Many years ago I headed over the Atlantic to get invaluable experience of working in the industry in America.
I
had been promoted to Vice President of Sales and Marketing with
Meridien Hotels, which was a big job and not one I could turn down.
I
soon learnt America was a country of wide contrasts – from the fast
paced commercialism and savvy New York, where new ideas flourish, to Los
Angeles which is cool and home to many of the original trendy boutique
hotels. In the middle you have Chicago which is a great cosmopolitan
destination and a place to learn from in the world of citywide
conventions.
As with everything American the CVB industry was much bigger and much more mature.
After
nearly three years I came back to pursue another opportunity in London
as Global Sales Director for Thistle Hotels which was, at that time, the
largest hotel operator in London. The US was great but the lure of
coming home to ‘my city’ tempted me back.
Prior to my US
experience I had been working in London for 15 years but, by comparison,
we were fairly conservative when it came to change and development.
However,
when I returned in 2002 there was a sense that change was in the air.
The GLA was established, taking over where the former GLC had been and
London began to move forward at a fast rate of knots. East London had
appeared on the map, the Docklands was being redeveloped and London
Bridge, which had been industrial buildings and warehousing, was
morphing into new office space and hotels, plus there was further
development at London City Airport.
In my case it wasn’t a case
of absence makes the heart grow fonder, I just tended to forget about
the good things at home. I reacquainted myself with the wealth of
theatre, culture and museums on offer – and of course, the British sense
of humour. I’d almost forgotten I could pop to Paris on the Eurostar or
be in Rome for a meeting by nine in the morning.
I still didn’t
like getting on the tube as it was too crowded but everyone has their
own particular bête noir – and LA didn’t even have any form of public
transport!
From these seeds of change London has continued to
grow and has moved on at a phenomenal pace, particularly in the last
five years
Today it seems every time I venture out on an appointment or pick up an industry publication I discover something new.
Where
corporate companies used to reside, I see new hotels opening and where
storage once took precedence or office workers had the best window seat,
I’m witnessing signature bars and restaurants making their homes in
cultural institutions, markets and landmarks.
Entire
neighbourhoods are reinventing themselves and visitor attractions are
really starting to up their game and offer an experience every bit as
good as their US counterparts.
There is a huge choice of hotels
and restaurants to suit any taste or purse – with over 110,000 rooms,
from five-stars to budget, and 8,000 restaurants serving cuisine from 70
countries around the world.
London can put on conferences of all sizes from the smallest to recently securing one totalling 35,000 delegates.
Previously,
London was never in the ‘citywide congress space’ – where the industry
works across the convention centre and the main hotels to build a
business base – but now we are really driving this area.
The 2012
Olympic Games definitely upped our permance but London is one of
those places that constantly reinvents itself; from the industrial
revolution to transforming itself into the financial centre of the
world.
From historical buildings (the reason we have 99 year
leases is because no one expected the buildings to last any longer) to
cutting edge architecture and a new exciting skyline blending the old
perfectly with the new.
And it doesn’t stop there. Just recently
I’ve learnt of plans for a huge indoor ski centre, plans for a glass
walkway on Tower Bridge and a cruise port for Greenwich.
London
has been at the forefront of welcoming people from all over the world
for centuries. In tourism, hospitality and as a major events destination
the city remains a vital trading centre.
Samuel Pepys once said
‘when you tire of London, you tire of life’…I think London will tire of
me well before I tire of it!…so here’s to a long life.
London
& Partners will be hosting a Twitter Q&A during IMEX America at
10.45am, 16 October 2013 (Pacific Time). Join in the conversation with
Tracy at @London_CVB and ask her a question with #meetinLondon.
Any comments? Email sarah@mashmedia.net
