Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company has announced that work has officially commenced on the Phase 2 expansion of its ExCeL London exhibition & conference centre in the UK capital.

In a ceremony attended by the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, senior ranking London governmental officials and members of the European media, the 40,000sqm extension was officially launched.

Scheduled for completion in Spring 2010, the Phase 2 development Excel London will see the venue increase its event space by 50% to become one of Europe’s largest exhibition centres with a total exhibition floor space of 100,000sqm and a brand new 5,000 seat convention centre.

Simon Horgan, ADNEC Group CEO said, “The official launch of ExCeL London Phase 2 is evidence of Abu Dhabi’s commitment to establishing the venue as the leading European event centre. The extension will enable ExCeL London to stage a huge array of international events and compete with cities such as New York, Paris and Tokyo on an equal level.

“This investment, together with the development of the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, is a key component in ADNEC Group’s strategy to become the world’s leading venue provider to the international exhibitions, conferences and live events industries by providing consistently high standards of venue facilities, management and client relationships and capitalising on the synergies which exist within a global venue network, thus bringing direct benefits back to Abu Dhabi.”

ExCeL London is one of Europe’s busiest exhibition centres having staged over 2,000 events since it opened in 2000, the venue will also play a significant role in the London 2012 Olympics staging at least 7 Olympic & 5 Paralympic events. In addition a significant Abu Dhabi branding and promotional drive is currently underway at the London venue; the campaign will highlight some of the spectacular developments taking place in Abu Dhabi and help connect the European exhibition industry with the emerging markets in the Gulf region.

ADNEC’s development of ExCeL London will include key features such as:

• An additional 32,500sqm of exhibition space, taking the total to just under 100,000sqm
• A new covered direct Line Rail Pedestrian Link walkway direct to the building from the railway station
• A new semi-permanent Auditorium with retractable seating for up to 5,000 delegates
• New banqueting facilities capable of servicing 5,000 delegates
• Additional conference & meeting Rooms, providing additional space for up to 2,000 delegates
• New restaurants seating 1,000 guests and seven further food outlets
• New Production kitchen
• Additional underground parking – total onsite parking capacity for 4,000 cars