Creative London

London has always been a city which has had a strong creative buzz. In 2012 London not only played host to the Olympics and Paralympics but also the Cultural Olympiad which saw the city celebrate the huge wealth and diversity of cultural offering that London has. Famous artists, musicians and creative businesses have trained, lived and started their global journeys here – London is a city where great things start.

Many government teams want their business events or incentive trips to have a creative theme or aspect and London is the perfect place to do that – but unlike a Rembrandt or a Van Gogh – adding that creative touch in London won’t come with a big price tag!

So far in 2013
London has had a busy start to the year. The first seven months has seen a huge positive impact from the Games with the magic continuing on from last summer. With more visitors attracted to the capital, increased awareness, higher rankings on business reports, new awards and new products, London’s one year on anniversary is set to not only celebrate the amazing past but the dazzling and creative future which lies ahead.
Last year, in addition to hosting the Olympics and Paralympic Games, London hosted a record number of global business events which has now elevated the city’s status to sixth place globally in the ICCA rankings. The city has also recently secured some of the most prestigious congresses and annual general meetings which is some cases means the city could host groups as big as 35,000. Events of this scale typically bring up to £80 million in economic benefit to the city and support the business events (MICE) industry which is worth £40 billion to the UK overall economy.

What’s new for 2013
A real tangible legacy for the 2012 Games is the huge regeneration of East London. The area is now a hotspot for corporate events and incentives. Venues such as Westfield Stratford, Canary Wharf’s new technology hub Level39, the adrenaline pumping O2 Arena, ExCeL, Siemens Crystal (the sustainability heart of the city) and of course from July 27th 2013 there will be the new Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park are all major draws for events in 2013.

The Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park will be the perfect location for a raft of event incentive activity. There will be seven new hospitality areas within the Olympic Park including the ArcelorMittal Orbit – the tallest sculpture in the UK – which will be able to host 200 guests for a reception with fabulous views across the stadium, the Aquatics Centre and the Velodrome will also become key venues for gala events and the Multiuse Arena which is known as the ‘Copper Box’ will become London third biggest indoor arena. The south end of the park will also offer temporary exhibition and conference venue space as well as the actual stadium.

Other new hotspots for London in 2013 are The View from the Shard. As the highest viewing point in Western Europe and nearly twice as high as any other view in London, it provides visitors with a multi-sensory experience and exhilarating views for 40 miles across London.

The Imperial War Museum (IWM) re-opens in July 2013 and has undergone a total transformation to allow for the rich collections to improve the visitor experience where you can host gala events or cocktails receptions.

Or maybe one of London’s hottest new restaurants ‘Ceviche’ in London’s Shoreditch, the Peruvian restaurant features a Pisco Bar, a dedicated BBQ for sizzling anticucho skewers, live music and DJs. And finally a spot of luxury arrives in the capital, with the Shangri-La Hotel London which is the Asia Pacific’s brands first hotel in London and features an 18-floor high‑end hotel in The Shard, London.

London will also host a range of major events this year – ranging from the most amazing creative exhibitions, music concerts, sporting and cultural events – giving business visitors even more reason to return to London throughout the year.

As part of their role as the Mayor of London’s official promotional organisation and the convention bureau (CVB) for the capital – the team at London & Partners have selected their creative favourite venues for 2013 which are sure to add that creative twist to any business event, meeting or gala reception.

Alternative London
Discover the London you won’t find in the guidebooks with the original off‑the‑beaten‑track street art tour in East London. Even though this is much more than just a London street art tour, you are guaranteed to see a huge range of artwork from around forty artists. Street art by nature constantly changes, which in turn means that our tours also change and evolve on a very regular basis.

Wyld Bar at W Hotel Leicester Square
Boasting London’s biggest glitter ball! Sip‑creative libations under a three‑metre‑wide glitter ball constructed of 17,000 individually placed mirrors as a ruby glow emanates across black and red interiors.

Why not give delegates a quirky and cost‑saving option for lunch. At ICHI Sushi and Sashimi Bar at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge an ideal business events space which also offers a Japanese sushi bar Ichioffers a Bento Box lunch option from only £14. Ichi & Sashimi Bar also boasts a specialist sake menu with tasting notes to be paired with individual dishes.

Feed the senses
If it’s quirky and different you’re seeking then try the Senses Room at Lancaster London. Every detail of a guest’s specification, from the colour scheme, decor, food, lighting and music is controlled by you. The full sensory experience accommodates up to 10 people at a time and is complimentary for clients who have booked an event at Lancaster London. This gives event organisers more freedom and flexibility whilst keeping the costs down.

The Royal College of Physicians have private ‘Physic Garden’ for events. Filled with rare plants and flowers from all over the world, ideal for barbecues, receptions and al fresco dining – the ideal summer venue for business events and conferences.

Meanwhile, EDG Bar, located in the lobby of Hilton London Metropole, is vibrant brand new bar and lounge is the perfect venue for a relaxing morning coffee or afternoon tea, international modern cuisine, signature cocktails and other premium spirits. Hilton London Metropole has been superbly redesigned to offer conference and events guests new and enhanced facilities in a welcoming yet contemporary environment.

Green spaces
It’s not just the turf which is green at Wembley Stadium. Wembley Stadium is the largest stadium in the world where every seat is under cover, but what people may not know is that it’s powered by 100 per cent green energy. Thanks to their ‘waste recycling and recovery programme’, Wembley Stadium is also ‘zero waste to landfill’ venue too.

As well as being London’s only ICC, ExCeL London is one of the greenest major events spaces. With over 300,000 worms in their wormery, they also recycle 89 per cent of their waste and have achieved Carbon Gold Save for three years consecutively.

River views
The Queen Elizabeth II Conference centre is located in Westminster, a five minute walk from the River Thames and uniquely situated against the stunning backdrop of Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, The Houses of Parliament and The London Eye. Clients can make use of the wonderful river and its facilities as part of their conference at the Centre, or just enjoy the fabulous views of the river from the rooms.

The newly refurbished Entrance Hall at Kensington Palace opens onto the beautiful East Front Gardens and includes the spacious Stone Hall and Vestibule, new spaces for private and corporate events. Luminous Lace, created by designers Loop.pH, it is a specially commissioned light sculpture lying at the heart of Kensington’s new entrance. Made from almost 4 km of electroluminescent wire and containing nearly 12,000 Swarovski crystals it will dazzle guests attending cocktail parties, receptions and dinners.

Meanwhile InterContinental London Westminster is steeped in history. The converted Queen Anne’s Chambers, a former government building, is now a luxury hotel. Located alongside New Scotland Yard and the Ministry of Justice, the property was originally built in the 1800’s as a hospital.

Fun and friendly London
From captains of rugby teams to captains of industry, Twickenham Stadium is an inspiration machine. Add a fun activity to your events with The Twickenham Experience GPS Challenge. Created by Wildgoose Treasure Hunts and using a unique GPS app, each team is issued with the latest Samsung Galaxy Tab to undertake our high tech treasure hunt.

Bubbledogs is a Champagne bar with a difference. Sink your teeth into some gourmet hot dogs and quench your thirst with some of the world’s greatest Champagnes. An ideal space to host a small VIP business dinner or luncheon.

The Mayfair Hotel in Green Park offers a quirky twist to any meeting or event with the Mayfair mini spa treatments, which comes in the form of a ‘Reviver Corner’ which can be added in your conference room offering on-site massages for delegates.

Further information
www.londonandpartners.com/
convention-bureau