Press Cuttings Transcripts
Mayoral Commission ready
Expo24-7.com, 22 March 2004
(UK) Gerry Acher has been appointed the chairman of the Mayoral Commission that
is to look into the questions surrounding the building of a convention centre
in London. The commission has been set up by the London Development Agency and
will consider a number of issues. These include whether the capital needs a
convention centre in the first place, where it would be built, what the
benefits would be and what sort of transport and other social infrastructure it
would demand. Acher feels his mission is clear. “It is something much in demand
from London’s tourism,” he says, “but first I want to see a totally robust,
scrutiny-proof business case that leaves us in no doubt this is what London
needs. If we don’t find that, then it is my job to say so.” However, Acher sees
the benefits such a project would bring. “The international market for hosting
large conferences is wrth more than £100 billion a year and growing fast,” he
says. “It may come as a surprise to many that London can’t compete for that
business at present. Unlike other world cities, the capital doesn’t have a
venue that can cater for a meeting of five thousand or more at a time.” The
Commission had a stand at confex and Acher reports a great response. “We were
both surprised and delighted by the interest that was shown,” he says. “We’re
looking forward with great enthusiasm to the year ahead, people couldn’t have
been more supportive.”