ASM Global has been appointed to run operations at Olympia London, an exhibition centre in central London which is considered one of Europe’s most historic venues.
The announcement is a further step forward in the redevelopment of Olympia London and will see ASM Global take management responsibility for the exhibitions and events business. The move expands ASM’s footprint in Europe with an iconic London venue and brings global knowledge-sharing to enable Olympia London to compete harder in international markets.
ASM Global and Olympia London’s management teams have already been working collectively on a venue enhancement plan for conference and hospitality facilities, with further details to follow in due course. The senior management team and all Olympia London staff will move to ASM Global under TUPE regulations.
Olympia London has been a cultural and architectural landmark since opening its doors in 1886. Today, it is one of London’s busiest venues, and in recent years has attracted more than 1.6 million visitors and hosted over 200 events each year. The wider Olympia site is currently being redeveloped as a cultural district – a new destination for art, culture, education, entertainment, exhibitions, music, state-of-the-art offices and some of the best food and drink in town.
Ron Bension, President and CEO of ASM Global, said: “We are proud to partner with Olympia London, Yoo Capital and Deutsche Finance International on this amazing and historic venue, positioning it at the forefront of the industry for the next 100 years. Our commitment to guest and partner satisfaction aligns with the reputation of Olympia London and we look forward to continuing to serve existing and new clients’ event schedules at Olympia London and developing the programme with other signature events.”
ASM Global has an unrivalled track record working with major cultural and entertainment districts and venues, including LA Live in Los Angeles, Darling Harbour in Sydney, OVO Arena Wembley in London and AO Arena Manchester. ASM will leverage its global relationships in content, programming, planning, technology, sustainability and guest safety to further enhance the visitor experience at Olympia London.
Olympia London joins ASM Global’s network of more than 300 venues around the world, which host 20,000 events, and welcome 165 million guests every year. Other flagship exhibition and convention centres in its portfolio include McCormick Place in Chicago, Moscone Center in San Francisco, ICC Sydney, Shenzhen World in China and P&J Live in Aberdeen, UK.
Having been part of the team who appointed ASM Global, Managing Director Nigel Nathan will now gradually transition to a new role as Chairman over the coming months once ASM appoints a replacement Managing Director to lead the day-to-day running of the Olympia London business.
Nigel Nathan commented: “This is a truly exciting chapter in the history of Olympia London – a partnership with a global venue management company with far wider business reach and resources than we could have ever imagined. The future for Olympia London and the events we host has never been brighter as we benefit from the £1.3bn investment to create an outstanding destination for London. I decided some time ago to transition from Managing Director to Chairman and now is the perfect time to begin that process knowing that the business is in the best position to benefit from the globalisation of events in partnership with ASM Global.”
Tom Lynch, Group Commercial Director & Senior Vice President (Europe) at ASM Global, said: “We’re delighted to be collaborating with owners of Olympia and their management team at Olympia London, during such an exciting and pivotal time for the venue, and for our industry. We’re already working together on innovative plans for the venue, to add value to existing clients of Olympia London and new opportunities for London as an event destination. Olympia completes the jigsaw for our international convention and exhibition portfolio and adds an iconic new platform for our global client base.”
Lloyd Lee, Managing Partner of Yoo Capital, added: “Since we embarked on our masterplan project for Olympia, we have sought to partner with some of the most talented local and global names to create a real community of arts, entertainment and exhibitions. Partnering with ASM in exhibitions brings an unparalleled global network that places Olympia firmly on the world map, as befits central London’s premier exhibition centre, while also ensuring we can bring global best practice to the thousands of UK SMEs who come to Olympia London’s halls each year.”
Gavin Neilan, Co-Founder and Co-Managing Partner of DFI and current Chairman of Olympia London, said: “The success we have had to date in securing new occupiers and operators across the many and varied opportunities at Olympia is a reflection of the scale of the future prospects at this iconic venue and testament to the outstanding management team, which will be retained. The calibre of ASM Global as an anchor operator, and the depth of expertise it will bring to the renowned exhibition space, makes this another important milestone in our plans to unlock Olympia’s wider value potential as an internationally recognised, vibrant new cultural, leisure and business hub for London.”
The £1.3bn redevelopment of Olympia – which will be completed in 2024 – includes a 4,400 capacity live music venue; a 1,575-seat performing arts theatre; a school for the creative arts; 100,000 sq ft of restaurants, bars and eateries; two globally renowned hotels; 550,000 sq ft of offices and 2.5 acres of new public realm.
