ExCeL London is one of London’s largest buildings, it brings a wealth of history and surprises! Through its 24 years, ExCeL has brought together people from all walks of life for a range of events including trade and consumer, equestrian and sporting, concerts, weddings, performances and religious events. Among these events have been Grand Designs, London Marathon Registration, the London Boat Show, Star Wars Celebration Europe, Olympic and Paralympic events and the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict, led by Angelina Jolie. In this blog, we will delve into the history of this rich venue and its exciting future.
About The Venue
- The exhibition centre opened its doors in November 2000, a little later than some of its well-known counterparts, such as Olympia, London (1886) and the Business Design Centre BDC (1861).
- The venue is situated on a 100-acre site on the northern quay of the Royal Victoria Dock, between Canary Wharf and London City Airport.
- The name ExCeL stands for Exhibition Centre London, though the venue was coined ExCeL London for its catchier and more memorable appeal. Funnily enough, this results in a somewhat redundant name – Exhibition Centre London, London. However, this hasn’t hindered the venue’s success in any way!
- ExCeL hosts just under 350 events per year, so there’s nearly always something going on.
- The venue welcomes around 4 million guests from around the globe each year.
- During COVID, ExCeL London was transformed into an emergency hospital (NHS Nightingale Hospital), able to host up to 4000 patients.
- The interior of ExCeL London featured largely in the Avengers: Age of Ultron!
- The music video for Coldplay’s Clocks was filmed in front of a staged audience at ExCeL.
The Architecture
ExCeL London was designed by Moxley Architects and built by Sir Robert McAlpine. The building currently covers 100,000 square metres with a distinctive triangular glass ceiling. The glass ceiling is seen in many exhibition centres, particularly those like Olympia London and the Business Design Centre (BDC), built in the Victorian era. This architectural feature is not just a style choice, though it does look grand, but also a technique to combat exhibition fatigue. The ceiling lets in more light, which in turn decreases melatonin. If you have attended such events, you’ll know they can be quite exhausting!
First Exhibitions
Kicking off with a compelling lineup, ExCeL hosted DSEI in 2001! This bi-annual event is a must-attend for international governments, Ministries of Defence, and military officials. It continues to run at ExCeL to this day.
Most Famous Exhibitions
Now coming up to its 25th year, ExCeL London has hosted a much more impressive range of events, such as:
- The Formula 1 Exhibition
- The FRIENDS™ Experience: The One in London
- Disney100: The Exhibition in London
- Ultimate Tennis Showdown
- The Baby Show
- Bett
- Grand Designs
- MCN Motorcycle Show
- The London International Horse Show
A Journey to Sustainability
One of the most significant changes in ExCeL’s approach to business is the emphasis on sustainability, with their continued journey to net zero. We mentioned at the start of this blog that ExCeL had some surprises. One of the greatest is that the venue hosts one of the largest commercial wormeries in the UK. You read that right. Among a plethora of green initiatives, ExCeL London is home to 300,000 worms for recycling food waste!
Other great initiatives include 100% renewable energy sources and 100% offset of gas use through VCOs. Additionally, the venue implemented a zero-waste policy whereby all waste must be recycled or used to create refuse-derived fuels. ExCeL even installed a living wall that removes air pollutants!
Sustainability improvements are also being implemented through exhibitors. Many are choosing modular exhibition stands from leading contractors like Quadrant2Design in hopes of reducing environmental impact or working towards net zero.
The Future
Ahead of its 25th year (2025), ExCeL has announced a new brand refresh and major expansion.
ExCeL has been expanding in phases. The first was the initial build, which had a capacity of 65, 000 sqm. When ADNEC acquired ExCeL in 2008, they began phase 2, a £165m investment, which brought the venue to 1000,000 sqm! Initial work on phase 3 started in March 2022; a £220m expansion that will take the venue to 125,000 sqm. The goal of the continued growth was to become the best event destination in the world!
Conclusion
ExCeL’s rich history and journey from the London International Boat Show to events like The Formula 1 Exhibition illustrates its continued importance and role in events and business shows.
As ExCeL takes on phase three, with its 25% expansion it will be set to define itself as the leading and largest events hub in London. We are excited to see what it has in store!
