UK Volume 22

uk.superbrands.com Superbrands UK Vol. 22 Olympia London opened its doors in 1886 and has been hosting a wide variety of events ever since. Established as a London cultural and architectural landmark, it is one of London’s busiest venues, welcoming over a million visitors and contributing £1bn to the economy each year Market The industry suffered greatly during the pandemic and is now rebuilding itself after a long period of closure. The events sector contributed £70bn to the UK economy before the pandemic – £11bn from exhibitions alone. The UK has a variety of large, high quality venues, each with its own character and offering a unique experience. Olympia London is one of the key players in the industry due to being one of the most established venues, along with its world- class offering and location. Product Olympia London offers large capacity event spaces that are ideal for a variety of exhibitions, music gigs, sporting events, tradeshows and corporate events. Some are household names that delight the public. Some help fuel key industries and the UK economy. Showcasing unrivalled heritage, its Victorian, Grade II listed buildings offer more than just event spaces. They come with 135 years of expertise in running events with skilled teams eager to help event organisers put on inspiring shows with a warm welcome. Located in London’s Kensington, the venue is well connected by train and tube stations as well as being only 25 minutes from Heathrow airport. Olympia London constantly strives to host ever more sustainable events and operate responsibly to help reduce its impact on the planet and support the local community. Achievements Olympia London holds a strong link to the capital’s history. It has survived two world wars and seismic political changes whilst hosting long-standing events with household names throughout. Its elegant Victorian arches have also seen personalities such as Vivienne Westwood hold her first catwalk show plus performances by Jimi Hendrix and Pink Floyd. Over the years, the venue has been recognised with an array of accolades from being awarded Best Use of Social Media in the UK events industry to recognition with the Gold Green Tourism Awards. The venue was shortlisted at the Business Green Leaders Sustainability Awards and was among the top five global event businesses in the Sustainable Development Awards, organised by The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry. One of the venue’s greatest achievements is having sent zero waste to landfill for well over a decade. Recent Developments In 2019, planning approval was granted for a £1bn investment plan to transform and elevate Olympia London’s world-class offering as it becomes part of a 14-acre cultural visitor destination, conceptualised by designer Thomas Heatherwick and SPPARC studio. Development work is well underway as Olympia London continues to host events. The transformation is expected to create 5,400 new jobs locally once it is completed in 2024. The original architecture of the exhibition spaces is being protected and the new destination will offer exciting features and 2.5 acres of new public spaces. Four keystone tenants have already signed up: Hyatt hotels will manage a luxury lifestyle hotel with 196 rooms and suites which will be connected to a new restaurant. A boutique hotel run by citizenM will feature 145 rooms as well as a unique citizenM Living Room. A 4,400-capacity, state-of-the-art live music venue will be run by leading global music and live entertainment company, AEG Presents. Trafalgar Entertainment will run a state-of-the-art theatre with a 1,575-seat auditorium. Promotion Olympia London’s brand was launched eight years ago after separating from its neighbouring venue, Earls Court. It has since grown exponentially, which drives a growing and highly engaged social media audience. The brand also thrives from a variety of consumer multi-channel campaigns that celebrate the vast range of inspiring events that the venue hosts and of course from the amazing brands that organise events with, or exhibit at, Olympia London. The brand also drives a variety of industry The art fairs at Olympia London attract a plethora of celebrities from Beyoncé and Jay Z to Harry Styles DID YOU KNOW?