Wednesday March 24, 2004

Recent analysis of Company House figures supplied through Dunn and Bradstreet shows that there are only four industry sectors where the Midlands outperforms the South East and East Anglia. All other industries are better represented in the south east.

The survey, which breaks UK industry down into its 97 sub-sectors found that only livestock and animal production, coal mining, primary metal industries and textile mill products were better represented in the Midlands.

These results support ExCeL's own research, which shows that shows repeating at London ExCeL saw an overall increase of 22% in attendance in 2003 against an industry background of low growth. ExCeL is also proving it can grow transfer shows. For example, in 2004, visitor numbers to the Schroders London Boat Show grew by 48%; Bathrooms & Kitchen Expo grew by 37.5% and The Property Investor Show by 39%.

ExCeL is located in Britain's commercial heartland, London and the South East and is close to London's 2 main financial centres - the City and Canary Wharf. London has come top of the European Monitor for the last 14 years as the 'best city in which to locate a business today' and continues to attract more international business than any other European destination.

Says Sarah Horrell, ExCeL's Marketing & Communications Director: "We have always believed that London out-performs other UK locations by a considerable distance and this research reinforces that. London is the world's busiest international gateway and as the nation's capital, it is the political, economic and cultural heart of the UK, the natural place to do business."