London’s Excel is celebrating the first anniversary of its 25,000sqm expansion, with new figures showing the development has strengthened the capital’s position as a leading global destination for conferences and events
The £220 million expansion has enabled the venue to host 30 additional major international events in its first 12 months, welcoming organisations including Amazon, Microsoft, Nike and Formula E. The additional business has delivered a significant economic boost to London, with just 10 international congresses generating an estimated £250 million for the city’s visitor economy while attracting around 100,000 delegates.
Now spanning 125,000sqm, Excel is Europe’s largest fully integrated conference and exhibition venue, hosting more than 400 events each year and contributing £4.6 billion in gross value added (GVA) to London’s economy.
Marking the milestone, Excel Executive Director James Rees described the expansion as “transformational” for London, while warning that the capital must continue investing to remain competitive on the global stage.
Excel officially opened its new expansion last summer with the all-electric Formula E championship. Developed in response to growing international demand and backed by owner ADNEC Group, the project increased the venue’s exhibition and conference space by 25,000sqm, expanding its total footprint from 100,000sqm to 125,000sqm.
During its first year of operation, the new halls hosted 30 major international events, representing around 500,000sqm of additional rented event space. These events complement the more than 400 exhibitions, conferences and live events already held at the venue each year, which collectively attract around four million visitors.
The additional events have also delivered a substantial economic impact. While Excel already contributes an estimated £4.6 billion annually to London’s economy, the new expansion has further increased that figure. According to the venue, just 10 of the international congresses staged in the new space generated approximately £250 million for London’s visitor economy.
Excel’s latest data also highlights London’s growing appeal to North American organisations. US-based businesses now account for 60% of the venue’s convention and congress activity, with companies including Amazon, Microsoft, Salesforce and Gartner choosing the capital to host major European conferences. Excel attributes this continued demand to London’s international connectivity, cultural appeal and access to leading business, technology, healthcare and academic communities.
The trend is set to continue, with Cisco Live, one of the world’s leading IT conferences, returning to Excel in 2027 as part of a new multi-year agreement that will see the event occupy the entire venue. A further seven international congresses have already been confirmed for next year, following a record 10 congresses hosted during 2026.
James Rees, Excel’s Executive Director, commented: “London is continuing to win major international events from across North America and Europe – far beyond what we expected when we first greenlit our expansion back in 2021. In short, it’s been nothing short of transformational, with not only an increase in the number of events but also their size, scale and complexity.
“Whilst London’s global appeal remains clear, competition from destinations across Europe and the US remains very strong, and we cannot afford to rest on our laurels. Excel’s mission is to be the best event destination in the world, and we are now embarking on a further multi-million-pound investment programme to further enhance the venue, its facilities and the overall delegate experience.”
For more information, visit https://www.excel.london/news/one-year-on-why-excel-s-expansion-has-been-transformational-for-london