22 May 2025
Excel London has today confirmed that it will host 10 major international congresses in 2026 - a record for a single year and demonstrating the continued appeal of the UK capital as a global events destination.
Making the announcement at this week’s IMEX Frankfurt alongside London’s Deputy Mayor for Business & Growth Howard Dawber, the 10 congresses alone are estimated to generate £250 million to London’s business economy, in addition to the £4.6 billion Excel brings annually through its 400-strong event calendar.
The congresses, the majority of which utilise Excel’s new state-of-the-art 25,000sqm ICC Expansion, include the EAU Congress (13-16 March), the FTTH Conference (14-16 April), the INTA 2026 Annual Meeting (2-6 May), and the ESHRE 2026 Annual Meeting (5-8 July) and the EuMW 2026 (4-9 October). In total, the congresses are expected to attract some 80,000 delegates to the UK capital, many of whom will be from overseas.
Built to leading BREEAM sustainability standards, Excel’s £220 million expansion development – fully supported by ADNEC Group – will increase the venue’s existing world-class facilities by a further 25% – totalling 125,000sqm (1.3m sqft) - and making it the largest fully integrated conference and exhibition centre in Europe.
Offering stunning views of London’s skyline, the expansion gives Excel an additional International Convention Centre, together with ultra-modern exhibition halls, conference spaces and breakout rooms. With the finishing touches now being made, the first official event in Excel’s new space will be the all-electric Formula E motor racing series at the end of July.
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James Rees, Excel’s Executive Director, President of JMIC and ICCA Past-President, commented: “Up to £10 billion is being invested into London’s experience economy over the next 10 years, with Excel London alone having already invested more than £350 million in recent years across its venue, infrastructure and facilities. Combine this with London’s recent accolades including TripAdvisor’s ‘2025 World’s Top Destination’ and Cvent’s Top Meeting Destination, and it’s easy to see why the City and Excel are experiencing burgeoning interest across the business events industry.”
Marije Koops, EAU Congress Manager of one of the 10 major congresses being hosted at Excel in 2026, said: “As one of the world’s largest urological events, London is a crucial market for us. It’s not just an incredible destination with world-class transport links, but it’s also home to many of the leading medical professionals and institutions. This, together with the amazing new facilities that Excel has to offer, makes London an obvious choice and one that we’re very much looking forward to welcoming thousands of healthcare professionals to."
Held at Messe Frankfurt, IMEX Frankfurt is the leading event for the meetings, incentive, congress and events (MICE) industry and the largest of its kind in Europe.
