Excel London’s ‘transformational’ ICC expansion is generating millions in additional revenue for London and its visitor economy, according to new data released by the venue to mark its first anniversary.
Staging its first official event last summer with the all-electric Formula E motorsport series,
Excel’s £220 million state-of-the-art expansion was built due to growing demand with the full
support of owners ADNEC Group.
Adding a further 25,000sqm to the venue’s existing 100,000sqm, Excel now stands as Europe’s largest fully integrated conference and exhibitions venue.
One year on and figures released by Excel show that its new expansion hosted 30 major
international events inside 12 months, totalling 500,000sqm of rented new space, adding to the
400 events and four million visitors it welcomes every year.
With Excel currently contributing £4.6 billion annually to London’s business economy, the new
expansion has further added to this.
Just 10 of the 30 events hosted in Excel’s expansion, all major international congresses, have generated an estimated £250 million and welcomed 100,000 delegates to the UK capital.
Data from Excel also shows that US-based organisations now account for 60% of its convention
and congress business, reinforcing London’s position as a global events hub.
Major US brands including Amazon, Microsoft, Salesforce and Gartner are just some of the firms favouring London for their landmark European conferences, drawn by the city’s culture, connectivity, international
appeal and access to world-leading business, technology, medical and academic communities.
Cisco Live, one of the world’s leading IT conferences, further supports this trend, with the event
returning to Excel London in 2027 after confirming a new multi-year deal to take over the entirety
of the venue. In addition, a further seven international congresses have now been confirmed for
next year following a record 10 in 2026.
James Rees, Excel’s executive director, said: “London is continuing to win major
international events from across North America and Europe – far beyond what we expected when
we first greenlit our expansion back in 2021. In short, it’s been nothing short of transformational,
with not only an increase in the number of events but also their size, scale and complexity.”
He added: “Whilst London’s global appeal remains clear, competition from destinations across Europe and
the US remains very strong, and we cannot afford to rest on our laurels. Excel’s mission is to be
the best event destination in the world, and we are now embarking on a further multi-millionpound investment programme to further enhance the venue, its facilities and the overall delegate
experience.”