News

Association of Event Organisers (AEO)

29 Sep 2011

Events industry angry with Boris Johnson as he shuts Olympia tube service

• EVENTS INDUSTRY HIGHLIGHTS CLOSURE OF TUBE LINE TO OLYMPIA UNDERMINES HISTORIC VENUE

• INDUSTRY DETERMINED TO CONTINUE FIGHT TO SAVE SERVICE

• MAYOR ACCUSED OF NOT LISTENING TO INDUSTRY

• INDUSTRY FEARS OLYMPIC EAST BIAS WILL LEAD TO DECLINE IN THE WEST

A letter to the London Mayor Boris Johnson has accused him of “seriously undermining the historic exhibitions and events industry in West London” after he decided to close the weekday district line service to Olympia. This strong response comes in reply to a letter from the Mayor to the CEO of the Association of Event Organisers (AEO) in which he states that he would personally make the final decision on the closure plan, which was announced yesterday by TfL.

The letter sent by Karim Halwagi CEO of the AEO highlights that he feels that the mayor hasn’t listened to the industry. It articulates the wider industry fear that the Mayor is favouring East London at the expense of West London, and is supportive of businesses and people moving east to bolster its post-Olympic legacy.

Karim Halwagi, CEO of the Association of the Event Organisers, comments: “Earls Court could close in the next few years, and in this context, the decision by the mayor to close the regular Olympia tube service will seriously undermine the events business in West London. We are very angry and don’t feel that Boris Johnson has given the issue the proper consideration it merits. Many of my members are also asking me if this decision is part of a wider plan to favour a post-Olympic legacy in the East. If this is the case the post-Olympic legacy for the events industry in West London will be one of decline”.

Each year a staggering 803,000 visitors take the District Line from Earls Court to reach the Olympia venue; this is 73% of the venue’s total visitors. AEO fear that after the Tube link closes, many show organisers both in the UK and overseas will think again about using Olympia.

Karim Halwagi, continues: “I call on Boris Johnson and TfL to see the huge economic importance of the events business to the West London economy and to reverse this decision. Otherwise he will be personally responsible for any decline in West London’s historic events industry.”

The events sector contributes billions to the UK economy and 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.