibitions businesses had opened up new opportunities .
“ The reason we are here is because of everything Olympia London has achieved in promoting exhibitions ,” he said .
He added that as an investor each element of a destination needed to be financially viable in its own right .
Paul Byrom , managing director of Immediate Media , said that tenanted venues could be a beneficial tool in attracting visitors .
“ At the Business Design Centre a lot of the tenants are hedge funds and they are exactly the kind of people we want at London Art Fair ,” he said .
Downsides Austen Hawkins , managing director of F2F , said that he feared visitors may be distracted by other opportunities on site .
But Kerry Prince , chief growth officer at RX Global , felt that if the shows were good enough people would want to stay .
She said : “ We ’ ve got the attitude wrong . We have got to get out of the mindset that people want to leave .”
Hawkins added : “ You ’ ve got to think about what a destination does for a customer . Connectivity is a key issue , and however good the offering on site , if you can ’ t get there easily it ’ s not going to help the customer experience .
“ If people have one bad coffee they ’ ll want to move venue .”
Hawkins also feared that the operational challenges of a large and complex site would need careful planning - exhibition visitors would not want to be stuck behind a queue of gig visitors leaving an arena and exhibitors would not want to find the cafes were full with office workers .
He added that diary planning had to be done carefully – citing the complexities of the time he ran an allergy show while a pet event was running at the same venue .
At the NEC , they have already created an onsite destination with Resorts World . Venue sales director , Ian Taylor , said that running a complex site with a variety of different facilities required careful planning .
“ You have to be a landlord , citizen and also a neighbour ,” he said .
Where can be a destination ? There were some parameters to the types of venues suitable to become destinations . All agreed government support was better outside the UK . Lourda Derry , COO Easyfairs UK and global , pointed to Antwerp , where they hold Bulk Break Europe , and said the city actively supported their show .
Destinations have to be well connected they all agreed – but adding attractive leisure options to turn a business trip into a holiday was also increasingly appealing as people became more time and environment conscious . Marina Bay Sands and Barcelona ticked the boxes . Vienna and Glasgow were hailed for supporting and encouraging business tourism .
Conclusions All agreed there was a lot to be gained from well-planned destinations .
Golden said : “ Today has been a validation of what we have been working towards .”
Tracy Halliwell MBE , London & Partners ’ director of tourism , conventions and major events , said : “ As a destination , should I be worried about venues being destinations ? I don ’ t think so because it is creating a business district .
“ This is exactly what we should be wanting to promote , London being first at everything . We can go to the world and say London has this .
“ We tend to sell a city on leisure , but by creating business destinations , we can start to talk about Olympia London as part of the destination .”
“ There ’ s been a step change in the way we think about events for the next 100 years ”
Taylor concluded : “ Today has been recognition that we are on a journey . You never arrive at the destination . It ’ s about collaboration and partnership .”
Byrom said rethinking venues could be the start of the future for events .
He said : “ There ’ s been a step change in the way we think about events for the next 100 years .
“ We need to continue to talk and collaborate .”
Championing the UK exhibition sector Hawkins said : “ UK organisers are the best in the world , operating in some of the best venues in the world . It ’ s about bringing people in and it ’ s exciting .”
Prince said : “ There ’ s few venues that feel as special as Olympia London and that looks set to continue . As an industry we all need to be responsible for that experience . It ’ s a partnership and a journey .”
Derry echoed the sentiment . “ This journey with Olympia London is history in the making ,” she said . EN
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