Problem?Solution.Smart AV. Aim higher.audio visual hireunit 6 spire green centre | flex meadow | harlow | essex cm19 5tr | +44 (0)845 078 0326 | www.smart-av.comsort AV for exhibitor party. cleaning.pick up dry need prices for the big LED screen. what about one of those seamless walls.?must arrange lighting for seminar rooms!!voting system for the main seminar.breakout rooms and workshops -sort projectors, PA and lighting!!kiosks for the web café? possible at such late notice?interactive floor plan for exhibitions - who's sorting?who's arranging the presentation slides?need proven audio visual contractor for exhibitors.suggestions?!!confirm public address for the event by end of the day. help!!!digital signage for halllighting!!haven't seen the venue yet!!order the web registration equipment.anyone know where we can source office equipment for the orgainser's office?Smart Av0845 0780326the exhibition the MD mentioned a stage?? what size and where from?/ need by friday!!!

welcome EXHIBITION NEWSNADIA CAMERON MANAGING EDITORncameron@mashmedia.netEXHIBITIONNEWS.CO.UKAPRIL 2011 5EditorialPublishing Director: Liz AgostiniManaging Editor:Nadia CameronDeputy Editor:Antony Reeve-CrookStaff Writers:James BarrettMike TrudeauDigitalOnline Editor:Sarah O'DonnellAdvertisingAccount managersJaime LininSubscriptionsMarketing Manager:Christopher LynasDatabase Executive:Tim Swinfen-GreenProduction & DesignProduction Manager: Luke SpaldingDesigners:Justyna KochanskaProduction Assistant:Julia Ball Published by Mash Media, 4th Floor, Sterling House,6-10 St Georges Road, Wimbledon London SW19 4DPTel: +44 (0)20 8971 82821 years' subscription cost is: UK £95+VAT p/a, Europe £112+VAT, ROW £130+VAT.Views expressed are not necessarily those of the publishers.No part of this publication may be reproduced without theexpress written permission of the publishers.Printed by Wyndeham Grange. ISSN: 1740-813Contact usSubscriptions 020 8971 8268Editorial 020 8971 8292Sales 020 8971 8265 Production 020 8971 8272One chapter finishes and anotherbegins: The old maxim sprang to mymind while I was putting together thismonth's front page complete with theproposal for Earls Court's demolition andLiverpool's new £40m exhibition hall. We've been talking about the "potential"demolition of Earls Court 1 and 2 ever sinceCapital and Counties (CapCo) assumed fullcontrol of Earls Court and Olympia in January2010. In fact, the site has been fodder forsuch conversations for years. CapCo's financial report, along with itsdetailed masterplan released for publicconsultation last month, are the clearestsigns yet that the post-2012 future for theWest London exhibition market is in Olympia. Interestingly, CapCo claims an enhancedOlympia venue will be an adequatereplacement because of the overall averagedecline in exhibition show size in recentyears. CapCo's reasoning is that 80 per centof exhibitions - trade and consumer - require10,000sqm or less today. Once the refurbishment and expansion ofOlympia is completed next year, the venuewill be able to accommodate shows of thissize comfortably. There's no doubt Earls Court is a well-lovedand iconic venue, and a select few showswon't suit Olympia. But if Olympia can answerthe majority of show requirements in WestLondon, should we really be so upset aboutlosing the former?Until CapCo gets the masterplan through allthe required regulatory hurdles and signed offby the Mayor of London's office however, allthis is just talk. As the Earls Court andOlympia team reminded EN, CapCo'smasterplan remains one big punt. Earls Courtis a viable, available venue for exhibitionorganisers in the meantime. Funnily enough, CapCo's exhibitionsperspective is echoed in ACC Liverpool'splans to divide its newly proposed purpose-build exhibition space into three separatehalls of 2,700sqm apiece, totalling 8,100sqm,to accommodate demand for smaller andmore regional shows while offering flexibilityfor different event types. Ever since I came into this industry, I'veheard about the oversupply of exhibitionspace in the UK, so I naturally asked the ACCLiverpool team to explain why it's necessaryto offer up even more square metres toexhibition organisers. The Liverpool City Council, which is footingthe £40m bill, clearly sees economic benefitsin investing in this space based on thesuccess of Echo Arena and the BTConvention Centre. This is a pat on the backfor our industry's importance as a businessand consumer communications medium. In addition, and with the exception ofManchester Central and EventCity, the NorthWest market isn't well serviced by exhibitionspace and presents regional showopportunities as well as a new market forexisting brands looking to tap into other partsof the UK, ACC Liverpool claims. So will exhibition organisers share thissentiment? One indicator could be EventCity'sbookings, which largely consist of regionalshows and brand extensions. London-basedorganisers are yet to sign up. Notably, there arealso a couple of existing events that haveswapped from Manchester Central. I welcome your comments on the news.Out with the old, inwith the new