Work, dream, create and enjoy the pleasure of business. Feel the Mediterranean breezeand enjoy its sea and light. Get the most out of your work meetings somewhere exciting.At PortAventura we make it easy for you : a spacious, fully-equipped Convention Centre, 2000 rooms in four 4-star hotels, excellent catering, exclusive access to the theme areas within the park, Golf and Team Building activities. The brand new London Suite is an astonishing ballroom to set up your company party. From a small party of 50 to a grandiose ball for 800 guests, our team will assist you all the way to fashion your very own Christmas every step of the way!To start the celebrations, our first gift to you is complimentary room hire for your party and if you book before 31/10/11, we will even include a complimentary DJ* for your event.Dinner packages start from £45.00www.ilecconferencecentre.comSpecial reader offer, quote NC when booking. Terms and conditions apply, contact our team for information47 Lillie Road, London, SW6 1UD t: +44 (0)207 666 8550 f: +44 (0)207 666 8588 e: h5623-sb2@accor.com *Merry Christmas frominc VAT.

Olympics26 / ConferenCe & Meetings World / issUe 65Marathon not a sprintBarBara JaMison, Head of BUsiness developMent eUrope at Convention BUreaU london & partners, opens oUr speCial featUre on olyMpiC legaCieshe 'halo' effect around the London 2012 Olympics has seen the city's offer as a business destination change radically. New hotels are opening and new venues are launching each month. The city needs to avoid any sort of white elephant syndrome when the Games finish. London is being reinvented. In the four years to 2012, over £11bn (US$17.4bn) worth of investment will have taken place across the city. During the past two years, hoteliers have viewed London as the European city for new openings. St Pancras Station is now home to a Victorian masterpiece restored - the five-star £150m Renaissance Marriott Hotel, offering 244 rooms alongside the Eurostar terminal. The Strand has seen the return of the Savoy Hotel, following a £200m refurbishment, and the five-star 294-room Corinthia property has opened in Whitehall. Starwood has opened its first UK W Hotel in Leicester Square, while Park Lane has welcomed a192-room Four Seasons. Other openings include London Syon Park, a Waldorf Astoria Hotel, and the rejuvenated St Ermin's Hotel in Westminster. The new destination brand Aloft is due to open at London Excel this year.Improved transport links to the key Olympic sites include an East London line extension, upgrades to the existing Docklands Light Railway (DLR), and a 225km/h above: london is no stranger to the olympic games. Below: tom daley makes a splash to open the new aqua Centrehigh-speed Javelin service to take spectators from St Pancras to the Olympic Park in seven minutes. The 2012 Games will use a mixture of new and existing venues, and temporary facilities, in locations including Hyde Park, Greenwich Park and Horse Guards Parade. Much of the focus however will be on the Olympic Park located in the Lower Lea Valley in East London where up to 180,000 spectators a day will gather. A lasting legacy for this regeneration area is a top priority.There are five main venues in the Olympic Park including the 80,000 seat Olympic Stadium, the VeloPark, an Aquatics Centre, Basketball Arena and Handball Arena. After the greatest show on earth has left town, the area will be transformed into one of the largest urban parks in Europe, while the sports facilities will be opened for use by local sports clubs and societies. The Olympic Village will be converted into 3,600 apartments and the media centre will evolve into a new business and events hub. Post-Games, event organisers will be able to make use of the Olympic venues by booking their next conference in the Velodrome or the Olympic Stadium. The convention bureau will do as much as possible to support the MICE sector coming into London both before and after the Games. But, we do know this is a marathon and not a sprint. TolyMpiCs seCtion Words paul colston / Vikki carley / sarah o'donnell