London’s Largest Convention Center Unveils Expanded Space, Draws North American Bookings
Photo Credit: Excel London
Skift Take
Excel London's delayed expansion is finally open. Its new conferencing facilities are helping position the venue for a strong financial future, largely driven by a surge in North American business.
Excel London, has completed a significant expansion, adding 270,000 square feet of event space across two floors. This is part of a $470 million (£350 million) investment in the city by owners ADNEC Group that included the acquisition of the Business Design Centre, a smaller venue in central London.
The venue is preparing to receive its first B2B client, taking up all of its 1.3 million square feet: Clarion’s flagship defense and security show DSEI is booked for September 9–12. This follows an initial B2C event, the finale of the E-Prix season.
Originally slated for an October 2024 opening, construction delays pushed back the date by nearly a year. All-but-one impacted booking was relocated in existing spaces.
New Conferencing Facilities Boost Appeal
The new expansion offers 120,000 square feet of exhibition halls downstairs. Upstairs, floor-to-ceiling windows and a 650-foot terrace overlooking the docks, adorn a further 120,000 square feet of event space. The upstairs modular conferencing facilities offer up to 37 meeting rooms — depending on layout — and capacity for 7,000 attendees.
James Rees, Excel London's Executive Director for Conferences and Events emphasized the appeal of the new conferencing facilities. They largely eliminating the need for temporary rooms in exhibition halls — a previous "bottleneck for hosting large congresses." The modular design also allows for more short-term business.
Excel is projecting 25% growth in revenue this year, and jumps of 20% in 2026 and 15% in 2027. Bookings are strong, including 10 "sizable" association events confirmed for 2026, up from two to three per year pre-Covid. North American companies are a key driver, accounting for 37% of rental revenue in 2024, rising to 58% in 2025, and projected at 50% for 2026.
Twenty-Five Years in the Making
Excel plays a crucial role in attracting international events for the city in close collaboration with the city’s convention bureau. It was built by the city in 2000 and acquired by the Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (ADNEC) in 2008. Following a first expansion in 2010 it played a key role during the 2012 London Olympics hosting several competitions and functioning as a major logistical and broadcast hub. During the Covid pandemic it housed the temporary NHS Nightingale Hospital London.
A major connectivity upgrade came in 2022 with the Elizabeth Line, offering direct train access to central London in minutes, and Heathrow in under an hour. Feedback from the European Society of Cardiology, which held its 30,000-strong annual meeting at Excel London in 2015 and 2024, highlighted the new train line's positive impact.
