NEWS
Venue news
The latest updates on major expansion and development work at two of London ’ s best-known exhibition venues .
Olympia London details conference centre plans as part of £ 1.3bn regeneration
Olympia London has revealed details of its planned conference centre , due to open in 2026 .
The events venue is part of Olympia ’ s £ 1.3bn regeneration scheme . It will feature an 850-seat capacity auditorium , 11 breakout rooms with capacities ranging from 60 to 450 delegates , three boardrooms , and 2,000 sqm of flexible space .
ExCeL London starts year-long countdown to expansion opening
The 12-month countdown to the opening of ExCeL London ’ s 25,000 sqm expansion began last month .
The £ 220m development , being built by McLaren Construction , will expand the ADNEC Group-owned venue ’ s exhibition and conference facilities by a further 25 % – totalling 125,000 sqm when it opens in October 2024 .
In line with ExCeL ’ s Sustainability Strategy and carbon neutrality , the expansion is being built to achieve an ‘ Excellent ’ BREEAM rating upon completion and has already saved more than 11,000kg of CO2e by using Cemfree , an ultra-low carbon masonry mortar .
As part of the project , a substantial investment is also being made in the public realm including new greenery along the dock edge , improved landscaping for pedestrians and cyclists , and a new pocket park .
Jeremy Rees , CEO of ExCeL , said : “ This year is set to be a recordbreaker for ExCeL and our biggest and busiest ever year . It is this growth and market confidence in the events industry that has led to us expanding the venue further with a £ 300m total investment programme . From concept to completion , the expansion has had the full support and vision of ADNEC Group , of which ExCeL is proudly a part , and we are very much looking forward to opening the doors in 12 months .”
For organisers thinking bigger , the conference centre could be used in conjunction with Olympia ’ s established event spaces , which are also being enhanced – Olympia Grand , Olympia National and Olympia West .
This will enable large events that need maximum floor space to get creative with their floorplans and curate a variety of zones and different visitor experiences within one event .
The conference centre will have a main entrance on Hammersmith Road with its own reception and registration areas . Two onsite hotels and a restaurant are also part of the development plans .
08 — Winter