UK capital is set for an exciting year ahead
London is set for another blockbuster year of new openings in 2023, making it an even more attractive destination for event, meeting and incentive planners. From a range of exciting new hotel openings to brand-new venues and more sustainable options, the UK capital is set for an exciting year ahead.
Photo Credit: London Convention Bureau
The London Convention Bureau will be exhibiting at IMEX Frankfurt 2023 alongside 24 of the city’s best hotels, venues, DMCs and services. This year will also see London’s Deputy Mayor for Business, Rajesh Agrawal, join the London delegation. He will be connecting with event organisers and emphasising the importance of business tourism to London’s economy, as well as speaking at the 2023 Policy Forum.
New developments and hotel openings
London is home to a number of new developments and expanding neighbourhoods, such as Battersea Power Station, which reopened with a complete transformation in October 2022. In addition to an eclectic F&B and retail offering within the Power Station, the new development brings with it brand-new event spaces and vibrant hotels including art’otel.
2023 and beyond will welcome the opening of long-awaited international hotel brands, including The Peninsula London and Raffles’ first UK brand which opens at the OWO, on the historic royal site of Whitehall Palace.
Once home to the 2012 Summer Olympics, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in east London is launching its new cultural quarter East Bank, set to be home to world-renowned universities like UAL, plus the V&A, BBC and Sadler’s Wells. The area has also recently become home to the ABBA Arena, a custom-built venue hosting revolutionary virtual concerts.
Increasing venue capacity
In addition to new hotel and venue openings, London’s existing iconic venues like ExCeL London are currently undergoing major transformations to increase capacity. ExCeL is in the final stages of a £200 million, 25,000sqm expansion programme, set to open in October 2024. Next year will also see the regeneration of Olympia London, as it undergoes a £1bn project set to become the newest arts, culture, and entertainment district complete with a 4,400-capacity live music venue and a 1,575-seat theatre.
Greater connectivity
London is the most connected city in Europe, with six international airports and increasing slow and sustainable rail travel options. Its transport options will be boosted further this year with a series of new routes opening. The Eurostar connects London to Amsterdam, Brussels and Paris, and a new merger with Thalys now offers even greater connectivity to European cities. A new European Sleeper service will also be launched from 25th May 2023, taking visitors from Berlin to Brussels, with just a quick transfer to the Eurostar needed before arriving in London.
Within the city, the recently opened high-speed Elizabeth line has transformed the visitor experience, connecting Heathrow Airport with central London in just 30 minutes, with a number of venues including ExCeL London also located on the line. The new train line, which reported more than 125 million journeys in its first ten months, is set to also connect passengers in Essex and east London to Heathrow directly from 21st May 2023.
More sustainable options
The Mayor of London has set ambitious targets for London to reach net zero carbon by 2030 and a zero-waste city by 2050. London’s business tourism industry has big role to play in reaching these targets and is already home to 59 hotels and venues with Green Tourism accreditation. This June the city will also host London Climate Action Week, with over 40,000 attendees.
With revolutionary carbon-neutral event spaces like Oceandiva arriving in London in 2023, and world-famous venues like ExCeL London being the first UK venue to achieve carbon-neutral certification in 2022, London offers many sustainable venue options for event planners.
