London to get on the international convention map?

A committee of experts has been gathered to decide whether London should get a purpose-built convention centre because it says current London venues lack the facilities to attract large international conventions. The committee has been put together by the Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone and by the London Development Agency, which looks after the business and jobs sector for the mayor. The commission says that current venues like Earls Court and ExCel, home to WTM for the past two years, do not provide the facilities that are needed to manage an international conference for thousands of delegates with plenary sessions, break out rooms, catering facilities and accommodation. A statement from the commission website said: “Make no mistake, London does not currently have a Convention Centre that can compete on the world stage.” A London convention centre would compete with other European centres such as Berlin, Vienna and Sydney, and could be very lucrative for tourism businesses in the UK. The commission says that it has found evidence “that clearly shows those delegates would not confine themselves to the capital, but would visit other parts of the UK during their trip”. Members on the commission include British Airways director of marketing and commercial development, Martin George and Jones Lang LaSalle European Director Strategic Consulting, Katie Kopec. The chairman is Gerry Acher, who has a business background including sitting on the board of KPMG. He was also one of five people who played a key role in the Queen’s Golden Jubilee celebrations. Mr Acher said: “While London is a great city for business, it currently doesn’t have a venue that can cater for the largest international gatherings of more than five thousand people under one roof. Potentially we’re losing out on a share of an enormous £100bn market.” The commission is expected to reach a decision within a year. No potential locations for the convention centre have been proposed. Report by Ginny McGrath