News

AEO

14 Jul 2011

OLYMPIA THREATENED BY TUBE STATION CLOSURE WARNS EVENTS INDUSTRY BOSSES

LETTER TO TFL MANAGING DIRECTOR ISSUES STARK WARNING ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THE EVENTS INDUSTRY IN WEST LONDON IF THE DISTRICT LINE TO OLYMPIA IS CLOSED

CLOSURE COULD THREATEN SLOW DEATH OF LONDON OLYMPIA

Twenty of the most senior executives in the UK events sector are signatories to a letter that has been sent to TFL Managing Director Mike Brown, warning of the “disastrous impact on the Olympia conference centre”, as well as the threat to the wider exhibition industry, and the dire consequences for the local economy” if TFL proceed with the shutting of the Olympia District line connection.

Each year a staggering 803,000 visitors take the District Line from Earls Court to reach the conference centre; this is 73% of the venue’s total visitors. The letter highlights the industry’s fear that if the Tube link does close, many show organisers both in the UK and overseas will think again about using Olympia, and instead look for alternativevenuesin the UK or abroadthat have better transport links.

Austen Hawkins, CEO of the Association of the Event Organisers, comments; “Once the news came out that TFL wanted to close the tube link to Olympia, I have been absolutely bombarded by my members who are deeply concerned about the viability of their shows at Olympia if the District Line closes. In these tough economic times, it is difficult enough to get people to attend shows; taking away a direct tube link could make it virtually impossible.

"I call on Boris Johnson and TFL to see the huge economic importance of the events business to the West London economy and not to do anything that could threaten it. Otherwise this could be the start of the slow death of London Olympia.”

London Olympia is currently one of the UK’s most important Conference and Exhibition Centres, with over 1.1 million people visiting it each year. 240 local jobs are directly dependent on Olympia and thousands more are indirectly dependent on it. The centre and its associated shows contribute over half a billion pounds to West London per year.

Many of the country’s most famous consumer events such as the Ski & Snowboard Show and the Doctor Who Experience are held there. The venue also hosts many internationally renowned trade shows, such as Top Draw. Both consumer and trade shows drive British business and create British jobs around the whole of the UK.

Andy Center, CEO of CloserStill Media and signatory to the letter, comments: “We have based our events business close to Olympia as we run many shows there. We know that closing the tube link to Olympia will have a disastrous effect on our business, and will certainly make us consider whether to continue to use Olympia as a venue and also force us to reconsider where our business is based.

Industry leaders who have signed the letter include Malcolm Gough, CEO of Emap Connect, Simon Kimble, CEO of Clarion Events Ltd, Laura Biggs, Managing Director of Haymarket Exhibitions Ltd, and Justin Tadman, Divisional Managing Director of Reed Exhibitions.

TFL are currently undertaking an online consultation on the closure of the station,via their website, which closes on the 15 July.