Briefing Note For Event Planners, Venues, and Olympic Stakeholders
2012 will be an exciting and busy time in London’s history. The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the 2012 games are momentous and unique occasions and are opportunities to promote London as the best big city in the world. Extensive cultural activity throughout 2012 is already being planned, which will reinforce London’s position as the world city of culture.
London wants to ensure that as many events as possible that are planned in the capital, before, during and after the London 2012 Games can be accommodated during an extremely busy period in the city, and this includes events celebrating the games, as well as the regular events that make London such a fantastic place to be in the summer.
London’s public services – particularly police and transport – need to plan ahead of 2012 to allocate resources to support the delivery of the games, to support other events in the capital and to enable London to keep moving and functioning successfully. So, the Mayor is calling on anyone planning events to provide information as early as possible – knowing the landscape of activities in advance will help all the regular services that support events, to plan where to allocate their resources on particular days, and create the desired celebratory atmosphere across London
Event information needs to be provided by 31st March 2011 to either The Culture Diary, or to the relevant London Borough, where the event will be taking place. By planning in advance, the event has the best possible chance of going ahead as intended – even if the event is still in the early stages of planning.
Cultural Events
The Culture Diary (www.theculturediary.com ) is the first of its kind and has been created by the Mayor, in conjunction with Visit London. Organisers of cultural and community events planned for the entire year of 2012 taking place across all 33 boroughs, should register to use The Culture Diary by 31st December 2010, and enter details by 31st March 2011 to make the most of this chance to showcase what London has to offer, and assist London’s public services plan their resource for 2012. Registration on the site will also give the opportunity to be part of the 2012 Cultural Festival with all the associated marketing and promotional activities. In addition, event organisers can also use the online service to identify and avoid clashes or foster any potential collaboration for events and marketing with other users.
Non Cultural Events
(e.g. product launches, international conference, sports tournament, markets, National Olympic Committee Houses, Olympic Sponsor sporting events, campsites )
Organisers of these events, should inform the local London Borough. Contact details for Boroughs are at www.london.gov.uk/eventsin2012
As a guide, if the event is NOT cultural, is likely to attract over 499 visitors or will need a traffic order/closure to a public highway, or a new licence, details will need to be logged with the Borough, also by 31st March 2011. By providing as much information as possible as early as possible, the chances of the event or activity being supported are increased, however providing details does not mean the event has permission to go ahead, nor that licences are automatically granted. Formal events approvals processes, including formal applications for licences and other permissions still need to be completed.
Information collected by the Boroughs or The Culture Diary will be reviewed by London’s public services to ensure that the city has the capacity to support such a spectacular array of events.
Any questions should be directed to the relevant Borough
