UK - From November 2004, ExCeL will become London's latest entertainment venue, with a capacity of up to 17,000 seated and 20,000 standing. The purpose-built venue offers fully flexible configurations for concerts, sports events and family shows, plus regularly available time-slots for rehearsals and sound checks.

Says Rob MacKenzie, ExCeL's London EventCo managing director: "Already London's premier venue for exhibitions, we are perfectly placed to host large-scale entertainment events. This has always been part of ExCeL's medium term strategy and is a logical extension of our existing client base. We are delighted to announce this move and with the assistance of our strategic consultant Andrew Zweck, who has 25 years' experience in the industry, we hope that ExCeL will become a popular venue for concerts and entertainment events."

The phenomenal success of the Schroders London Boat Show has proved that ExCeL can attract and handle large public audiences and the previous prominence of the London Arena clearly demonstrated the thriving market for live music east of London Bridge. Current conference and special events clients are already using ExCeL's existing semi-permanent auditoria. Because the auditoria is semi-permanent, it means that ExCeL can offer promoters real flexibility and a range of configurations for 8,000, 10,000, 13,000, 15,000 and 17,000 seats. Layouts for 20,000 seated in the round and up to 20,000 standing can also be accommodated.

Zweck comments: "ExCeL is a fantastic venue which potentially offers a whole new audience for promoters. I am already in detailed discussions with a number of promoters who've clearly welcomed a facility of this calibre coming on stream."

Pricing will be competitive with the other major London venues and because of the different demographics in London's Eastside; ExCeL will be complementary to Wembley and Earls Court. Over the next 10 years, London's Eastside is projecting a population increase equivalent to another new city. In fact it is Europe's most rapidly growing region and offers a potential audience that is under-serviced and largely untapped. There are currently 12.2 million people in ExCeL's catchment area and with the rapid growth of the Eastside, this will grow year on year.

(Lee Baldock)


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