How best to manage your business travel during the Games this summer? Alex Blyth asks 10 experts in different fields
66
AS YOU ARE NO DOUBT acutely aware by now, between July 27 and September 9 this year, London is hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games. More than 9 million tickets will be sold and around 250,000 visitors are expected to descend on London’s 100,000-plus hotel rooms and already-congested transport system. According to some estimates this will add around an hour to journeys around the capital. How will it affect your business, and what can you do to prepare?
TEN ON 2012 OLYMPICS 1
THE TRAVEL BUYER Mike Butcher is regional travel
manager EMEA at Alcatel-Lucent. He expects next summer’s Games to cause significant disruption in and around the capital. “Already hotels are asking for very high prices during the Olympics,” he says. “Even though it’s low season for business travel, the airports will be busy, and to be frank, I expect ground travel to be extremely difficult.” He adds: “I know Transport for London (TfL) is trying its best to plan ahead and put minds at ease. I was at the recent Carlson Wagonlit Travel forum where a TfL spokesperson outlined their plans. But I’m not optimistic it will work.” He is, though, confident that his company can avoid the worst of it.
“We have two important advantages,” he explains. “First, while we have a small London office, the majority of our staff are based in Maidenhead, Swindon or Newport. So, we’re already planning to ensure our meetings take place in those locations, and that any international visitors are kept away from London during and around the Games.”
“Second, we’re a telecommunications company. This means we’ve got all the technology we need to allow the staff in our London office to work from home. So, to summarise, we’re planning ahead and we’re glad we don’t need to operate in the heart of London during what will be an extremely busy time for the capital.”