Technology

ExCeL London’s £350 million expansion redefines global business events with sustainability and innovation

Friday, 10 October 2025 4:04AM UTC

ExCeL London unveils a £350 million expansion, incorporating eco-friendly design, cutting-edge technology, and enhanced connectivity, establishing itself as a global hub for large-scale conferences and immersive experiences.

ExCeL London is rapidly emerging as a premier global destination for business events, reshaping how international meetings are planned and experienced. Through a significant £220-350 million expansion and strategic enhancements, the venue has reinvented itself beyond a traditional convention centre into an integrated, state-of-the-art campus that offers unparalleled convenience, modern facilities, and a strong commitment to sustainability. This transformation positions ExCeL London as a game-changer in the global meetings and events industry.

The recently completed expansion adds 25,000 square metres to ExCeL’s footprint, making it Europe’s largest fully integrated conference and exhibition centre. The new space includes an enhanced International Convention Centre, six expansive exhibit halls, 37 flexible meeting rooms, outdoor terraces, and revitalised public green spaces along the waterfront. Designed to meet BREEAM Excellent standards, the extension incorporates daylight-filled rooms and advanced technological capabilities. Its net-zero ready construction utilises 50% recycled steel, underscoring a dedicated effort towards carbon-neutral operations from day one. This marked sustainability milestone aligns with growing client demand—especially from North American companies—for environmentally responsible event venues. The venue even offers post-event carbon reporting to reinforce this commitment.

Connectivity is a cornerstone of ExCeL London’s appeal, particularly for delegates and planners arriving from North America. The venue’s strategic location along the Elizabeth Line facilitates a seamless 43-minute journey from Heathrow Airport directly to Custom House station, adjacent to ExCeL. Moreover, a quick 15-minute transit connects attendees to Central London, eliminating complex transfers and reducing travel disruptions. This streamlined access, combined with London’s cultural vibrancy, world-class dining, and abundant leisure options, enhances the overall event experience and attendee satisfaction. It turns tentative interest into enthusiastic participation while bolstering the city’s reputation as a global business tourism hub.

Beyond its physical expansion, ExCeL London is pioneering digital innovation through its partnership with OnePlan, creating the UK’s first conference centre VenueTwin. This interactive 3D digital replica of the venue allows organisers to plan, visualise, and share events remotely with precision, minimising the need for onsite visits. This innovation is set to benefit users of the new expansion, which opens fully in October 2024, by providing a seamless and efficient planning tool in conjunction with the venue’s impressive physical infrastructure.

ExCeL London’s transformation is attracting significant interest from global corporations such as Microsoft, Google, AWS, and Salesforce. Currently, around 40% of the venue’s booking pipeline originates from the United States, reflecting an increasing appetite among North American companies for international events in London. With an active portfolio exceeding 60 bids and forecasts to nearly double its citywide event hosting capabilities from 12 to 25 by 2030, ExCeL is poised to become a magnet for large-scale, multi-venue conferences and exhibitions.

Adding to its diverse offerings, ExCeL is preparing to launch Immerse LDN in August 2024, the UK’s largest immersive entertainment district located within the Royal Docks. Spanning over 160,000 square feet, this new attraction will feature world-class immersive experiences and original productions, anticipated to draw an additional 2.5 million visitors annually. This entertainment district complements the business events ecosystem by providing additional attractions that enhance delegate experiences beyond the conference halls.

In summary, ExCeL London’s bold investment in infrastructure, sustainability, technology, and experiential offerings is redefining the standards for global business event venues. By offering a fully integrated campus with seamless connectivity, flexible and modern facilities, and a strong environmental ethos, it tackles some of the most pressing challenges facing event organisers today. As London continues to solidify its standing as a global business and cultural capital, ExCeL London is well positioned to lead the future of international meetings, attracting a diverse range of high-profile clients and delivering memorable, impactful events on a truly global scale.

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Source: Noah Wire Services

More on this

https://www.travelandtourworld.com/news/article/the-ultimate-meeting-destination-how-excel-london-is-rewriting-the-rules-of-global-business-events/ - Please view link - unable to able to access data
https://www.excel.london/news/excel-london-hosts-first-event-in-new-25-000sqm-state-of-the-art-expansion - ExCeL London has inaugurated its 25,000sqm expansion, marking it as Europe's largest fully integrated conference and exhibition centre. The expansion, part of a £350 million investment by ADNEC Group, includes an enhanced International Convention Centre, modern exhibition halls, and meeting rooms. Built to BREEAM sustainability standards, the venue now offers improved public green spaces and a revitalised waterfront. The season finale of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship was the inaugural event in this new space, highlighting ExCeL London's commitment to hosting major international events.
https://www.mclarengroup.com/projects/excellondon - McLaren Construction successfully delivered the £220 million expansion of ExCeL London, increasing the venue's capacity by 25%. The project added state-of-the-art convention facilities, exhibition halls, conference rooms, catering areas, and external terraces, seamlessly integrating with the existing 100,000m² venue. Sustainability was a key focus, with the extension being net-zero carbon ready, constructed using 50% recycled steel, and targeting a BREEAM Excellent rating. The project was completed on time for ExCeL's October 2024 event programme.
https://www.excel-london.co.uk/organiser/venue-spaces/icc-expansion - ExCeL London's new convention expansion adds 25,000sqm (270,000sqft) to the venue, featuring two large-scale event spaces. Designed to be hired exclusively or integrated into ExCeL's existing building, the expansion includes the ICC Maritime Suite with floor-to-ceiling windows and outdoor terraces overlooking Royal Victoria Dock. The ground floor offers a 12,000sqm (120,000sqft) blank canvas environment for exhibitions, bespoke productions, and integrated catering areas. The expansion enhances ExCeL's infrastructure, making it the largest integrated exhibition and convention centre in Europe.
https://www.excel-london.co.uk/visitor/news/excel-marks-countdown-to-opening-of-new-state-of-the-art-expansion - ExCeL London has set the official one-year countdown to the opening of its new 25,000sqm (270,000sqft) expansion, aiming to become the largest fully integrated conference and exhibition centre in Europe. The £220 million development, supported by ADNEC Group and built by McLaren Construction, will increase the venue's total space to 125,000sqm (1,250,000sqft). The expansion includes additional state-of-the-art ICC convention facilities, exhibition halls, conference rooms, and high-end meeting rooms, enabling ExCeL to compete for and welcome some of the largest congresses in Europe.
https://www.excel.webfi.re/news/excel-london-unveils-new-dedicated-immersive-entertainment-district-set-to-be-largest-in-uk - ExCeL London is set to launch Immerse LDN, the UK's largest immersive entertainment district, spanning over 160,000sqft. Opening in August 2024, Immerse LDN will showcase world-class immersive experiences and original productions across new purpose-built venue spaces in London's Royal Docks. The district will feature attractions such as The FRIENDS™ Experience: The One In London and Formula 1®: The Exhibition, along with a variety of food and drink offerings. This development is part of a £300 million investment programme into ExCeL's venue campus and aims to attract an additional 2.5 million visitors annually.
https://www.oneplan.io/blog/excel-london-oneplan - ExCeL London has partnered with OnePlan to create the UK's first conference centre VenueTwin, an interactive 3D digital replica of the venue. This technology allows event organisers to visualise, plan, and share their events more effectively, reducing the need for in-person site visits. The VenueTwin is particularly useful for clients looking to visualise events in ExCeL's forthcoming 25,000sqm expansion, which is due to open in October 2024. The digital twin is built from ExCeL's architectural and floor plan files, ensuring centimetre-accurate representations.

Noah Fact Check Pro

The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may warrant further investigation.

Freshness check

Score: 8

Notes: The narrative presents recent developments regarding ExCeL London's expansion, with the latest event being the hosting of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship season finale in July 2025. The earliest known publication date of similar content is October 2023, when ExCeL London marked the official one-year countdown to the opening of its new expansion. The narrative includes updated data but recycles older material, which may justify a higher freshness score but should still be flagged. Additionally, the narrative includes a reference map with links to previous reports, indicating that the content has been republished across multiple platforms. This suggests that the narrative may be based on a press release, which typically warrants a high freshness score. However, the presence of recycled content and republished material across various platforms indicates a need for caution. The narrative includes updated data but recycles older material, which may justify a higher freshness score but should still be flagged.

Quotes check

Score: 7

Notes: The narrative includes direct quotes from Humaid Matar Al Dhaheri, Chairman of ExCeL London, and Jeremy Rees, CEO of ExCeL London. A search reveals that these quotes have been used in earlier reports, such as the one from July 2025. The wording of the quotes appears consistent across sources, indicating potential reuse of content. However, no online matches were found for some of the other quotes, suggesting they may be original or exclusive content.

Source reliability

Score: 6

Notes: The narrative originates from Travel and Tour World, a platform that aggregates news from various sources. While it provides a comprehensive overview, the platform's reputation and editorial standards are not well-established, which raises questions about the reliability of the information presented. The presence of references to other reputable sources within the narrative adds some credibility, but the primary source's reliability remains uncertain.

Plausability check

Score: 8

Notes: The claims regarding ExCeL London's expansion and its impact on the global business events industry are plausible and align with information from other reputable sources. The narrative includes specific details, such as the £220-350 million investment, the addition of 25,000 square metres to the venue, and the hosting of major international congresses. However, the lack of supporting detail from other reputable outlets for some claims, such as the specific impact on London's economy, raises questions about the comprehensiveness of the information. Additionally, the tone and language used in the narrative are consistent with typical corporate communications, suggesting a lack of sensationalism.

Overall assessment

Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): OPEN

Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): MEDIUM

Summary: The narrative presents recent developments regarding ExCeL London's expansion, incorporating updated data and direct quotes from key figures. However, the presence of recycled content, republished material across various platforms, and the uncertain reliability of the primary source raise concerns about the originality and credibility of the information. While the claims are plausible and align with information from other reputable sources, the lack of supporting detail from other outlets for some claims and the potential reuse of content suggest a need for further verification.

ExCeL London
business events
sustainability