Clarion Events, organisers of the world leading ICE Totally Gaming exhibition, has issued an updated planning timetable and scenario planning for the project which could result in the future redevelopment of the Earls Court exhibition centre.
Julian Graves of Clarion Events confirmed: "The plans to redevelop what is a huge 71 acres site by law have to be presented for public consultation and Clarion Events is part of that consultation process which is taking place currently and from where the latest media interest emanates. Subject to that consultation the plans will go back to the drawing board, be refined and eventually presented as an official planning application. Make no mistake, this is a long, expensive and complex legal process during which all interested parties are able to voice their views and present their objections in a legal environment.
"The complexities of any development of this size are immense and cannot be underestimated. The development of the 45-acre, much less sensitive Westfield Shopping Centre, situated on a semi-derelict brown field site less than 1.5 miles (2.4 kms) from Earls Court, took 17 years from land acquisition to opening. We also have to remember the new economic austerity measures introduced by the UK coalition government, the enormous pressures on public expenditure and the broader economic downturn are all key factors which make funding a project of this scale far more daunting and difficult than they were even three years ago. Significantly, the owners have even now not confirmed their funding arrangements or model.
"While the opinion we have sought from planning experts suggests 2016 as the earliest timeline for planning consent, as organisers of the world’s leading gaming exhibition we have, of course, been in constant dialogue with all stakeholders including CapCo, the owner of the site. We have secured a rolling agreement which legally guarantees us an 18-month period of notice. Clarion Events stages 200 events in dozens of venues throughout the world each year. This volume gives us significant influence with venue owners which we have used on behalf of the industry to secure options on all of the various locations/cities highlighted in our ongoing discussions with exhibitors.
"The industry has invested massively in creating ICE Totally Gaming. Despite all of the uncertainty, the 2011 event with its new identity and driven by a new vigour and enthusiasm was a great success and gave the global gaming community in all of its guises a fantastic platform to move forward. Not only has Clarion Events made a substantial financial commitment to ICE Totally Gaming, we also have an emotional attachment and desire to see the exhibition continue to flourish and meet the needs of our customers in the decades ahead."
