03.12.03
Convention centre "would massively boost London’s status as global centre for
business"
Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone has today announced that the London Development
Agency will establish a Mayoral Commission to look at the potential benefits of
building an international convention centre in London.
The LDA, which is the Mayor’s agency for business and jobs, is setting up the
Mayoral Commission to identify the best way for London to harness the benefits
generated by the business tourism market, which is worth around £3bn a year to
London.
Ken Livingstone said: "Seven million people a year come to London on business.
Developing an international convention centre in London would help us to build
on this number and strengthen the capital’s appeal as a leading global business
location. This commission will establish what needs to be done to bring an
international convention centre to London and identify other ways that the
capital can reach its full potential as a centre for the highly lucrative
business tourism market. "
Each year around seven million people come to London specifically to attend
conferences, exhibitions or other business meetings. They represent one-quarter
of all tourists to London but account for 35 per cent of all tourism spending
in the capital. The number of business tourists to London has risen by an
estimated 10 per cent since 1997. Over the last two years and these numbers
have remained stable despite the worldwide slump in travel.
The Mayoral Commission will examine the business case for an international
convention centre in London and explore other possible options to ensure London
can realise its potential in the business tourism sector. It will assess the
scale and the nature of the market opportunity for London and how effective
other destinations have been at servicing changing market needs. Over the next
few years the Commission will also look at possible locations, designs and ways
of funding an international convention centre in London.
Membership of the Commission will include representatives from both public and
private sectors in tourism, transport and business. The LDA is currently
advertising for a senior figure to take on the high profile role of Chair of
the Commission.
LDA Chair, Honor Chapman said: "It is clear that an international convention
centre would help London compete more effectively with other cities around the
world, particularly those that have convention centres - such as Barcelona,
Paris, Berlin, Vienna, Sydney and Hong Kong. Tourism is big business for London
overall, accounting for almost £9bn each year and employing some 350,000
people. By doing more to attract business people to London, we can create more
jobs and wealth across the capital."
The largest convention centres around the world include:
The International Congress Centre, Berlin, which has capacity for 9,100
delegates and hosts around 600 events annually. Earlier this year it held the
2003 World Nephrology Congress, attracting over 10,000 kidney specialists.
Vienna’s three convention centres which together hold 7,100 people and host 300
events each year, including the European Congress of Radiology, which attracts
15,000 delegates.
The Vancouver Convention and Exhibition Centre, which has space for 8,000
people. It hosts 350 events per year, and generates an estimated $250 million
(Canada) per year.
The Hong Kong International Trade and Exhibition Centre which can house 4,500
people.
The decision to establish the Commission follows the ‘London Leadership Forum
on Business Tourism’ organised by Visit London Business and Conventions
(formerly known as the London Convention Bureau) and the LDA in March 2003. The
original forum was attended by 100 key leaders in London’s business tourism
sector with the number one issue being the need for a purpose-built and
centrally located international convention centre.
For further information, contact Vincent Burke at the London Development Agency
Press Office on 7954 4682/07976 081 041