With the news that Business Travel Show will move to ExCeL
London from 2021 breaking last week, we sat down with David Chapple, UK MD at the
event’s owner Northstar Travel Group, to find out more about what a new venue
means for the show
Why has the decision been made to move to ExCeL London?
There are a number of reasons why we are moving to ExCeL London:
1. Business Travel Show has been growing continuously for
the last five years, in terms of floor space, stand sizes and visitor numbers.
We have now outgrown Olympia, and we need a venue that supports our future
growth ambitions and the needs of our visitors and exhibitors.
2. The size, accessibility and flexibility of the space
offered by ExCeL London will allow us to offer an improved experience to
visitors and exhibitors from all over Europe and beyond.
3. We are an international show – approximately 30 per cent
of hosted buyers attending Business Travel Show are from continental Europe,
and we are committed to growing this number. London City airport is located
minutes away and has direct flights to more than 300 destinations, for example,
making it a super easy commute for our European visitors.
Does more space mean we’ll see a bigger show floor next
year?
A bigger show floor isn’t our number one reason for moving; it is to offer a
better experience for everyone who attends. Exhibitor numbers, stand sizes and
the types of stands our exhibitors are building have all grown and evolved
significantly, so once we have moved to ExCeL, it wouldn’t be too surprising if
this trend continued.
And are you hoping to attract more visitors?
We always strive to grow attendance each year and have successfully achieved
this year on year; however, our main priority for moving is to provide an even
better experience for visitors and exhibitors from the UK, Europe and beyond.
Business Travel Show is 26 years old and the most successful
business travel event in Europe. More than 8,000 exhibitors, visitors and
hosted buyers come together at the show every year to do business. Visitors can
meet world-class suppliers, including global brands, start‐ups and everything
in between, enjoy first-class, ahead-of-the-curve conference content and a
fantastic networking programme. When we move to ExCeL, we’re looking forward to
curating an even better experience for all of our customers. If visitor numbers
increase as a result, that’s great. But improving the customer experience will
come first.
The Business Travel Show has been in west London for what
feels like forever. Will you miss it?
We’ve been in west London for a long time – first at Olympia in the National
Hall, then at Earls Court for a long run, before moving back to Olympia London
in the Grand Hall for the last four years. West London has been a fantastic
home for us and supported our transition and growth over the last two decades,
so of course we will miss it. But before we moved west, the show was at Wembley
and then the Business Design Centre; we are a London‐based event first and
foremost, and one that’s focused on catering for a national and international
audience, so we will continue to bring the right mix of exhibitors, features and
visitors to Business Travel Show and deliver on expectations and ROI, and it
doesn’t really matter whether we are north, south, east or west London.
What kind of reaction have you had from the industry
since announcing the news?
On the whole, the reaction has been positive from our exhibitors; they’re
excited about the opportunity to grow, realise their commercial goals and
create new experiences for visitors
Of course, not everyone is good with change and we
understand there will be a bedding down period where we all find our feet in
our new home. The good news is this move isn’t something we’ve taken lightly.
We’ve been discussing it and weighing up all the options for the last two
years. It’s also worth remembering this is our seventh move for Business Travel
Show, so we’re pretty well versed in making these transitions run as smoothly
as possible for everyone involved.
The few concerns we have heard from exhibitors have focused
around personal accessibility and familiarity of the venue as well as the
surrounding location. We are only too aware that the business travel industry
is a really sociable community and we’re sure that, once they find their feet
and get their heads around how many amazing bars, restaurants and hotels there
are within very easy reach of ExCeL, they’ll soon realise these concerns are
unfounded.
And, finally, our visitor research last year showed that the
show’s location is not a priority to them. They are much more interested in the
overall experience, so we’re confident that by investing in improved visitor
and exhibitor experiences, 2021 will be a solid next step in the evolution of
Business Travel Show for everyone.
Business Travel Show takes place on 24-25 February 2021 at
ExCeL London