London calling

London is going all out to prove its post‐pandemic status - with a wealth of new hotels and venues and a pipeline of business stretching years ahead.

As ever, the capital has risen to the challenge of recovering from the impact of Covid‐19 and confidence is building, thanks in part to campaigns like Let’s Do London and its strengths in finance, business services, technology, innovation and life sciences, and the creative industries.

Tracy Halliwell, director of tourism, conventions & major events at London & Partners, says the city has flexed to meet the changing circumstances as it always has done.

“People will be very pleasantly surprised at how London has changed for the better,” she says. “Big cities can offer that confidence that we can look after them, we can cope with all that with enough outdoor spaces and enough knowledge to do it.”

10,000 new hotel rooms joined London’s offering in 2020 and 2021, and new outdoor and pedestrianised spaces are taking centre stage.

“I think there is a huge amount of pent‐up demand and people want to come back,” adds Halliwell. “In the short term, there is a lot of business that needs doing and people want to get out. And we have got a long pipeline of big events planned until 2028/29.”

The breadth of development in the city is testament to that growing confidence – including the green light to expand the event space at London ExCeL by 25 per cent. The world's first super boutique hotel, The Londoner, opened in September; as well as 350 bedrooms across 16 storeys in Leicester Square, it includes a chic pillar‐less ballroom for 850 among the range of stunning spaces.

Julia Phillips, former MD of Crescendo Brand Events who has set up her own agency, Potting Shed Events, agrees that the ever‐changing face of London is central to its appeal. There are plenty of surprising ways to use unusual venues, like Borough Market which her team transformed for a 2020 gala dinner as part of a week‐long international lawyers’ convention, the first time it has been taken over for an event of that kind. Other venues used for the group included Tower Bridge, Kensington Palace and even Westminster Abbey, along with Altitude London in the Millbank Tower and brunch aboard the Silver Sturgeon.

“We were looking for venues that had that old‐school gravitas but still felt intriguing and interesting,” she explains. “It’s all about the money‐can’t‐buy experiences and the hidden gems. As a city, I think London is unrivalled in offering that variety of venue spaces and experiences: people can come back time and time again and see something completely different.”

The scale of London can sometimes work against it: Phillips cites the time it takes to travel short distances as the only drawback but recognises the fantastic connectivity of the surrounding airports.

But travel times are set to improve with the opening of the Elizabeth line in 2022, offering a quick route between central London and Heathrow, meaning delegates can arrive at ExCeL London within 40 minutes of leaving the airport.

The city’s biggest conference centre has not stood still during Covid – and was recently granted planning permission for the third phase of its expansion, including an additional 25,000 sqm of event space.

"Events at ExCeL are flourishing, and renewed market confidence is growing far faster than expected," said Simon Mills, executive director of ExCeL London, as he announced 11 new business wins for the venue last month.

Woolwich Works is a newly opened landmark restoration project by the Royal Borough of Greenwich that has transformed the historic site of Royal Arsenal into a new 15,000 sqm creative hub with theatres, dance studios and a recording studio alongside flexible event spaces for hire. And all eyes will be on Nine Elms next year when Battersea Power House opens for business inside the former Battersea Power Station: Generator Hall will hold 1,400 guests for drinks or up to 1,000 seated, while other spaces like Control Room A will maximise its fascinating history. A 203‐room hotel Park Hyatt London River Thames is planned nearby.

Elsewhere, venues have stepped up to meet the challenge of creating hybrid sessions, like CCT Venues' virtual venue capable of hosting up to 45,000 online delegates, RCP London Events' addition of a live caption feature for those that require it, or 133 Houndsditch, used during Fintech Week London, which has undergone a £21.5m facelift to add the latest tech.

"London is a dynamic world‐class destination that is the perfect blend of history, heritage, and diversity. It offers flexibility and variety for any type of association event," says Matt Davenport, account director, associations at MCI UK.

He recommends The Queen Elizabeth II Centre and adds: "ExCeL London has multi‐purpose spaces that offer the possibility of a self‐contained event with hotels in proximity.

“Hotels also provide the duality of having accommodation and event spaces all within one location; like the Park Plaza Westminster and the Hilton London Metropole, where we hosted the Migraine Trust International Symposium.

“Iconic spaces like the Barbican, V&A, The Royal Festival Hall and the Natural History Museum showcase unique cultural event spaces that work well for the social side of congress programmes. Plus some of these venues have the versatility to accommodate the main programme itself.”