London’s QEII Centre was at the epicentre of the most
prestigious royal event of the year – The Coronation of Their Majesties King
Charles III and Queen Camilla on Saturday 6 May.
The venue played a key supporting role in helping to
showcase the historic occasion to the world as well as hosting individuals
looking for a unique opportunity to join in the wider celebrations.
Objective
Having successfully played a key role supporting the funeral
of HM The Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022, the QEII Centre was once again
called upon to ensure uninterrupted global media coverage of the Coronation of
King Charles III on Saturday 6 May 2023 could be beamed live around the world.
Due to its location opposite Westminster Abbey, where the ceremony
was held and its event support services, QEII provided space, IT and AV
support, and refreshments for around 500 members of the world’s media,
including Associated Press, European Broadcasting Union, BBC, ITN and ITV, in
the lead-up-to and during the event.
On the day of the ceremony, the centre also hosted a client
event for around 60 high-net-worth individuals who had a birds’ eye view as the
event unfolded from the comfort of the centre while enjoying a breakdast and
lunch prepared by QEII’s catering team, QEII Taste.
Several weeks before the Coronation, a three-tier stand was
constructed on the front lawn of the centre, providing a dedicated platform
from which more than 300 members of the broadcast media could capture the 2,300
strong congregation entering and leaving Westminster Abbey on Saturday 6, as
well as the spectacular military parade of 4,000 armed forces personnel
following the service. In addition, 14 outside broadcast vans and a generator
truck supplied by Film and TV Services, fuelled by HVO diesel (hydrotreated
vegetable oil) parked on the front lawn.
Mark Taylor, chief executive of The QEII Centre, said: “It
was the most extraordinary experience and one that will live in our memories
forever. The QEII Centre was the closest venue to Westminster Abbey providing
resources and refreshments for those working on the event and celebrating it.
We were honoured to be able to provide such a unique platform and thanks to the
professionalism and hard work of our expert team, we successfully exceeded
requirements and expectations for all.”
Execution
In the same way that the Coronation itself was a
demonstration of precision and coordination, so were all aspects of service
offered by the QEII Centre’s expert team, in the lead-up, during and after the
event.
This saw the QEII’s operations team collaborating with a
number of other third parties including the Metropolitan Police, the Department
for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) as well as event planners Identity.
Several weeks before the Coronation, a three-tier stand was
constructed on the front lawn of nthe centre, providing a dedicated platform
from which more than 300 members of the broadcast media could capture the 2,300
strong congregation entering and leaving Westminster Abbey on Saturday 6, as
well as the spectacular military parade of 4,000 armed forces personnel
following the service.
In addition, 14 outside broadcast vans and a generator truck
supplied by Film and TV Services, fuelled by HVO diesel (hydrotreated vegetable
oil) parked on the front lawn.
The media were kept fed and watered throughout the day, with
QEII’s ground-floor café The Sanctuary and the centre’s banqueting operation
serving over 500 coffees and 325 pre[1]ordered breakfast
baps alongside 105 special pie and mash lunches to them during the day.
Results
The QEII Centre’s skilled team, and the centre’s
state-of-the-art flexible facilities, meant a highly successful outcome. QEII’s
support of the media meant the Coronation was broadcast live to 20 million
Britons and an estimated 400 million people around the world, while its hosting
of the celebratory event on the day gave 60 people an exclusive and
unforgettable experience.
Video
As well as running the QEII Centre, Mark Taylor proved to be
a dab hand and capturing one of the most significant moments in modern history:
Video
