London’s Old Spitalfields Market (OSM) has upped the number of events days in its calendar.

OSM’s events manager Ellie Barnatt tells EN: "During 2010, we hosted five large commercial events which catered for just under 60,000 guests. With repeat bookings and new events, we will see significant growth during 2011".

Built in 1876, Old Spitalfields Market is operated by Wellington Market Company which took over last month with the intention of pushing ahead in the events market. “We have great plans for the Old Spitalfields Market,” Wellington’s Chief Executive Malcolm Ball told EN in January, saying the exciting array of events and activities would entice more visitors to the site: “which will be great news for the market and the surrounding areas”.

In coming weeks at the venue, bookings kick off with Fitness First’s International Fitness Week, 8 March 2011. Spice Girl, Mel B is to headline and Fitness First’s UK National Fitness Director Derek Crawford, describes OSM as “a perfect location for the launch of International Fitness Week”.

Publisher Sceptre will showcase, 15-18 March, Man Booker prize-shortlisted novelist David Mitchell’s latest offering The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet. The event will take place in a Japanese teahouse-style reading room specially built inside the Victorian market hall.

The organiser of London Jewellery Week has also joined forces with OSM to launch JewelEast, a specialist platform for emerging jewellers to showcase and sell their designs.

Managing director of London Jewellery Week Della Tinsley hopes to run a series of such events four times a year, with a week-long celebration during June’s London Jewellery Week, to include workshops, demonstrations and a catwalk event.  

OSM was renovated in 2005 and the market hall offers 1,400sqm event space. It can accommodate 2,000 people standing and 850 seated.

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