London & Partners: “We are the growth and destination agency for London”

The National Gallery of London seen from Trafagal Square

In 2011, London & Partners (L&P) brought together three of the city's marketing organisations to broaden its scope of action and develop its events and meetings brand. Since then, it has become a social enterprise contributing millions to London’s economy and supporting local businesses – adding to tens of thousands of jobs working across its various branches such as Grow London, Opportunity London and the London Convention Bureau. After our inspection visit in November last year, we caught up with Barbara Jamison-Woods, Head of European Business Team, and Suzanne Singleton, Head of Associations and Citywide Bids, for the following conversation:

Since the merger, have you noticed a relationship between foreign investment and business development with the number of conferences and events organised?

Barbara Jamison-Woods: The integration of our services under one roof was based on economic and efficiency factors as we are partly funded by the Mayor of London through the Greater London Authority (GLA). When renewing our strategy, we integrate with the GLA’s plans, for example aligning with the mayor’s goals of making London a net zero carbon, zero pollution city by 2030, as well as a zero-waste city by 2050. And having Howard Dawber, the Deputy Mayor of London for Business and Growth, as our chairman really helps. It enables us to fully align with our communication and priorities – whether that is sustainability or sector priorities. In the beginning, the commercial side pulled us more towards the intersection of technology with our core sectors, such as medtech, fintech or IT. Around that time, London was leading the way with many initiatives, tax incentives and growth in this area…

Suzanne Singleton: One example of curation that drew heavily on the strength of innovation and the tech world was undoubtedly London Tech Week, which has become one of the biggest tech events in the world. This technology festival began as a small incubator event and has grown into a large-scale international technology conference, where some of the key speakers include government leaders.

In other words, the objectives are defined around the key sectors and then channelled into your event acquisition and association strategy in London.

BJW: We see it as a three-year growth strategy. We look at our strengths and weaknesses, but also at local and global trends. I believe that L&P is very good at adapting to the unpredictable and then predicting where we should be in the long term. Looking at the European market in a post- Brexit world, what we had to do from day one was collaborate with other international cities. If you look at what we did at London Tech Week, for example, this year we are partnering with VivaTech in Paris to demonstrate to delegates our global reach and offer exclusive access to UK markets. London is an excellent gateway to the rest of Europe, with air and rail accessibility to make the most of the visitor journey. Apart from that, we are no longer just a marketing organisation as VisitLondon, but are now moving towards a social enterprise that supports residents and businesses primarily.

Hotel nhow London, on the fringe of Shoreditch

How can the business events sector serve as a guiding thread for urban regeneration, legacy impacts and value creation?

BJW: I think we were one of the first cities to demonstrate this with the legacy left by the 2012 Olympic Games. Our Mayor at the time realised the importance of this trickle-down approach by bringing in a major sporting event for regeneration purposes. That is why the Olympic Park was built in London’s two lesser privileged boroughs – Newham and Tower Hamlets – and many Olympic cities have followed our example since then. Just look at what Paris did in the northern area of the city for its last Games. I believe that through this event, we have managed to shift the city’s image from that of a banking and insurance hub to that of a sports centre with global reach

SS: There are several activations in terms of legacy impacts here. You would be surprised to see so many people volunteering for liver tests during the EASL Congress 2022 – (check out our interview with the association on the HQ #118, page 8.) The combination of destination and association in this case was very fruitful for the various communities in London, such as King’s College, where a lecture was given to medical students. This encourages various sectors to become more involved with destinations in a professional, scientific and social capacity.

BJW: Another example of urban renewal and expansion is the Royal Docks in East London, one of London’s biggest investment projects. Interestingly, this also has a connection with the urban plan integrated into the Olympic Games and validates the city’s long-term investment objectives. Of note, ExCeL London, located in the Royal Docks area, is undergoing a significant expansion to enhance its facilities and capacity. This development is part of a broader initiative to revitalise the Docklands and bolster London's status as a global hub for events and exhibitions.​
 

Are you satisfied with the city’s supply chain or is there still room to grow?

BJW: London is constantly evolving. The trend we see more on the corporate side are towards specialised events taking place across the city. Currently, fringe events are spreading out across several cities without the need to adhere to a specific date or a defined audience. For example, GreenTech Festival has its flagship event in Berlin but London will host several of its roadshow events. Another great example is SXSW with its first European event set to take place in London this year whilst the original event stays in the US; What we are seeing more and more is the alignment of sectors such as green finance or green mobility with specialised companies, mainly because delegates today are very focused on what they want from the conference. They may want to go to a conference just to attend specific parts of the programme, which is why festivals and major conferences are mobilising in a comprehensive and cyclical way.
 

The convention and exhibition centre Excel London in Newham 

What services have international associations asked you for and what are you prioritising now during the bidding process?

SS: Primarily, most clients want to know how they can get their event up and running in London. Many of these questions came up after the UK left the European Union, as there was a need for clarity on new processes and regulations. Another major factor for event organisers is usually functional accessibility. However, once we get to the point of briefing, we can understand what channels to open and how to provide access to our business ecosystems. We can also call on other departments at L&P, for example MedCity who are well connected within the life sciences sector. European clients continue to see the value in having their events in London. A great example is the 2024 Congress of the European Society of Cardiology, which welcomed around 26,500 delegates on site and received the highest praise. We worked hard with the UK Visas and Immigration Office to ease communication to ensure as many delegates could attend the event which had a very positive impact. London is a city in constant transformation. We have opened the Elizabeth Line, a new railway system that brings in millions of extra people within minutes of Central London. And event venues are multiplying with several developments in the pipeline.

Where does the city stand in the net-zero transition of its entire venue network and the event campus?

SS: I think we have come a long way in a short space of time. Many hotels now have a green accreditation such as Green Tourism, Green Key, Eco Smart or EarthCheck. There are various accreditation programmes available such as in green transport, heating systems, waste and food reprocessing, etc. We are aligned with the Mayor of London’s pledge to be a net zero carbon, zero pollution city by 2030, as well as a zero-waste city by 2050. The city now has low-carbon and car-free zones, as well as plenty of green spaces and pedestrianised areas. These initiatives are very important for both the visitor experience and Londoners; involving a great deal of investment on the part of the GLA and our tourism partners. Some prime examples are with Central Hall Westminster, the way they are transitioning to vegetarian and sustainable menus to tackle food waste and food miles. Some of our venues have charitable status such as Historic Royal Palaces providing a variety of activities once a week for anyone from their local area in need of warmth and community. Somerset House also offer a several programmes supporting creatives and artists, alongside broader volunteering opportunities and community projects. All in all, we are aligned with the mayor’s mission to make London a safer, fairer, greener and a more prosperous city.

Central Hall Westminster, in Westminster