Global Experience Specialists, GES, has announced the opening of two new facilities, strategically placed to bring it closer to customers, improving response times, reduce road haulage and associated CO2 emissions and place the business at the very heart of the events community.
The UK team now has a presence, including office space, warehouses, on-site printing, and logistics at both the Birmingham NEC and at ExCeL London. Together, the two venues host more than 900 events per year, with the move allowing GES teams to deliver events directly from these venues, providing closer, on-site support to organisers and their exhibitors.
The move forms part of the business’ continued drive to make exhibiting easier, more effective, and sustainable while reducing risk and barriers by providing immediate, localised support. The new locations also build in more flexibility and even faster response times across all GES services, not just within the venues, but across the surrounding areas of London and the West Midlands.
”Ensuring our shows open knowing our exhibitors have had a smooth build up is vital,” comments Ian Solomon, Operations Director, Hyve “Having GES delivering shows directly from the NEC and ExCeL London with the enhanced flexibility and support that this brings is a great service to us and enables us to give our exhibitors even more confidence and satisfaction from the outset.”
In addition to the onsite delivery, the moves have already played a major role in GES continued commitment to running sustainable events. The new locations have already led to reductions in CO2 emissions of 50%, not just by servicing the new sites, but by creating hubs that easily access the rest of the UK. As part of the business’s sustainability strategy, GES has also invested in new onsite bailers as part of its new partnership with Reconomy and FESPA accreditation, to aid the recycling of waste from shows.
“It’s really important to both our business and those of our customers that we create shows with strong sustainability values, but that we also provide support across their business objectives,” comments Verena Lester, Group Operations Director at Clarion Events. “Many will be exhibiting for the first time, with new products and services. Others will be increasing their investment. In every case we need to give them confidence. By having GES located at these key venues, this support and expertise is more visible and more available.”
“Ask any of our customers the issues that are top of their minds and they will talk about sustainability and delivery. These two facilities allow us to address both, in major ways,” comments Dean Linehan, VP of Client Relations at GES. “We’re at that moment in our sustainability journey where we are making major strategic investments that support our objectives on a macro scale and deliver even more sustainable events for our customers. It’s really pleasing that we can then complement it by providing advanced support to them as well”
The relocation of its facilities is just one of a number of initiatives that GES are rolling out to add to its sustainability credentials to support and underwrite those of its customers.
GES has been serving the industry for more than 90 years. Each year it manages more than 4,000 live experiences and supports more than 150,000 exhibitors globally.
