Think London goes on the road with UKTI to promote business opportunities for London 2012

10-Jun-2009

Think London, the foreign direct investment agency for London, will be staging a number of high profile business events in North America in partnership with UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) to promote London as the number one destination for North American companies looking to expand overseas.

Over the coming months, the ‘Route to 2012’ roadshow will reach out to potential investors and showcase the investment opportunities in London, including the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Think London and UKTI will visit 12 cities across North America hosting a series of targeted business meetings, panel events and media roundtables to highlight in particular the sustainable and digital opportunities London offers North American businesses. The roadshow will culminate with an event in Vancouver during the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Boris Johnson, Mayor of London said: "Even in these tough economic times London is still the place to be, with a recent report confirming that London has, for the seventh year in a row, retained its position as Europe's most attractive city to invest in. With the London 2012 Games only three years away, our capital offers magnificent investment opportunities for overseas business, with unrivalled access to western markets, a skilled workforce and one of the most diverse social and leisure scenes in the world. The ‘Route to 2012’ roadshow will present the fantastic business prospects London has to offer and advise businesses on how to best participate in the 2012 success story."

Michael Charlton, Chief Executive of Think London said: “Despite the downturn, London presents significant business potential for companies worldwide. London is uniquely positioned to offer overseas companies opportunities associated with the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The London Games are expected to generate about 7,000 direct contracts and form a supply chain of around 75,000 contracts within a broad range of sectors.

“Our roadshow is about showcasing the breadth and depth of possibilities open to North American companies that want to use London as a gateway to Europe. With office rents down 38%, sterling depreciated by 30% against the dollar in the last ten months, and more readily available highly skilled talent, the global recession has opened a window of investment opportunity in London. We look forward to sharing this message with key decision makers of North American businesses over the coming months.”

UK Trade & Investment will work with Think London on the ‘Route to 2012’ roadshow by hosting events, offering key note addresses and delivering the broader UK messages for US companies.

Sir Alan Collins, British Consul General in New York, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Think London in this exciting initiative. Although the focus of the ‘Route to 2012’ roadshow will be on the digital and sustainable sectors, it is hard to think of any sector that will not benefit from the business opportunities that London, and UK more generally, will offer in the run-up to the 2012 Games.”

Since 2000, Think London has assisted nearly 900 companies from North America expand their operations to London including Delta Airways, Amgen, Google, Raytheon, Wells Fargo, LinkedIn, Microsoft, MySpace and Facebook.

Ends:

For more information on Think London please contact our media team:
info@thinklondon.com

Notes to editors:

About Think London
Think London is the foreign direct investment agency for London, assisting companies moving to the UK capital by offering access to business networks , people and opportunities . Think London is a not-for-profit, private-public partnership delivering expertise and advice to international businesses. The agency’s service is completely free, comprehensive and confidential. Think London’s experts work with government and the business community to help companies access the best people, places and opportunities in the city. Think London’s principal funding partners are the London Development Agency (LDA) and our network of commercial partners . Other key partners are the City of London Corporation , which also provides funding, UK Trade & Investment and the business community through London First . 

About UK Trade & Investment
UK Trade & Investment is the UK Government's international business development organisation that helps businesses locate in the UK and grow internationally. Every year we help hundreds of firms, from hi-tech start-ups to global industry leaders, discover global growth from a UK base. UKTI staff have unparalleled knowledge of commercial, political and social issues, along with contacts and opportunities available to UK businesses and overseas investors. Our services are offered across a network of business specialists in the UK and British diplomatic posts in some 100 markets all around the world. For more information, visit the web site at www.uktradeinvest.gov.uk.