As part of the Mayor of London Boris Johnson’s ongoing engagement with London’s businesses to help them operate smoothly, plan for and benefit from the 2012 Games, he has today taken the message to the top of some of London’s key businesses.
At a business breakfast hosted by Beverley Aspinall, managing director of Fortnum & Mason this morning, he met CEOs from leading businesses including Marks & Spencer, BMW and HSBC as well as senior managers from a range of businesses representing major hotels, logistics companies, supermarkets and banks. He reassured them that he would continue to work closely with them to ensure they were prepared to reap the benefits from the Games.
The Mayor was keen to hear from the top business leaders and understand what additional information they needed in order to be ready for the impact of London 2012. Working with Transport for London, he has already launched a website offering a one stop shop for Games-time transport information, providing easy to access, detailed information about the Olympic Route Network (ORN) and other road restrictions on key dates in the London 2012 calendar. He has also worked closely with BT to increase the number of WiFi hotspots available in London to enable flexible working, and is running a series of business surgeries for small and medium sized businesses in the run up to the Games.
He also took the opportunity to thank the private sector for some £60 million in investment and sponsorship into the capital which has been leveraged in over the past 12 months as a direct result of the Games coming to London, helping to ease the burden on the taxpayer. This funding includes £16 million for the Arcelor Mittal Orbit, £36 million for the Emirates Air Line cable car and sponsorship for the London Media Centre, the 2011 Sport Accord Conference and London House.
The Mayor of London Boris Johnson said: “The success of the 2012 Games in London depends on the ability of our businesses, small and large, to maximise the opportunities from what promises to be a summer like no other.
“We are working very closely with businesses, from those at the top down, to make sure everyone has the information they need to grasp this moment and plan, prepare and ultimately profit from this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
Also speaking at the business breakfast, organised by the GLA and hosted by Fortnum & Mason, were Paul Deighton, Chief Executive, London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games; Peter Hendy, Commissioner, Transport for London; Chair of the Olympic Park Legacy Company Baroness Ford and Colin Stanbridge, CEO of the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry, who facilitated a Q&A session.
