Key Points
- Olympia, the historic exhibition and entertainment venue in west London, has appointed Carlisle Support Services to deliver integrated estate security services following a competitive tender process.
- The contract will cover security operations throughout the Olympia estate, supporting the venue as it undergoes a £1.3 billion redevelopment.
- More than 120 security personnel will be deployed, covering public realm security, front-of-house operations, control room duties and on-site management.
- Carlisle Support Services will work as an extension of Olympia’s existing team, delivering an intelligence-led and people-focused security operation.
- The security arrangements are intended to provide a safe and welcoming environment for visitors, employees, businesses and other estate users.
- Olympia’s redevelopment programme includes hotels, an office building, restaurants and 2.5 acres of public space.
- The historic venue, which dates from the 1880s, aims to attract approximately 10 million visitors annually.
- Simon Pratt, Managing Director of Security and Events South at Carlisle Support Services, described the appointment as a landmark achievement and an endorsement of the company’s operational capabilities.
- Alyson Hodkinson, Estate Director at Olympia, emphasised the importance of selecting a security partner with operational expertise and an understanding of customer experience.
- Alex Collins, Director of Strategic Partnerships at Carlisle Support Services, highlighted the strategic importance of the contract and the company’s commitment to supporting Olympia’s transformation.
Olympia has appointed Carlisle Support Services to provide integrated estate security across its west London destination following a competitive tender process, with more than 120 security personnel expected to support operations across the expanding site. Announced on 3 November 2026, the appointment comes as the historic venue progresses with its £1.3 billion redevelopment, which will introduce hotels, offices, restaurants and 2.5 acres of public space. The security operation will include public realm officers, front-of-house personnel, control room operatives and on-site management, with Carlisle expected to work alongside Olympia’s existing team to maintain a safe and welcoming environment. The appointment reflects the operational requirements of a major redevelopment designed to establish Olympia as a leading cultural and entertainment destination in London, with annual visitor numbers targeted at approximately 10 million.
Why Has Olympia Appointed Carlisle Support Services?
According to Mark Rowe of Professional Security Magazine, Olympia selected Carlisle Support Services after a competitive tender process to provide integrated estate security services across its west London premises.
The appointment represents an important operational development for Olympia as it prepares for the next phase of its transformation. The redevelopment is expected to change the scale and nature of activity across the estate, bringing together entertainment facilities, hospitality businesses, commercial offices, restaurants and public spaces.
With these different uses operating within one destination, security arrangements will need to accommodate a broad range of people and activities. Visitors attending events, employees working within the commercial premises, hospitality customers and members of the public using the surrounding spaces will all contribute to the site’s daily activity.
Carlisle Support Services will therefore provide a security operation extending beyond conventional guarding responsibilities. According to the company’s announcement reported by Mark Rowe, its approach will be intelligence-led and people-focused, with the intention of creating a safe and welcoming experience for everyone visiting, working or operating at Olympia.
The contractor will also work as an extension of Olympia’s existing team. This arrangement is intended to support coordination between security personnel and the wider estate operation as the redevelopment progresses.
The appointment demonstrates how security provision is becoming an important consideration in the management of large commercial and entertainment destinations, particularly those undergoing significant physical and operational changes.
How Will the New Security Contract Operate Across the Olympia Estate?
The new arrangement will involve the deployment of more than 120 security personnel across different operational responsibilities.
As reported by Mark Rowe in Professional Security Magazine, the workforce will include four principal groups: public realm security officers, front-of-house personnel, control room operatives and on-site management.
Each function will contribute to the overall security operation, supporting the different requirements of the estate.
What Responsibilities Will Public Realm Security Officers Have?
Public realm security officers will form part of the arrangements covering the shared spaces across Olympia.
The redevelopment includes 2.5 acres of public space, making the management of these areas an important element of the wider estate operation. Public spaces can accommodate different groups of people, including visitors, employees, customers and members of the surrounding community.
Security officers assigned to these areas will contribute to maintaining a safe and welcoming environment. Their presence will form part of the wider security structure intended to support people using the destination.
The appointment announcement identifies public realm security as one of the principal responsibilities covered by the contract, although it does not provide a detailed breakdown of individual duties or deployment schedules.
How Will Front-of-House Personnel Support Visitors?
Front-of-house personnel will represent another important component of the security workforce.
Unlike security responsibilities focused primarily on operational monitoring, front-of-house functions involve direct interaction with people visiting or using the estate. Their presence will contribute to the overall visitor experience while supporting the wider security arrangements.
For a destination expected to attract approximately 10 million visitors annually, the relationship between security and customer experience will be particularly important.
Alyson Hodkinson, Estate Director at Olympia, specifically highlighted the importance of choosing a partner that understood both operational requirements and customer experience.
Her comments indicate that Olympia’s expectations extend beyond the provision of security personnel. The company wants a service that reflects the ambitions of the redeveloped destination and supports the experience it intends to provide to visitors and businesses.
What Role Will Control Room Operatives and On-Site Management Play?
Control room operatives and on-site management will complete the four principal workforce functions identified in the contract announcement.
Control room operations form part of the estate’s security structure, while on-site management will provide an operational presence across the service.
The inclusion of these functions alongside public realm and front-of-house personnel demonstrates the integrated nature of the appointment.
Rather than treating different security responsibilities as separate activities, the contract brings several functions together under one service arrangement. This is particularly relevant for a large estate where public-facing operations and wider security responsibilities need to support the same overall objectives.
However, the announcement does not disclose specific details about control room technology, surveillance systems, reporting arrangements or staffing shifts.
What Did Carlisle Support Services Say About Winning the Contract?
Simon Pratt, Managing Director of Security and Events South at Carlisle Support Services, described the Olympia appointment as a landmark achievement for the company.
In comments reported by Mark Rowe of Professional Security Magazine, Pratt said the contract represented recognition of Carlisle’s workforce, operational capability and experience in providing security services across complex and high-profile environments.
He also emphasised that Olympia’s transformation created responsibilities extending beyond traditional security provision.
According to Pratt, the company’s role would involve protecting people and assets, supporting Olympia’s operational ambitions and ensuring that visitors experienced a safe, welcoming and professionally managed environment.
His comments highlight the company’s intention to position the contract as a broader operational partnership rather than simply a conventional guarding arrangement.
Pratt also acknowledged the scale of Olympia’s redevelopment, describing the destination as an extraordinary venue undergoing a significant transformation. He expressed pride in Carlisle’s involvement in the next chapter of the site’s development.
The appointment provides Carlisle Support Services with an opportunity to demonstrate its ability to manage security operations within a complex commercial and entertainment environment.
The company’s responsibilities will involve supporting an estate with several different uses and a substantial anticipated visitor population. This makes consistency, professional management and coordination important considerations throughout the contract.
Why Was Customer Experience Important in Olympia’s Selection Process?
Alyson Hodkinson, Estate Director at Olympia, explained that selecting the appropriate security partner was fundamental to the venue’s plans for its new era.
In her statement, reported by Mark Rowe of Professional Security Magazine, Hodkinson said Olympia wanted a partner capable of demonstrating operational expertise in managing a complex and evolving estate.
She also stressed the importance of understanding customer experience and the role of people in delivering the service.
According to Hodkinson, Carlisle Support Services impressed Olympia through its experience, professionalism and commitment to providing a security operation aligned with the destination’s ambitions.
Her comments suggest that Olympia considered more than the ability to supply security personnel when evaluating potential contractors.
The selection process also involved assessing whether a prospective partner could understand the operational challenges of a changing estate and contribute to the experience expected by visitors, businesses and the wider community.
This consideration is particularly relevant because Olympia is being developed as a destination combining entertainment, hospitality, commercial activity and public space.
The security provider will therefore operate within an environment where the quality of interactions with visitors and other estate users forms part of the wider experience.
Hodkinson also expressed her expectation of developing a strong partnership with Carlisle as Olympia continues its efforts to establish itself as one of London’s leading cultural and entertainment destinations.
How Will the £1.3 Billion Redevelopment Transform Olympia?
The security appointment is closely connected to Olympia’s wider £1.3 billion redevelopment programme.
According to the information published by Mark Rowe in Professional Security Magazine, the historic venue dates from the 1880s and is undergoing a major transformation into an entertainment destination.
The development programme includes hotels, an office building, restaurants and 2.5 acres of public space.
These facilities will introduce different commercial and visitor activities across the estate, creating a more diverse operating environment than a traditional exhibition venue.
Hotels will add hospitality operations, while the office building will introduce a commercial workplace component. Restaurants will provide additional visitor services, and the public spaces will create areas accessible to people beyond those attending organised events.
The combination of these facilities is expected to increase the range of activities taking place across Olympia.
For estate management, this type of transformation requires attention to several operational responsibilities, including security, visitor movement, service coordination and the management of shared spaces.
The redevelopment’s scale also makes the appointment of an integrated security provider a significant part of Olympia’s wider operational planning.
The contract announcement does not provide a complete redevelopment timetable or confirm individual opening dates for the new facilities. However, it establishes that the security partnership is intended to support Olympia as it enters a new phase of development.
How Many Visitors Is Olympia Expected to Attract Annually?
Olympia is targeting annual footfall of approximately 10 million visitors following its transformation.
This anticipated visitor volume provides an important indication of the scale of the destination’s future operations.
The combination of entertainment, hospitality, office accommodation, restaurants and public space is expected to attract different groups of users throughout the year.
The anticipated footfall also highlights why security arrangements have become an important part of the redevelopment.
A destination operating at this scale requires an organised approach to managing its estate and supporting the people who use it. Security personnel will form one component of the wider operational structure, working alongside the venue’s existing team.
The deployment of more than 120 personnel across public realm security, front-of-house operations, control room duties and on-site management reflects the range of responsibilities included in Carlisle’s appointment.
Nevertheless, the announcement does not confirm whether the workforce figure represents permanent staffing levels across every operating period or how personnel will be distributed between individual facilities.
The 10 million figure is an annual target rather than a confirmed record of current visitor numbers.
What Did Carlisle’s Strategic Partnerships Director Say About the Appointment?
Alex Collins, Director of Strategic Partnerships at Carlisle Support Services, also commented on the company’s appointment.
In a statement published by Professional Security Magazine, Collins described the contract as a proud moment for Carlisle and emphasised that Olympia represented more than another security services agreement.
He presented the appointment as an opportunity to contribute to the future of one of London’s most recognisable destinations.
Collins explained that Carlisle’s approach focuses on developing genuine partnerships, understanding client ambitions and delivering services that extend beyond traditional guarding.
He identified ambition, complexity and a shared commitment to excellence as important elements of the Olympia partnership.
Collins also acknowledged the trust placed in Carlisle’s workforce by Olympia, expressing the company’s determination to deliver a security operation that reflects the scale and ambition of the redevelopment.
His comments reinforce the partnership-focused approach outlined by Simon Pratt and the customer-experience priorities highlighted by Alyson Hodkinson.
Together, the statements from the three executives provide insight into the expectations surrounding the contract. Olympia is seeking a security partner that understands its evolving operational requirements, while Carlisle is positioning the appointment as an opportunity to demonstrate its capabilities within a high-profile environment.
What Does the Olympia Contract Mean for Estate Security Management?
The appointment illustrates the operational importance of integrated security services in major commercial and entertainment developments.
As properties expand beyond a single primary function, their management requirements can become more complex. A destination combining workplaces, hospitality facilities, restaurants, entertainment venues and public areas must accommodate different users and operating activities.
In Olympia’s case, the £1.3 billion redevelopment is expected to create precisely this type of mixed-use environment.
The appointment of Carlisle Support Services brings together several security responsibilities under one contract, including public realm operations, front-of-house services, control room duties and on-site management.
This integrated arrangement is intended to support the overall estate operation rather than concentrate exclusively on individual buildings or facilities.
It also highlights the relationship between Safety and Security and Facilities Management in the operation of large commercial estates. Security provision, operational coordination and the management of shared spaces are interconnected considerations when developing and maintaining complex destinations.
For organisations responsible for similar developments, the appointment provides an example of how security requirements can be incorporated into wider estate planning.
The ability to understand operational needs, coordinate different service functions and maintain a positive visitor experience can be important considerations when selecting a security services partner.
What Happens Next for Olympia and Carlisle Support Services?
The appointment establishes Carlisle Support Services as Olympia’s integrated estate security provider as the redevelopment continues.
The immediate focus of the partnership will be delivering the security responsibilities identified in the contract, with more than 120 personnel expected to support the estate through different operational functions.
For Olympia, the appointment supports its ambition to develop a destination combining cultural and entertainment activities with hospitality, commercial accommodation and public spaces.
For Carlisle, the contract represents an opportunity to demonstrate its experience in managing security services across a complex and high-profile environment.
The statements from Simon Pratt, Alyson Hodkinson and Alex Collins all underline the importance of operational expertise, professional service delivery and a shared understanding of Olympia’s future ambitions.
Although further details about the contract’s duration, financial value and specific performance arrangements have not been disclosed in the announcement, the appointment marks a significant development in the estate’s operational preparations.
As Olympia progresses with its £1.3 billion transformation and works towards its target of approximately 10 million annual visitors, the partnership with Carlisle Support Services will form part of the wider arrangements intended to support a safe, professionally managed and welcoming destination.
The development also demonstrates the growing importance of coordinated security provision within large mixed-use estates, where protecting people and assets must be considered alongside visitor experience and the efficient management of commercial facilities.