The ceremony marking the beginning of construction took place on 23 November 2011, when Deputy Chairman of Gazprom Alexei Miller and St Petersburg Governor Georgy Poltavchenko helped to drive in the first foundation pile.

Construction is on schedule: over the past twelve months all of the project’s phase one buildings have been topped out: three exhibition pavilions, the convention centre, the gallery, the Hilton Hotels & Resorts and Hampton by Hilton hotels, and two business centres. The buildings are currently undergoing internal and external finishing, and the outdoor area is being landscaped. In addition, construction of utilities and related infrastructure – power supply, warehouses and office buildings – is underway.

Completion of the first phase is scheduled for spring/early summer 2014, when the new centre will open. By that point, the Convention Centre will boast 50,000 square metres of indoor exhibition space and convention halls with space for up to 9,700 delegates.