Press Cuttings Transcripts
World-class strategy
Conference and Incentives, 01 March 04
With its bid for the 2012 Olympics in the pipeline, London is poised for massive investment which will make it even more attractive, writes Colette Doyle.
London is on the crest of a wave. In January, the capital's official bid for
the 2012 Olympic Games was well received and the city looks certain to win a
place on the shortlist to be announced in May. Then, in mid-February, came the
appointment of a chair of the mayoral commission into the case for building a
purpose-built convention centre.
Both are crucial initiatives in the drive to make London a truly world-class
MICE market destination. The Olympics would be a powerful catalyst in bringing
in new business by keeping the destination front of buyer's minds as well as
creating venues that could alter be used for events. Meanwhile, the
construction of a purpose-built site would undoubtedly help to attract larger
association-type conferences that the city is currently unable to accommodate.
Yet London has its share of concerns that need to be addressed, such as
improving its infrastructure, providing value-for-money solutions in the face
of its reputation for being expensive, and overcoming the "been there, done
that" attitude some groups have. CIT asked four London-savvy industry figures
to comment on these and other issues facing the capital. Airing their views are
Excel's head of sales, conferences and special events James Rees; ILLICO Events
account director Sarah Wright, jointly with IBR account manager Ian Jones;
Starwood director of sales and marketing for central London Hotels Sofia
Vandsele; and Visit London commercial director David Hornby.
Q: With low-cost carriers making overseas conferences an attractive proposition for many buyers, has London priced itself out of the market?
A: James Rees:
"London still attracts more international companies than any other European
destination and has come top of the European Cities Monitor for the last 14
years. The low-cost carriers have made overseas conferences more accessible,
but it works both ways – meaning that even more European companies are looking
to hold conferences and meetings in London."
Sarah Wright and Ian Jones:
"For international business, London is the best airport hub in Europe and it
will always be one of the most popular conference destinations, despite the
lower rates charged by other places such as Prague, Brussels and emerging
competitive destinations like Warsaw. A separate factor to consider is that
corporate travel policies often do not allow groups of employees to travel
together, which makes overseas internal meetings unfeasible."
Sofia Vandaele:
"From a hotel perspective, we have brought in some pretty competitive packages
as a response to the low-cost airlines. What we focus on in London is adding
value. Essentially, when groups choose to come to London, they pick it for its
traditions, richness of culture and the fact that it is a hotspot not only for
business but leisure too. There are activities for every type of delegate,
across all age groups and no matter what their walk of life."
David Hornby:
"We musn't forget that London is also now more accessible for the European
conferences. The city's events industry manages some of the world's greatest
events, including the Olympics. There are meeting venues for every budget.
London is a world city and a leading brand; we welcome the competition and are
confident that we can't be beaten for unique venues and professional services."
Q: The feasibility study into a new purpose-built convention centre for London is underway. But with so many conference venues in London competing for business, is there really a need for another large-scale site of this kind?
A: JR:
"We welcome the Mayoral Commission into the feasibility of the proposed
convention centre. Clearly, in an ideal world, London would have such a venue,
but the big question will be how the project can be financed – the reality is
that facilities sich as this can rarely be run without significant public
subsidies. For the project to go ahead, it would certainly make sense to build
the facility alongside an existing venue and transport infrastructure to
maximise operational synergies."
SW and IJ:
"The simple answer is 'yes', as availability is always scarce. Conference
centres in London are multiple but do not always have the capacity required for
larger events – and demand is always high. The lack of choice would make a new
convention centre very welcome – even better would be a new residential
conference centre for large groups. The addition of a new centre would also
engender competition, which can only be beneficial to clients."
SV:
"We are missing out a lot on association business and other larger events,
especially in central London. Clearly we have some large conference centres,
but even Excel and Earls Court are pretty specific in terms of their location
and the business they generate. One of the objectives of people coming into
London, who have so little time, is being able to get around and see a lot of
the city while they are here. Proximity to the West End is key to this, that's
why I believe we need a major convention centre in or around central London."
DH:
"London does have some very large venues, but we do not currently have a
purpose-built, fully flexible convention centre to host events on the kind of
scale that we want to attract in London. The business visitor market to London
is worth around £3bn, but the international market for hosting large
conventions is worth more than £100bn a year and growing. A number of key
venues have closed and are closing this year in the C&I market. London
needs to be leading in this sector and to do that we need this investment."
Q: London's attractions are already familiar to most UK groups. What are the unusual, quirky or lesser-known selling points of the city that may persuade buyers to give it another look?
A: JR:
"As London expands eastwards and starts preparations for its Olympics bid, more
and more people are discovering the treasures it has to offer. There is a city
within a city: Canary Wharf, with more than 200 shops and restaurants; Canary
Riverside, which has fantastic restaurants such as Ubon by Nobu; Brick Lane for
the trendy and clubbing type, some of the best curries in the country and a
whole host of markets such as Spitalfields and Petticoat Lane. There is also a
fantastic river cruise service, which takes you from the heart of London's
famous landmarks down to the Cutty Sark ad the hidden hotspots of East London."
SW & IJ:
"The ever-increasing desire to be doing something different will never go away,
regardless of the destination. But London contines to meet this demand for the
new and unusual. The opening of more previously unavailable spaces for events
is keeping the London market fresh and novel. Newly available venues include
the main hall at The Royal Courts of Justice and Kent House, a Georgian house
in Knightsbridge also used as a synagogue. The sheer volume of fascinating
history available at grass roots level in London will always make the city so
famous and interesting as a detination."
SV:
"The beauty of the city is that it contains so many facets that each visit
reveals something new and unexpected. On any street in London you might find a
designer boutique, gay bar, place of worship and a Michelin starred restaurant
next door to each other. While it is easy to focus on the obvious historical
tourist attractions, there are a host or unusual features you may not expect to
find in a city like London, such as flower markets, farms, historical walks,
antiques, jewellery stalls, sculpture, street art and so on. All of these
reveal the diverse communities that make the city so vibrant."
DH:
"London never stays still; it's an evolving, vibrant city and there is always
something new and different for visitors to do. Nine restaurants have opened up
in the last month that we know about, and whole areas like Bankside and
Docklands have been regenerated, while attractions such as the Fashion and
Textile Museum or the Museum of the Docklands opened up last year, both great
new conference and meeing venues. The same is also true of The London Wetland
Centre, where meetings can be held in a bird hide. And don't forget that, while
places like the V&A, Saatchi and the Royal Academy may now be familiar to
UK groups, these venues have new, cutting edge exhibitions from one month to
the next and events held at these venues mostly include private viewings."