London & Partners supports major new event for the UK meeting industry

Monday 24 June 2013

London Partners, the official promotional organisation for the capital is partnering with The Meetings Show UK and Radisson Blu Edwardian to host a major buyer event on 8^th July.

The Meetings Show UK, which is to be held at London’s Olympia from 9^th to 11^th July, will bring together the heart of the international meetings community. It will present the first and largest fully hosted buyer led programme in the UK with top buyers from the MICE industry expected to attend from around the world. The major buyer event, which takes place following The Meetings Show UK’s Association Day marks the start of the show’s highly anticipated networking programme for hundreds of influential buyers.

Iconic London venue Leadenhall Market, the ancient centre of Roman Londinium, will be the location for a street party-themed networking reception. The London, Up Your Street event will showcase London’s unparalleled expertise at hosting high profile events and will see hundreds of hosted buyers and industry professionals enjoying a festival atmosphere on London’s streets. One year on from the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the event is a good example of how London is enjoying a renewed status as the place to stage major events and conferences. This follows the recent news that London has climbed back into the top ten in the Union of International Associations’ (UIA) International Meetings Statistics and claimed the number six spot in the International Congress and Convention Association’s report published in May.

Taking prime position on the central aisle at The Meetings Show UK, the London stand will feature almost a dozen of the city’s top venues including Radisson Blu Edwardian, London; Arsenal Football Club; The Mermaid and Park Plaza Hotels Resorts. Throughout the show, London Partners will be celebrating the legacy that the capital has seen since London 2012, with interactive sessions for guests on the London stand located at H7.

Tracy Halliwell, Director of Business Tourism Major Events at London Partners, said: “We are proud to be partnering with The Meetings Show UK on this brand new international event taking place in London. As the official CVB for the capital, we are dedicated to attracting and delivering events for London such as World Islamic Economic Forum in October and European Society of Cardiology in 2015. The Meetings Show UK will provide a platform for London to showcase its unrivalled events landscape once again a year on from the Games.  The London, Up Your Street event at one of London’s most celebrated markets is a fitting tribute to the capital’s heritage and demonstrates the extreme versatility and flexibility for events in London.”

Steve Knight, Event Director at The Meetings Show UK, said: “The London, Up Your Street event marks the start of The Meetings Show UK’s networking programme, and our partnership with London Partners has been pivotal in bringing it to life.  Leadenhall Market is a superb venue which will provide a fantastic backdrop to this high profile evening, which will bring together hosted buyers already in attendance at the Association Day as well as those preparing to attend the main show when it opens on 9^th July.  It is a fantastic start to the networking and a wonderful welcome to our guests in London.”

A year on since hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games, London is already reaping the economic rewards of hosting the events on the world stage. The 560 acre Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park will open gradually from July 2013 with an exciting concert series in the north of the Park this summer, followed by a full re-opening in spring 2014.  The Park will boast seven new hospitality areas including the ArcelorMittal Orbit – the tallest sculpture in the UK – where receptions can be held with fabulous views across the stadium. The Aquatics Centre and the Velodrome will also become key venues for gala events and the multi-use arena which is known as the ‘Copper Box’ will become London’s third biggest indoor arena. The south end of the park will offer a further 2,000 sqm temporary exhibition and conference venue space.

The London, Up Your Street launch event will see the very best of London’s street performers and musicians entertaining the crowds. Cuisine delivered from some of the Market’s own food retailers will delight with delicacies from butcher to cheesemonger and chocolatier.