ExCeL London appoints new chair

Humaid Al Dhaheri, managing director and Group CEO of ADNEC Group, has been appointed the next chair of the ExCeL London Board, taking over from Kevin Murphy OBE – who is stepping down from his ExCeL London position. Having joined ADNEC Group in 2005, Humaid Al Dhaheri has led the Group’s transformation through seven clusters: Venues, Events, Hotels, Food and Beverage, Services, Tourism and Media. He aided the Group in supporting Abu Dhabi and the UK’s economies, alongside enhancing the group’s businesses towards sustainable and innovative competitiveness. Al Dhaheri is currently leading the ongoing expansion of ExCeL, which increases the venue’s total event space by 25%: approximately 25,000 sqm. Al Dhaheri commented: “I would like to thank Kevin for his work and commitment at ExCeL and for helping to bring success to ADNEC Group on an international level.” “I am now looking forward to a new chapter in ADNEC’s growth as we look to strengthen further the company’s leading position within the international events and business tourism industry.” Kevin Murphy, under the umbrella of ADNEC Group, has supported in the development of the London venue over the past two decades, moving to ExCeL in 2003. Jeremy Rees, CEO of ExCeL, said: “Kevin really has done it all – entrepreneur, exhibition organiser, venue operator, publisher, event industry ambassador, friend and mentor. He’s played a leading role in transforming ExCeL over the last twenty years and I know I speak for everyone in the company when I say he’s going to be sorely missed.” Appointed as CEO from 2008 to 2012, Kevin worked closely with ADNEC Group in the venue’s first expansion, known as the Phase 2 project, including the creation of the UK’s largest auditorium within what became the London Mayors International Convention Centre. In 2013, ADNEC Group appointed Kevin as Chairman of ExCeL where he focused on strengthening partnerships with both local and national governments to boost London’s profile as a global centre for business tourism. He was appointed to the ADNEC Group Board in 2019.