The Excel London venue says it has recorded one of its largest ever seven-day attendances since hosting 2012 Olympic Games.
AWS Summit, TCS London Marathon Running Show, London Card Show, and Retail Technology Show were among 10 successful events delivered and the visitor figures more than twice Excel’s weekly average despite strike action the tube system.
The Royal Docks venue attracts around four million visitors a year, and recorded twice its average weekly audience during a seven-day period from 19 to 26 April.
The footfall was on a par to when Excel hosts flagship events such as the World Travel Market or MCM Comic Con. It’s all-time record, however, still remains during the 2012 London Olympic Games when it staged 13 Olympic and Paralympic competitions welcoming 140,000 visitors a day.
Commenting on the achievement, Excel’s CEO Jeremy Rees said: “To experience these levels of visitor numbers, despite four days of TfL strike action, is incredible and a testament to not only London’s thriving event industry but Excel’s robust connectivity. Our mission is to become the best event destination in the world and periods like this put us well on the way to achieving this.”
Of the 250,000 figure, an estimated 25% of visitors had travelled from overseas.
The figures also echo the findings of a recent Events Industry Alliance report (Size and Scale Index for Exhibitions) which showed that the UK exhibitions sector reached its highest level in a decade last year and was worth an estimated £68.7bn to the national economy in 2025.
Excel alone already claims to contribute some £4.6 bn to London’s business tourism economy, as well as being responsible – both directly and indirectly – for 37,500 jobs.
Rees added: “As London’s live events sector continues to grow, the past week offered a clear message: demand is strong, audiences are back, and the capital remains unmatched as a place where people come together to do business, celebrate culture and experience something live.”
The news comes as Excel embarks on a further multi-million-pound investment programme to enhance its digital infrastructure, wayfinding, food and beverage and the overall visitor experience.
Source: www.exhibitionworld.co.uk
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