"This will be our third year at London's ExCeL," says Christopher Toulmin, director of Events Division at PLASA. "Relocating events is never an easy decision to make but the closure of Earls Court made it inevitable. Our move to ExCeL- the only venue in London that can fully support the technical requirements of our industry- has proved the right decision and has enabled us to pursue our exciting plans for development."
With a track record of hosting world-leading events such as PLASA London, ExCeL is the UK's largest exhibition and conference venue and a compelling destination for business professionals. Part of a 100 acre campus, ExCeL boasts easy transport links to central London; parking for 3,700 vehicles and free venue WIFI, enabling visitors to stay connected and make maximum use of time away from their business.
ExCel has roof height of 10m; with 7.2m² wide drive-in doorways and the Event Hall floor weight loading is 18kN/m². There is a three lane lorryway for build-up / breakdown access, all of which makes it ideal for the majority of PLASA exhibitors' requirements. The venue also has over 40 onsite bars and restaurants and seven hotels, providing a superb base for visitors to PLASA to sample some of the best experiences that London has to offer.
"PLASA remains totally focused on its business-to-business model," Christopher adds. "To further facilitate this, the show has been reduced from four to three days, with longer opening hours on the second day, to help our community network and generate business in a cost-effective manner."
"PLASA attracts a large proportion of theatre consultants and designers, who are vital for our business," says Matthew Lloyd, managing director of GDS (Global Design Solutions). "This is just one of the elements that points to the PLASA Show being increasingly important for manufacturers. The show generates real leads, just one of which that has come to fruition for us from exhibiting last year is with a world-leading entertainment company with a presence in Hong Kong, where we have supplied a large ARC System and SM Console for a new project they are working on."
"After Dark is investing significantly more money into PLASA 2015 because it represents the best opportunity to engage and network with our target customers in the UK and beyond," agrees Will Swan, co-founder and managing director of production management company After Dark Technical Limited. "As a newer company in the market, we value the PLASA heritage and how the show continues to attract quality industry people."
Further highlights of PLASA 2015 include increased networking opportunities from the sector-focused areas on the show floor and the return of the show's central bar, which will also provide an all-important social element.
"All these additions and improvements are the result of listening to what the industry has told us it wants and needs," concludes Christopher. "We have many more exciting new initiatives to announce in the coming months, all of which will highlight the fact that PLASA is once again a world-class event on the industry calendar."
(Jim Evans)
