HOST CITY: Having hosted the biggest and best event in the world in 2012, what type and scale of events is London aiming to host over the next 10 years?
Iain Edmondson: We have secured a calendar of championships for Olympic sports, such as European Hockey 2015, World Track Cycling 2016 and the World Athletics 2017 in the permanent Olympic venues.
And there’s the Rugby World Cup next year, which takes place in existing venues and the new assets we have, including the Olympic stadium. Complementing that are events where London provides the opportunity to globalise, like the NFL.
What was once termed a decade of sport has now been rounded off with the announcement that the 2020 European football championships will be finishing here, with the semi-finals and finals.
What we are doing now is to see how we can bring our reputation from sport and major events into the cultural content that we have. People visit London largely because it is a diverse city with great attractions in a number of different ways – not just museums and galleries but the performing arts that appeal to people throughout the year.
You see some great examples of light festivals in cities around the world in the winter. The idea of a London Light Festival is something that we are looking at seriously.
HOST CITY: How seriously are you considering a bid for the 2025 World Expo?
Iain Edmondson: Very seriously. Our experience of delivering major international events over the past decade means we now have the capability to evaluate the practicalities as well as potential benefits of hosting the biggest and the best, like a World Expo.
Ten years or so ago we wouldn’t have had the same degree of understanding and intelligence to look at its potential to deliver our strategy and aims for London. We are better placed to consider whether or not the World Expo is right for the city and whether we want to enter the race.
If you are going to host something of that scale you need certain infrastructure, so we have looked into that as well. We are looking at the assets in the city that we have now, like Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, what the situation might be for London in ten years’ time and how this might align with an Expo.
The good thing is that the Mayor understands the power of major events and wants to hear recommendations as to whether we should bid or not.
HOST CITY: What do you think the owners of major events are most looking for in a host city?
Iain Edmondson: There are basic factors that you’ve got to be able to demonstrate, such as transport and security, but one the biggest is the ability to reach an audience. Rights holders are interested in the markets where the events are hosted. If you’ve got partners that are proactively investing in engaging with and marketing events, then that is appealing to rights owners.
HOST CITY: How can London compete with emerging markets in this space?
Iain Edmondson: We are one of the best in the world in terms of an event-going public, so there is an appetite to attend and physically spectate. We are also one of the best from a media perspective, to be able reach people who aren’t seeing an event in person, but through media channels and the press.
Our challenge compared to some competitors is the ability to justify large sums of investment up front from public funds, because the business case for investing multi-millions in destination marketing for a city that is already established is different to a new city that needs to make a mark.
But we are working with the Mayor and all the difference agencies in the city to demonstrate that you don’t necessarily need that. We can still work to provide a commercially successful event, without having a large cash downpayment where there isn’t necessarily an audience behind it. However, there are often other grounds for justifying public investment, such as the long term business benefits where London has proven to have invested wisely over the past decade.
HOST CITY: What do rights holders need to do make bidding more attractive to cities?
Iain Edmondson: Transparency is a must-have for public democratic processes where big money is open to scrutiny. We work in an environment where we expect to be asked awkward questions and justify the answers.
If a bid process is open and transparent, you can choose to engage or not. It’s just a minimum requirement that everyone can see up front the basis on which they are making decisions.
Another thing that is important is recognising the ability for rights holders to work in partnership with hosts. The city staffs the event and puts together commercial deals – they often become the people with the most invested in the success of it, so if the rights owner can work closely with the city and understand its aspirations for hosting it, it’s more often going to be a win-win on both sides.
For example, the ASO are very well resourced; they have looked after the Tour de France for a hundred years. We’ve had some good experience of working with them in 2007 and 2014 and they understand what the host brings.
But some smaller federations often don’t have the capacity to do a lot of detailed planning. The more they can work together and align the events with the expectations of host cities, the better.
For more information about London’s event plans visit www.londonandpartners.com/events
Tag: London
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What will London bid for next?
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A London Expo must benefit all UK, says Tessa Jowell
As London’s City Hall weighs up whether to go head to head with Paris and bid for the 2025 World Expo, Tessa Jowell told HOST CITY that the benefit to the nation as a whole should be a key consideration of a bid.
The former Olympics minister Jowell was a major driving force behind London’s successful Games bid and is a popular contender to become the next mayor of London.
Asked whether she thought London should bid for the World Expo in 2025, Jowell told HOST CITY “It’s not a simple yes or no, but yes, we should certainly undertake the feasibility and be very clear about what the benefits are for London and the UK, beyond the duration of the Expo as an event in its own right.
“You look at every aspect of the development and you say ‘how can we spread the benefit; how can we make sure that businesses outside London know about the possibility of tendering for the contracts?’
London 2012 could set the template here, Jowell indicated. “We avoided displacement from the regions to London’s benefit by ensuring that nearly 50 per cent of the contracts were let to businesses around the country, and the whole country derived benefit.
“Before bidding for the Expo, London needs to ask ‘What’s the possibility of diffusing, dispersing events outside the host city?’
“The Olympics is very strict about that; you have to have a host city, but we were able to have training camps around the country, which gave a bit of Olympic excitement and Olympic magic right across the UK.
“It was a Games that was so true to the city that London is – the greatest city in the world, open, diverse, tolerant – that’s what the Games captured so beautifully, and I think that’s why not just Londoners but people from all around the UK took the Games to their hearts.”
Jowell played a crucial role in evaluating the feasibility of London’s Olympic bid and driving the bid forward.
“My role was to turn my personal belief that this would be great for the country into a proposition that had credibility and could be sold to the whole cabinet, every department of government, all the key supporting organisation and then the chancellor of the exchequer and the prime minister,” she told HOST CITY.
“I set a number of tests against which the proposition could be judged. Was it affordable? Could we deliver it? Would there be a legacy? And could we win the bid against Paris, who was the other key contender at the time?”
President Francois Hollande announced Paris’s candidacy for the 2025 World Expo on 4th November, saying “France is capable of great events, major projects,” with French Prime minister Manuel Valls in October describing the World Expo as a “magnificent opportunity for the image of Paris and of France in the world.”
Mayoral race to follow general election
Dame Tessa Jowell confirmed to HOST CITY that she is seriously considering standing for the nomination as Labour’s candidate to be mayor of London after stepping down as MP at general election on 7 May.
“Now is not the moment for a formal declaration because we have a general election to fight and I hope to win, and that’s what I am focussed on,” she told HOST CITY.
“I think you’ve got to take these things in their natural sequence. The general election is the biggest challenge facing us at the moment.”
A recent YouGov poll showed that Tessa Jowell would not only be the most popular candidate among Labour supporters, but also enjoy the strongest cross-party support. -
VINCI of France to operate London Olympic Stadium
VINCI Stadium has been appointed to manage the former Olympic Stadium at London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park for a 25 year period, starting before the England 2015 Rugby World Cup.
The deal with London is VINCI’s first stadium contract outside France.
The contract was awarded by E20, a joint venture between the London Legacy Development Corporation and Newham Council.
“The E20 Stadium LLP awarded the contract to run the former Olympic Stadium to VINCI Stadium in recognition of VINCI’s expertise and the business model it has developed for the operation of multi-purpose arenas, including the Stade de France,” said Pierre Coppey, Chief Operating Officer of VINCI.
“In addition to broadening the range of events offered at this amazing venue, VINCI Stadium will work with the E20 Stadium Partnership to develop and revitalise East London for the benefit of citizens.”
The venue, designed by Populous in a modular way that enables it to be repurposed for legacy use, is currently being transformed into a multi-use stadium.
“This marks another step forward in the long-term future of the Stadium. VINCI have a great track record and a wealth of experience in managing world-class venues,” said David Goldstone, chief executive of the London Legacy Development Corporation.
“We are looking forward to working with them and delivering a multi-use stadium capable of hosting a range of different sports and events, including this autumn’s Rugby World Cup.”
The stadium will host five matches of Rugby World Cup 2015, starting with France vs. Romania on 23 September and ending with the bronze final match on 30 October.
The venue will not fully reopen until 2016. Premier League football club West Ham United are to take up tenancy of the stadium, which will also act as the national competition venue for UK Athletics.
VINCI Stadium currently operates a network of stadia in France including the Stade de France in Paris, the Allianz Riviera in Nice, the New Bordeaux Stadium and the MMArena in Le Mans.
The Olympic stadium is currently being transformed into a multi-use venue. It will host five matches of Rugby World Cup 2015 before fully re-opening in 2016 when it will become the home of West Ham United.
“Managing the basic day-to-day operations at a Premier League football stadium is a unique challenge, so we will be passing on our extensive experience and expertise to Vinci to ensure they provide the same high levels of service our supporters have become accustomed to at the Boleyn Ground,” said Karren Brady, vice-chairman of West Ham United.
“While Vinci will manage the functional aspects of the matchday operation, we will still be overseeing the overall supporter experience to make sure watching West Ham remains one of the very best days out in the Premier League.”
The stadium will also be the national competition venue for UK Athletics and will be the venue for the IAAF 2017 World Athletics Championships and 2017 IPC Athletics World Championships.
“The Olympic Stadium will be the new home of British Athletics, staging a wide range of events from mass participation runs to elite track and field meetings,” said Ed Warner, chairman of UK Athletics and London 2017.
“We look forward to working closely with VINCI to deliver all of these events, and in particular the twin World Championships in the summer of 2017, in London’s most iconic sporting venue.”
As well as running the stadium, VINCI will manage the London Marathon Charitable Trust Community Track and events on the south park lawn, below the ArcelorMittal Orbit.
They will also work with the E20 Stadium Partnership to promote sport and healthy living in the local area and deliver mass participation events such as the Great Newham London Run.
“This is more good news in our goal to deliver a long-lasting legacy from London’s Olympic and Paralympic Games,” said Boris Johnson, mayor of London.
“VINCI is a world-class operator and set to be a key partner in the creation of a spectacular stadium offering a dynamic range of sport and attractions for Londoners to enjoy.”
5,500 tonnes of steel and 6km of cabling are being used in the transformation of the stadium. The 14 floodlight panels were removed to make way for the new roof.
During renovation, the existing running track is being protected by a 75cm deep mat of recycled concrete.
The rebuilt Olympic Stadium will include 21,000 retractable seats, which are said to allow closer pitch-side viewing during football matches while allowing the running track to remain in place.
Full capacity will be 54,000 seats in football mode, 60,000 in athletics and 80,000 for concerts.
Alongside the main stadium, a new floodlit 400m community athletics track, funded by the London Marathon Charitable Trust will be built for use by the local community, schools and will host a resident athletics club – the Newham & Essex Beagles.
Mayor of Newham Sir Robin Wales said “We look forward to working with VINCI to ensure the Stadium is a world class visitor attraction that delivers job opportunities, community benefits and increased sports participation that transforms the lives of those living in London’s East End, but especially the residents of Newham.” -
Balfour Beatty to build 1,500 homes on Olympic Park
A partnership between Balfour Beatty and Places for People has been awarded a contract to create 1,500 new homes on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
With property prices spiralling in the UK capital, up to 30 of the housing is to be affordable and 500 properties will be for rental.
“This is the most successful and fastest growing city anywhere in Europe, and it is absolutely vital we provide thousands of new houses to allow people to live close to their places of work,” said Boris Johnson, mayor of London.
“I am thrilled to confirm we have now appointed high quality developers to help bring forward plans for these important new neighbourhoods on our iconic Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, a whopping six years ahead of target.”
The joint venture between Places for People and Balfour Beatty was awarded the contact through a competitive process involving a shortlist of six other candidates.
“We are delighted by the high quality of the bid from Places for People and Balfour Beatty, which offers exciting opportunities for local people, businesses and Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park,” said David Goldstone, chief executive of London Legacy Development Corporation, responsible for redeveloping the park.
Over the next eight years, Balfour Beatty is to invest up to £35 million in the project – 50 per cent of the equity required.
Balfour Beatty is to deliver the entire construction aspect of the property development, which it anticipates will create approximately £400 million of revenue.
“I look forward to continuing our strong partnership with the London Legacy Development Corporation to ensure that commitments made as part of the London 2012 Games are delivered by not only creating new communities but also new jobs, and apprenticeships for young people wanting to join the growing infrastructure sector,” said Leo Quinn, chief executive of Balfour Beatty Group.
“With our partner, Places for People, we are very excited to be able to create these new, vibrant, sustainable communities for East London.”
Two new neighbourhoods are to be created, East Wick and Sweetwater, both at the western side of the park.
The designs include terraced and mews houses, in keeping with London’s residential architecture.
850 new homes and a primary school will be built in East Wick, in the north west of the Park next to Hackney Wick and the digital quarter, Here East.
650 new homes, a primary school and a health centre will be built in Sweetwater, in the south-west of the Park near Old Ford and the Copper Box Arena.
“This is East London’s moment and it’s our big moment too and we are thrilled to have been selected to be part of the transformation of Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park,” said David Cowans, chief executive of Places for People.
“With our partner, Balfour Beatty, we have the perfect opportunity to work with the London Legacy Development Corporation to create a truly unique and exciting place to live.”
The project is set to be complete by 2023, bringing the new housing to the park six years earlier than scheduled in the original legacy masterplan. -
London to host annual athletics festival starting with 2015 Anniversary Games
The Sainsbury’s Anniversary Games is to return to London’s former Olympic Stadium from 24 to 26 July 2015, Mo Farah announced on Monday.
And from 2016, British Athletics will host a month of athletics in the stadium in an annual “festival” under a 50-year agreement.
The 2015 Sainsbury’s Anniversary Games will include a two-day Diamond League meeting on Friday 24 and Saturday 25 July, with the Sainsbury’s IPC Athletics Grand Prix Final taking place on Sunday 26 July.
Double Olympic 10,000m and 5,000m Champion Mo Farah returned to the former Olympic Stadium on Monday to launch the event, which is due to take place in the iconic venue at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
“It’s fantastic that the Sainsbury’s Anniversary Games is planning to return to the former Olympic Stadium this summer and I can’t wait to get back on this track to compete, at what will be a stunning celebration of athletics,” Farah said.
“The atmosphere will be amazing and I’m sure it will bring back the memories of London 2012 and the inaugural Sainsbury’s Anniversary Games in 2013.
“I hope the British public will be as excited as I am about this event, and will come out to support the athletes. I’m sure it will be the best outdoor meet this year and a great send off to the World Championships.”
Tickets are due to go on sale at the end of April and demand is expected to be high. All 65,000 tickets for the 2013 anniversary Grand Prix athletics on 26 and 27 July sold out in just 75 minutes.
“Seeing the likes of Mo Farah return to the Olympic Stadium for the Sainsbury’s Anniversary Games will be one of this year’s monumental sporting events,” said Tara Hewitt, head of sponsorship at Sainsbury’s.
On 26 July, Paralympic stars from all over the world are to compete at the stadium and the London Aquatics Centre. The events will coincide with National Paralympic Day and the Mayor of London’s Liberty Festival.
“I am excited to announce that National Paralympic Day will be returning this year with elite sports competitions in both Swimming and Athletics, as well as lots of fun, family-friendly activity on the Park,” said Tim Hollingsworth, chief executive of the British Paralympic Association.
“Over 50,000 people have taken up the chance to come to the Park to be part National Paralympic Day over the past two years and relive the wonder of the London 2012 Paralympics.”
The stadium is currently closed as work continues to transform it into the new national competition centre for British Athletics in 2016 and the permanent home of West Ham United FC.
The stadium, designed by Populous, is currently being reconfigured from its Olympic Games mode to optimise it for hosting several events later this year including the Sainsbury’s Anniversary Games and five Rugby World Cup matches.
Under an agreement with British Athletics, the stadium will host athletics competitions for one month of every year from 2016 for fifty years.
“The Sainsbury’s Anniversary Games this summer will mark the start of new athletics legacy at the former Olympic Stadium,” said British Athletics Chief Executive, Niels de Vos.
“For one month a year the Stadium will be the beating heart of athletics in this country and we want the nation to get excited about it and be part of it.
“As well as hosting the best international competitions in the world we need to create a two, three or four-week festival where that stadium is buzzing with athletics and fans every day.”
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Tessa Jowell: boost events and culture through visitor tax
Dame Tessa Jowell MP, former Secretary of State for the Olympic Games has proposed that a one per cent tax on hotel stays should be brought in to fund events, culture and youth development in London.
The tax could raise GB£50m per year, London newspaper the Evening Standard reported.
These funds would be used to stage events such as the New Year’s Eve Fireworks, as well as creating a culture fund for local boroughs, enabling town halls to apply for funds to host free community events.
The revenues would also be diverted to helping create equal access to cultural and leisure activities for children in London. According to the Department for Work and Pensions, the families of 200,000 London children can’t afford leisure equipment such as bicycles, while 100,000 can’t afford extra-curricular activities such as music lessons.
Other major world cities such as Paris and Rome already tax tourists on their hotel stays. In New York City, non-residents are charged more than 14 per cent on their hotel bills to contribute to city’s finances.
The tax could only be introduced in London if the government grants new powers to the Mayor and London’s boroughs.
Dame Tessa Jowell is the pollster’s favourite to be Labour’s candidate for the Mayor of London. The Mayor will be elected in May 2017.
The former Secretary of State responsible for all planning of Olympic bid and implementation was a member of the London Olympic Board from 2010 to 2012. During the Games, she was Deputy Mayor of the Olympic Village
She is speaking in the opening panel discussion on “Why Events Matter to Cities” at HOST CITY 2015: The Largest Meeting of Cities and Sports, Culture and Business Events on 27 and 28 October.
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London’s light fantastic
London’s first Lumiere light festival closed on Sunday 17th January at 10.30pm, having transformed the city’s streets and buildings with 30 spectacular artworks. First estimates put the numbers of visitors at over 1 million attending the festival over four evenings.
Developed by creative producers Artichoke and supported by the Mayor of London, Lumiere London turned King’s Cross and London’s West End, including Leicester Square, Piccadilly, Regent Street, St James’s and Carnaby into a magical pedestrian playground and encouraged Londoners and tourists alike to explore the heart of the capital and view it in a new light.
“I am thrilled by the success of Lumiere London, which has brought a wonderful burst of imagination, colour and creativity to our city’s streets in the middle of cold, dark January. It could not have happened without the input and support of the many businesses and agencies who helped to make it happen,” said the Mayor of London Boris Johnson.
“We have been astounded by the crowds, which exceeded all our expectations and brought a boost to the West End and King’s Cross and are delighted by the response, not just from Londoners, but visitors from around the world.”
Lumiere was created by Artichoke in Durham in 2009, and has been recommissioned by Durham County Council every two years since then. In 2013, Artichoke also produced Lumiere in Derry~Londonderry UK City of Culture, commissioned by Culture Company 2013. In November 2015, the festival returned to Durham for the fourth time, attracting an estimated 200,000 visitors to the city.
“It’s been an unprecedented four nights for London and the turnout has been extraordinary,” said Helen Marriage, Director of Artichoke.
“Over a million people came to experience something truly magical and unusual: this great world city turned into a temporary pedestrian playground.
“While the success of the festival did mean that contingency measures had to be put into place occasionally to help keep the crowds moving, the atmosphere has always been amazing. This festival has been about more than seeing the art. It’s about people sharing public space and re-discovering the city’.”
Over 200 volunteers from across the capital were recruited to support the festival through Team London, the Mayor’s volunteering programme for London.
Business boost
The festival is said to have brought a significant year-on-year uplift in food and beverage sales to businesses in London’s West End and King’s Cross, with anecdotal reports of double digit growth from restaurants, cafes and bars.
With founding support from Atom Bank, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Heart of London Business Alliance, London & Partners and King’s Cross, plus additional support from a host of partners and sponsors, including Westminster City Council, Lumiere London presented installations by 30 international artists, at some of the city’s most iconic locations.
The creative power of Lumiere was accompanied by a boost to business in the city. Karen Baines, Heart of London Business Alliance representing over 500 businesses and 100 property owners in Leicester Square, Piccadilly and St James’s said “The atmosphere in Leicester Square, Piccadilly and St James’s has been absolutely electric with footfall increasing by 18% year on year on Thursday and Friday from 6pm to 11pm, as visitors flocked from far and wide to see our globally renowned cultural landmarks transformed.
“Our vibrant evening economy saw a significant boost with West End restaurants, cafes and bars reporting double digit growth in sales as visitors made the most of what was on offer to make it a night out and an evening to remember.”
How London came to life
Audiences from across the world were enthralled by artworks including a glowing tropical garden filled with giant plants in Leicester Square Gardens and a technicolour animation featuring the faces of some of the UK’s best-loved TV and film stars, projected onto BAFTA, 195 Piccadilly. At Oxford Circus, which was closed to traffic during the festival, people lay on their backs gazing up at 1.8 London, Janet Echelman’s beautifully illuminated aerial sculpture strung between buildings at Oxford Circus.
Along Regent Street, pedestrianised for the event, crowds gathered to see Elephantastic!, a 3D, larger-than-life projected elephant stomping through the Air Street arch, while in St James’s visitors gazed at the ethereal Les Voyageurs – sculpted human forms flying high above the buildings. At Westminster Abbey, audiences stood mesmerized by The Light of the Spirit, a digital painting by French artist Patrice Warrener, who had bathed the Abbey’s West Gate in an electric riot of colour.
In Carnaby, on Broadwick Street, visitors gathered around Julian Opie’s animated LED monolith – Shaida Walking. The piece has been commissioned as a permanent installation and will be illuminated during the day as well as at night.
Aquarium, Benedetto Bufalino & Benoit Deseille’s iconic red telephone box filled with exotic fish at Grosvenor Square, was a firm festival favourite, drawing audiences to the leafy garden square in Mayfair. The square was also a temporary home to Elaine Buckholtz’s abstract digital painting, which uses light and music to re-imagine Van Gogh’s painting All Night Café.
Hundreds of Londoners of all ages played their part in the festival: from donating a recycled plastic bottle to the glowing Plastic Islands installation by Luzinterruptus in the Trafalgar Square fountains, to appearing on film in the spectacular Circus of Light projected onto the Granary Building at King’s Cross. 500 children also took part in workshops at schools in the area to help make Joining the Dots and Litre of Light, both also at King’s Cross.
Founding Partner Bloomberg Philanthropies and Artichoke also hosted a sold-out Lumiere London Symposium, “The Heart and Soul of the City”. Speakers including Lumiere London artists, cultural pioneers and leading policy makers, shared their visions for the public realm, and how artists and communities can transform it. -
Host City welcomes Sadiq Khan’s green transport plan
Labour MP Sadiq Khan is set to be the new Mayor of London as counting nears completion following Thursday’s election. Khan stood against four rival candidates including the Conservative candidate Zac Goldsmith.
He is set to succeed Conservative MP Boris Johnson, who led London for two terms which included the delivery of the Olympic Games in 2012. The Host City contract for London 2012 was signed by former Mayor Ken Livingstone.
Shortly before the election Khan outlined his priorities in an editorial in The Guardian newspaper. Affordable housing was top of the agenda, but he also set out his plans to assure that transport affordable.
“Londoners now face the most expensive transport of almost any major city,” he wrote. “I will freeze fares for four years, and introduce ‘Hopper’ bus tickets, so that people can have unlimited changes within one hour.”
With Khan as Mayor, London can hope to see an improvement in air quality.
“As someone who lives with adult-onset asthma I know how bad air quality in the capital has become,” he wrote.
“I want to be the greenest mayor London has ever had – it is not acceptable that 10,000 people die in London every year because our air is so filthy. That’s why I have ambitious plans to make green London’s bus fleet and remove the filthiest vehicles from our roads.
He also pledged to improve security in the capital of the UK.“While the cost of living in London has soared, the number of police officers making our city safe has plummeted. Conservative cuts mean there are 1,500 fewer officers on London’s streets, and violent crime levels are up in every single borough. I will make policing a priority, and work to tackle sexual assaults on public transport and the unacceptable rise in hate crime.”
But the clearest message of Khan’s campaign was on tackling the runaway cost of accommodation. “Our city is living through the worst housing crisis in a generation, rents are sky-high and the average cost of a home in London is more than £500,000,” he wrote.
“If I become mayor of London, my single biggest priority will be to build thousands more homes every year. I will set a target to make half of all the new homes that are built genuinely affordable, with first dibs for Londoners.”
Khan, who is set to be the first Muslim mayor of a major western city, was nominated Labour’s candidate for the mayoral contest ahead of former Olympics Minister Dame Tessa Jowell.
Host City would like to thank Dame Tessa Jowell and former Mayors Boris Johnson and Ken Livingstone for all their contributions to and invaluable support of Host City; and to welcome Sadiq Khan’s plans for London. -
Host City 2016 speaker John Langford appointed manager of The O2
John Langford is joining AEG as Vice President and General Manager of The O2 in London on 1 November. The move follows three years as Director of Live Entertainment at The Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre (SECC) in Glasgow, including The SSE Hydro arena.
Shortly after starting the new role he will be speaking at Host City 2016, the leading conference and exhibition for cities and sports, cultural and business events. He will be speaking on November 22 in Glasgow on the subject of “Creating Entertaining Experiences for Visitors” alongside other global leaders in staging major events.
Leading the team at The O2, Langford will be responsible for the overall operational management, commercial delivery, event booking and content creation at the London venue as well as setting the vision and strategy. Reporting directly to AEG Europe’s SVP Facilities, Richard Krezwick, he takes over as the venue approaches its tenth birthday in 2017.
John Langford also sits on the board of the European Arenas Association.
“With John’s knowledge of the music and entertainment business world and his proven track record in the venue management business, I know he’ll do a fantastic job,” said Krezwick. “John inherits a tremendously talented team at The O2 which will certainly make for a seamless transition and a bright future ahead.”
Langford’s leadership was pivotal in transforming The SSE Hydro into one of the world’s leading entertainment venues, during which time the arena significantly added to group profitably and economic impact for the City of Glasgow. Prior to the SECC, he spent seven years as Chief Operating Officer at BIG Concerts International, Africa’s premier concert promoter and previously at senior management roles in the commercial radio industry.
“I am incredibly excited to be joining the team at AEG and The O2,” he said.
“I have always admired the impact that The O2 has on the live entertainment industry and I am greatly honoured that I can play a part in the future growth of this iconic venue. I will miss my colleagues at the SECC tremendously and I wish them well as their incredibly successful journey continues.”
According to AEG, The O2 is the world’s most popular music and entertainment venue. Since opening in 2007, it has been visited by more than 60 million people and picked up awards including: Venue of the Year at the Music Week Awards, Venue of the Year at the Event Awards, Venue of the Year at the AEO Awards, Pollstar International Arena of the Year (nine consecutive years), Venue Team of the Year at the Event Awards, Best New Major Concert Venue, Venue of the Year at The Event Services Association and Favourite Venue at the TPI Awards.
In addition to the arena, The O2 is also home to indigo at The O2, a live performance space; an 11-screen Cineworld complex; Up at The O2 – an experience that allows visitors to walk across the roof of The O2; Brooklyn Bowl – a 12-lane bowling alley, 800 capacity live music space and 130 cover restaurant, and The Avenue, which features 26 bars and restaurants.
Read the exclusive Host City interview with John Langford here. -
MTV EMAs set to rock the SSE Arena in London
Music’s biggest stars will head to London in November when the UK capital hosts the MTV European Music Awards (EMAs) for the first time in 21 years.
The 24th annual awards show will take over the city’s SSE Arena, Wembley on November 12 and will feature performances from some of the biggest acts on the planet.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan was delighted to announce the news. He said: “After two decades away, the MTV EMAs are returning to electrify the greatest city in the world once again. It promises to be an absolutely incredible evening, featuring some of the globe’s top artists and watched by millions.
“London is the natural city to host one of the greatest musical shows on earth – with our exceptional musical history, wealth of creative talent and outstanding venues – we’re the entertainment capital of the world.”
The EMAs were first held in Berlin in 1994 and last year Rotterdam hosted with Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber picking up gongs. London first held the event in 1996 and other British host cities include Edinburgh, Liverpool, Belfast and Glasgow.
“I think we are the entertainment capital of the world,” Khan added. “There was a view after Brexit that we were going to stop being outward-looking, a concern we would be insular and no longer the city we are known for. The announcement shows we are open for creativity, talent and entertainment.
“I was shocked that it has been two decades since the MTV EMAs was here. We are going to have a great year, and this November we will prove that London is the capital of the universe.”
David Lynn, chief executive of Viacom International Media Networks, MTV’s parent company, said: “London is arguably the world’s musical epicentre and it’s both a huge privilege and opportunity to bring the MTV EMAs 2017 to the UK’s capital city.”