THE £165 MILLION ICC London ExCel opened this summer with facilities that put London into the big league of convention destinations.
The facility will allow the capital to compete for the £100 billion worth of international conventions, conferences and exhibitions it could not previously accommodate. Speaking at the opening, mayor of London Boris Johnson said: "Business tourism is vital to the London economy and this fantastic new facility makes great sense for our city, it is a brilliant addition to our business offering."
The Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (ADNEC) funded the multi-million pound project. CEO of ExCel London Kevin Murphy said: "Since the announcement of London's first ICC, we have confirmed business in excess of £300 million of economic benefit to London, beating leading cities such as Barcelona, Paris and Vienna. A year ago, we were 19th in the world [International Congress and Convention Association] ratings and now we are 16th. It is my ambition to make the top 10 within a year." ICC has a flexible auditorium seating up to 5,000; Capital Hall, the UK's largest banqueting hall, with room for 3,000 (dinner) or 5,000 (standing); and the Capital Suite, which comprises 17 meeting rooms, the largest of which accommodates 1,200 (theatre).