Venues in London to unite for fair pricing around 2012 Olympics

With just over two years until the 2012 Olympics in London, the UK event industry is working hard to ensure that companies are able to host corporate events around the games at reasonable prices, according to IET Venues, the premier family of venues in London, Birmingham and Glasgow.

As part of this work, IET London: Savoy Place has signed up to the 2012 UK event industry Fair Pricing and Practice Charter (FFPC). Launched by Visit London, and the first initiative of its kind to be launched across an Olympic host nation, the FPPC is designed to ensure that pricing for the period around the 2012 Games is both fair and reasonable, providing a voluntary code of practice for both UK venues and event suppliers.

The London Olympics will begin on 27^th July 2012, and many assume that the bulk of activity will be happening around the East London area, close to the main venues.  However, Olympic events will be taking place all over London and the South East, and with around 120,000 hotel rooms on offer in London and hundreds of venues available for corporate events, there is a good deal of choice for corporate hospitality and accommodation.

Despite this, companies looking to host corporate hospitality around the games should begin planning soon, as venues will begin to book up.  The big brands realise this and multi-national giants like Visa and Coca-Cola began their hospitality planning well over a year ago.  The FPPC is designed to ensure companies aren’t charging extortionate prices for corporate hospitality even as venues begin to get booked up.

“The Fair Pricing and Practice Charter is a key initiative to help ensure that companies are not overcharged for hosting corporate hospitality at the London Olympics, and IET Venues is proud to be involved in this,” says Anna Clover, Manager, IET Venues and Facilities.  “London offers great capacity and variety in both accommodation and event venues for the games, but given that the ballot for tickets opened back in March, now is the time for businesses to get moving on planning and booking their events.”

Visit London Director of Business Tourism, Tracy Halliwell comments, “We are delighted that IET Venues have signed up with the other 350 signatories to support London’s first Fair Pricing and Practice Charter. London is the first Olympic city to create a charter like this and for Visit London as the official Business Convention bureau it’s all about maintaining the business tourism we have and looking after that future business legacy for the city and country.”

One of the three venues run by IET Venues is IET London: Savoy Place.  Situated on the Embankment, just across the Thames from Waterloo station, the historic venue offers 18 versatile meeting spaces including a tiered lecture theatre and stunning riverside views.

Tags: Event Magazine, IET London, London 2012, Venues London

Category: Event Venues, London 2012