ExCeL London has released figures to mark the first anniversary of its £220 million expansion: 30 major international events took place in the new space within twelve months, totalling 500,000sqm of rented floor area. Ten international congresses alone generated an estimated £250 million for London’s economy and welcomed 100,000 delegates to the UK capital. Users of the new facilities included Amazon, Microsoft, Salesforce, Gartner, Nike and the all-electric Formula E motorsport series.
The 25,000sqm extension brings ExCeL’s total footprint to 125,000sqm, making it what the venue describes as Europe’s largest fully integrated conference and exhibition centre. The facility hosts more than 400 events annually, attracting around four million visitors and contributing £4.6 billion in gross value added to London’s business economy, according to ExCeL’s own data.
US organisations driving congress business
A notable trend is the dominance of US-based organisations, which now account for 60 per cent of ExCeL’s convention and congress business. The venue cites London’s cultural offering, international connectivity and access to leading business, technology, medical and academic communities as key factors. Cisco Live, one of the world’s largest IT conferences, has signed a new multi-year deal to return to ExCeL in 2027, taking over the entire venue.
Further investment planned
Seven international congresses have already been confirmed for next year, following a record ten in 2026. James Rees, ExCeL’s Executive Director, commented: “London is continuing to win major international events from across North America and Europe – far beyond what we expected when we first greenlit our expansion back in 2021. In short, it’s been nothing short of transformational, with not only an increase in the number of events but also their size, scale and complexity.”
Rees also pointed to competitive pressures from other destinations: “Competition from destinations across Europe and the US remains very strong, and we cannot afford to rest on our laurels.” ExCeL is now embarking on a further multi-million pound investment programme to enhance the venue, its facilities and the overall delegate experience.
The expansion was initiated in 2021 with the backing of owners ADNEC Group to meet growing demand for event space in London. The first official event in the new facilities took place in summer 2025 with the Formula E series.
