The move follows Olympia’s £30m redevelopment, which introduced a new level to the West Hall and refurbished Olympia Two and the Conference Centre. As part of the rebrand, Olympia Two will be renamed Olympia Central.
It reflects the company’s aim of promoting Olympia while sister venue Earls Court is
Nigel Nathan, group managing director of EC&O, told Event: "Our owners Capco are pursuing their aspirations for the Earls Court site and our focus is ensuring that Olympia will maintain its position as one of the leading London event venues."
He added that the closure of Earl’s Court would be the "right thing" for the industry. "At present it is our belief that 80% of exhibitions are 5,000sqm or less as the markets they serve diversify and organisers target niche areas," he said. "The changes at Olympia have been completed to reflect this trend and we believe that this versatility of the space more efficiently accommodates the needs of the industry. Therefore whilst it will of course be sad to see Earls Court go, we think it is the right thing for the industry and the company."
Olympia’s new arch-shaped logo is inspired by the barrelled roofs of exhibition halls Olympia Grand and Olympia National, in neutral colours to represent the natural daylight in the spaces. Earls Court also has a new logo, comprising of five multicoloured vertical lines.
No closure date has been set for Earls Court, which is currently taking event bookings until spring 2014.
What do you think of the new brand identity for Olympia?
For an analysis of the changes at EC&O and what they mean for the exhibition industry, don’t miss the next issue of Event magazine by