DON'T MISS THE BIG STORIES. Sign up to eNews and be the first to know what's new at EC&O Venues.
25/01/2007
Earls Court and Olympia Group (EC&O Venues) has today submitted a planning application to the Royal London Borough of Kensington and Chelsea to build a casino within the Earls Court Exhibition Centre.
The small casino, which will be located at the West Brompton entrance to the building and be run by leading operator Stanley Casinos, will facilitate up to £20m of inward investment in the Exhibition Centre. This will allow it to expand its current event business and ensure its future in the 21st century exhibition, conference and special event market.
Increasing competition from other venues – particularly in the music and entertainment sector - and an events market in which small and medium-sized shows are the drivers of growth dictate that Earls Court must invest in change if it is to maintain its leadership position and continue to contribute to the local, regional and national economy. In the London region alone, Earls Court Exhibition Centre generates over £300m of expenditure annually and supports over 4,000 jobs through the 180 events it holds and the three million people that pass through its doors. Local hoteliers estimate that over 25% of their business is dependent on Earls Court – equivalent to 83,000 room nights and £5m of revenue every year.
The casino application follows the refusal, in May 2006, of a previous planning application to build a similarly sized casino in another part of Earls Court, a move which would have facilitated a similar investment into improving the centre’s infrastructure and facilities. Anthony Lyons, Chief Executive Officer, EC&O Venues, believes that, while the casino will be an asset to Earls Court Exhibition Centre and an added attraction for visitors, the wider and very real benefits of the project have been obscured.
“What this proposal will do is provide some 300 new job opportunities and facilitate the investment in infrastructure and services that will enable us to widen and increase the type and number of events that we host each year, with the economic benefits that will bring to the neighbouring business community. For local residents, it provides a level of assurance that Earls Court remains an Exhibition Centre. What has happened is that the plan has sparked off debate amongst a few, very vocal, concerned parties who have painted a totally unjustified and unrealistic picture of the consequences of having a casino at Earls Court. Having spoken to, and consulted with, the police, local authorities and various bodies concerned with gaming, I am completely confident that our casino will have little or no direct or indirect impact on the locality.”
“What this proposal will do is provide some 300 new job opportunities and facilitate the investment in infrastructure and services that will enable us to widen and increase the type and number of events that we host each year, with the economic benefits that will bring to the neighbouring business community. For local residents, it provides a level of assurance that Earls Court remains an Exhibition Centre.
What has happened is that the plan has sparked off debate amongst a few, very vocal, concerned parties who have painted a totally unjustified and unrealistic picture of the consequences of having a casino at Earls Court. Having spoken to, and consulted with, the police, local authorities and various bodies concerned with gaming, I am completely confident that our casino will have little or no direct or indirect impact on the locality.”
-ends-
Jeremy Probert, Director of Communications
jeremy.probert@eco.co.uk / 020 7370 8037
www.eco.co.uk
EC&O Venues is the UK’s premier event venue manager. The business comprises Earls Court, Olympia and the Brewery, London’s leading venues for exhibitions, conferences and special events.The three venues hold over 1000 events each year, attracting over 3 million visitors and 30,000 exhibiting companies.