ExCeL to be used as a hospital

EDGE Venues is proud to announce that one of the venues on their platform, ExCel London is to be turned into a temporary 4,000-bed hospital under NHS England’s plans to cope with the peak of the coronavirus epidemic.

The venue, which opened in London’s Docklands in 2000, usually hosts a variety of meetings, conferences, exhibitions and sporting events. However, it will be turned into a critical care unit, staffed by NHS and private heathcare staff, as well as military personnel and will be ready in about a month’s time. It is possible that the O2 arena on the south side of the Thames could also be used for the same purpose.

Jacqui Kavanagh, CEO of EDGEvenues.com was very happy to hear how the venue is supporting the COVID-19 crisis and said, “Our industry has always had a role to play in times of emergency. I wish all the team the best during this very difficult time. I know they will pull out the stops and deliver excellence as they always do. Our thoughts are with them all as they are a great team.”

ExCel already supports the Community Food Enterprise which tackles homelessness and poverty in East London, by making an annual donation to the organisation, collecting toys, clothing and merchandise from exhibitors. ExCel’s catering partner contributes through giving surplus food which is distributed throughout the local area.

We have already seen other hotels and venues helping in these exceptional times. In February, the Holiday Inn at Heathrow airport was booked to be used to quarantine arrivals to the UK. Kents Hill Park Training and Conference Centre looked after 118 guests who were isolated for 14 days following their return from overseas and all left after testing negative for coronavirus.

Keep up-to-date with all the latest industry insights and news by reading our EDGE news section.