Situated in the heart of London’s historic Royal Docks, ExCeL is one of the biggest exhibition centers in London, hosting numerous significant trade shows every year. Although not as close as other venues to the major airports and to central London, it is well accessible and a preferable location for many big international trade shows – DSEI, ICE Totally Gaming, In-Cosmetics, MRO – to name a few.
How to get there?
ExCeL is very close to City Airport and can be accessed via DLR (Docklands Light Railway) at two stations – Prince Regent Station and Custom House. Note that that until December 2017 Custom House DLR station will be closed for redevelopment. During major shows with large visitor attendances to ease the burden on trains, an additional shuttle links Canning Town station and the Underground’s Jubilee line. In 2018 is expected the opening of the Elizabeth Line that will connect the venue to central London and to Heathrow Airport.
About the venue
The exhibition halls of ExCeL are situated on one level, separated into North Event Halls and South Event Halls, each of them having 10 entrances. Often there are several parallel exhibitions at the same time, so you have to pay attention which is the entrance leading to your event.
You will not stay hungry in ExCeL- with its 22 restaurants on site there is food for any taste. If you are exhibiting there however, think about ordering catering for your stand. During lunch time the restaurants and the cafés are overcrowded and the queues- extremely long and you should be prepared for long waiting in order to get a meal.
ExCeL offers also free WiFi all over the venue, charging stations for your phone (£1.50 for 30 minutes); many cloakrooms, print and copy center and a shop, offering plenty of useful exhibition stand supplies.
Upcoming shows for Easy Exhibit in ExCeL
- ICE Totally Gaming 2019: Taking place every year in ExCel London, this is the only B2B gaming event that brings together the whole gaming world – online and offline. All forms of betting are covered – casinos, lotteries, sports bets, etc. The dates of the show in 2019 are from 5 – 7 February.
- DSEI 2019: In ExCeL is DSEI at home – it’s held there every two years since 2001. The show is the world’s largest fully integrated international defense exhibition featuring land, sea and air products and technologies and it attracts more than 30 000 visitors all over the world. In 2019 DSEI takes place from 10 – 13 September.
What to pay attention to
- ExCeL is quite far from the major London Airports and the city center and although there is public transportation and it can be hard to get to ExCel when a big exhibition is on. It a busy location that draws a lot of people. Congestion lengthens travel time and overcrowded public transport can sour people to an event before they are through the door. Book a transfer for your team to get them extra time to set up the stand and ensure they arrive stress free and in good spirits to the show.
- ExCeL is a big and very busy location and there are often multiple shows happening at the same time, so it is very possible to get lost. Optimize your time on site by knowing exactly which entrance is your location is next to and always use a hall map when you have to hurry from one business meeting to the other. You will receive a detailed venue map at the Information desks, located at each entrance of the exhibition center.
Interesting to see and do around
- Emirates Air Line cable car: It links ExCeL to The O2 on the Greenwich Peninsula, crossing the River Thames and giving passengers spectacular views of London from a height of up to 90 meters. One way ride costs £4.50.
- O2 Arena: An entertainment complex filled with bars, nightclubs, live music venues, and cinemas. The Emirates cable car ferries people between the O2 and ExCeL.
- Canary Warf: The famous Canary Warf is a world-renowned hot spot for dining and shopping. The major commercial district is packed with restaurants, cafés, cinemas. An impressive area for taking international clients along the River Thames.
- Dining around ExCel:There are a lot of restaurants close to the venue, so if your hotel is also around, you don’t need to take the long way to the city center.
