Overview
The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games take place from July to September 2012. Fifteen thousand athletes are expected for the Games, over 70,000 volunteers will be needed, 10,000,000 tickets will be on sale, and a television audience of billions is anticipated.
Holding the world's greatest sporting event creates exciting opportunities for central London:
- Many if not most spectators will stay in and visit the area. Many parts of central London will be used as information points for spectators
- Central London hosts a wealth of tourist destinations, such as the West End, the South Bank, the City, the London Eye, Exhibition Road (the V&A, the Science Museum and the Natural History Museum), Camden Market, Angel/Upper Street, and many others
- Parts of central London, such as the South Bank, the West End and Exhibition Road, will be cultural quarters for the Games
- Tens of thousands of media will visit London to report on the Games and more widely on the city's preparations; central London will host the non-accredited media centre and accommodate the accredited media.
Central London Forward and its members are working together to make the most of these opportunities. Go to the links below for information about these opportunities and each borough:
Venues
There are five Central London event venues:
1. Earl’s Court
2. Horse Guards Parade
3. Hyde Park
4. Lord’s Cricket Ground
5. Regent’s Park
Additionally, there will be a number of “hotspot” areas where the Games will be screened live to audiences across London.
Joint Working
A great deal of work is underway by boroughs to make the most of the Games locally. This will capitalise on the positive economic impact, maximise community benefit and engagement, and strengthen legacy.
The key areas of joint working for the Central London boroughs are:
• Transport (Olympic Route Network/managing transport infrastructure and flows/road works)
• Construction and other disruptions
• Public realm and streetscape improvements
• Look and Feel: street dressing and presenting Central London
• Impact of the intensification of demand for public services (cleansing/waste management/ licensing/environmental health)
• Visitor services (accommodation standards/information services/preventing commercial rip-offs/coordinated welcoming services)
• Volunteering
• Central London events mapping, coordination and joint marketing
• Maximising opportunities for non-accredited media
• The ‘wow’ factors that will impress visitors and leave lasting memories of a successful Central London.
You can read more about what the CLF boroughs are doing collectively in our Olympics Board reports below:
