2007 was a very event-full year for EC&O Venues. The venues saw 36 new exhibitions take place, 15 of which were consumer shows, a further 20 were trade exhibitions, and a grand total of 27 of these shows were launch shows at the venues, making it one of the busiest years ever.
One of the main trade show success stories of 2007 was the return of the London Book Fair to Earls Court in April. Not only did the show look amazing, but the feedback from the organisers and the exhibitors was extremely positive.
Alistair Burtenshaw, Exhibition Director, London Book Fair said: “It was very clear that our customers wanted the London Book Fair to be located in the London’s West End and our top priority is to deliver what they want…we worked very closely with Earls Court to make it a great fair. We passionately believe that the publishing industry needs a strong, London based, independent and global trade show…Earls Court is extremely well known, in a central London location with access from Heathrow, and good event and seminar rooms”. Richard Charkin, CEO, Macmillan added: “I’m delighted that the fair will take place in central London and this reflects the views of most of my colleagues at Macmillan and of publishers in general.”
Other trade shows that were equally successful were The Exhibiting Show (also returning to the venue from ExCeL) and International Jewellery London which achieved its best visitor attendance on record. Chris Hartley, Event Director, Reed Exhibitions says: “As the curtains closed on the final day the numbers were up and we managed to achieve our best attendance to date with 9,240 visitors pre-audit, as opposed to 9,057 the previous year.”
The consumer sector also had a great year. The Cycle Show moved from the east, proving west is best by holding its show for the first time at EC&O Venues. Mick Bennett, Event Director, Cycle 2007 said: "In my 24 years in the events industry we've never had a better reception than that provided by Earls Court and Olympia. Right through from the set up, the show itself and the get out afterwards, everything has been exemplary. Everything from the meetings before the show, the service we've received during Cycle and all the facilities at Earls Court has been excellent." Other consumer shows that did particularly well include the Metro Ski and Snowboard Show at Olympia, which was up 10% (pre-audit), and Clarion’s Spirit of Christmas and Baby Show saw an increase of 4% and 14% respectively.
Many shows launched at EC&O Venues in 2007, including The Retirement Show, The Great Big Home Furniture Show, and Who Do You Think You Are – all of which were highly successful and will all be welcomed back to EC&O Venues in 2008. However one of the biggest consumer launches at EC&O Venues was the Whyte and Mackay Earls Court Boat Show. It ran for nine days, was full of fantastic features and exhibits for all the family and used Earls Court’s huge pool to house 30 impressive yachts.
James Brooke, Managing Director said: “We were delighted to be launching our show at such an iconic venue that everyone within the boating community knows and loves. The team at EC&O Venues have been incredibly helpful and supportive throughout. I think a boat show should be about entertainment and fun day out for all the family – and that’s what we aimed to provide for our visitors.”
Nigel Nathan, Managing Director, EC&O Venues said: “It has been another outstanding year; we have hosted 36 new shows, of which 27 were launch shows, including the UK’s biggest consumer show launch the Whyte and Mackay Earls Court Boat Show. Of the nine shows relocated from other venues, the highlight was the triumphant return of the London Book Fair. We have consistently received over 85% customer satisfaction levels throughout the year, which is a record performance from our customer services teams.
“There are already many major launches in 2008, such as Boutique London, A Place in the Sun and the Custom Bike Show and we look forward to delivering even better satisfaction levels for our customers next year”.
Ends
Notes to editors:
The 36 launch events that took place at Earls Court and Olympia were:
Form London, IPTV World Forum, Law, VOIP, Wine+, Aesthetic Medicine, Credit, Musicmania, Promotional Marketing, Smart Healthcare, The Cooler Show, Exhibiting Show, Good Parenting, London Book Fair, Who Do You Think You Are?, Ideal Business Show, Profit for Property, Turkey Live, Sustain, TSL, Financial Challenge, The Great Big Home & Furniture Store, The retirement Show, Vie Italia, Austravel, E-Commerce, Ship repair, Cycle Show, Celebrate Poland, Whyte and Mackay Earls Court Boat Show, Law Autumn, Wines of South Africa, Turkish Fashion, Education with Culture, Property in Greece,
For further information on EC&O Venues:
Lynne Marie Cox, Communications Manager
lynnemarie.cox@eco.co.uk / 020 7370 8838
www.eco.co.uk
EC&O Venues is the UK’s premier exhibition and conference 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.