London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games: Helping you to Overcome the Hurdles

On your mark, get set, GO. 

With the London 2012 Olympic Games around the corner, it is important to begin putting contingency plans in place to ensure that your relocation programme keeps running smoothly. We will post regular updates on any changes and developments as we get nearer to the event!

With an estimated 660,000 international visitors descending on London for the Olympic Games (27 July – 12 August) and Paralympic Games (29 August – 9 September), the city will be extremely busy. In addition, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee (2 June – 5 June) and the annual Wimbledon Tennis Tournament (25 June – 8 July) will also contribute to the disruption that is expected this summer. 

Many of the games and competitions will take place outside of London, and the Olympic Torch Relay beginning on 19 May will visit over 1,000 places on the way to the stadium. In light of this, it is expected that relocations into and across various locations throughout the U.K. will be affected as well. 

The founder of the modern Olympics, Pierre de Coubertin, once said “…the essential thing in life is not conquering, but fighting well.” The Olympic season is an exciting time, and we want it to stay that way. The comprehensive information below will help ensure you are prepared to overcome any challenges that the Games pose for your relocation programme.

The following recommendations should be considered for any relocation programme:

• Reduce non-essential assignments during the Games period. Only move assignees if it is critical or necessary for business reasons or an assignee’s individual needs.
• Effectively communicate challenges to any of your foreign offices. To ensure they prepare for the changes the Olympics will bring.
• Introduce temporary policy measures. For example, include additional days for a home finding trip to ensure that travel delays do not reduce home search time. A temporary policy will also provide the flexibility to address exceptions that may occur during the Games period.

Visa and Immigration

Challenge: Delays in visa processing times for assignees moving into the U.K. 

The Home Office is expecting more than 380,000 athletes, officials, workers and media to require accreditation. This will include immigration, criminal record and security checks to help ensure the safety and security of the 2012 Games. 

Recommendation: Apply for visas well in advance, as soon as it is possible for an assignee to do so.

Travel

Challenge: As a non-Olympic traveller, it is likely that an assignee will experience significant airport delays as they arrive into London’s airports, particularly London Heathrow. Athletes, officials, broadcasters, and support staff etc., also known as the Games Family Members (GFM) will add to the U.K.’s inbound airport traffic. To address this, the U.K. Border Agency will set up specific Olympic lanes for the GFM, as well as training additional staff to carry out identification checks which will take around 60 seconds per person. 

Recommendation: If possible, assignees should avoid London Heathrow Airport and use other U.K. airports. Should an assignee need to fly into Heathrow or London’s surrounding airports, they should accommodate for delays in their travel plans. As an example, an assignee booking their home finding trip during this busy period should build in extra time. Additionally, there will be a high demand on car rental, so make your reservations well in advance.

Temporary Accommodation

Challenge: The reduced availability of accommodations and the increase in cost per stay during the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The cost of temporary accommodation and hotels will rise due to the high demand and limited supply. For example, the London Organization Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG) has been allocated 56,000 rooms in the city. The cost of serviced apartments has increased and the typical terms and conditions on length of stay have been adapted. The minimum stay in serviced apartments is typically three-, seven-, or 30 nights, however, during the Games the minimum stay period is around 90 nights. Providers may also request advanced payments for accommodations.

Recommendation: Set expectations relating to the availability of accommodation, particularly in Central and East London, where most spectators will be staying. Consider turnkey properties (assignees moving into temporary accommodation on a rotational basis), although providers may charge fees for each clean turn, it does give the assignee options. SIRVA is working with our suppliers to ensure that additional costs are kept to a minimum. In addition, block booking of accommodations may reduce costs and will help ensure the availability of accommodation for assignees moving to the U.K.

Logistics and Transportation

Challenge: Furniture rental, household goods shipments and general transportation will be affected throughout the Olympic and Paralympic Games. To accommodate road events such as marathons, whilst maintaining London’s traffic flow and ensuring pedestrian safety, the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) has implemented the following initiatives: 

• The creation of an Olympic Route Network (ORN) and a Paralympic Route Network (PRN) to provide athletes and officials easy access to the venues
• Road management restrictions including changes to traffic signal timing, restricted turns, side road closures and suspension of parking and loading bays
• To encourage the use of public transportation, each ticketholder will receive a free public transport pass for travel within London (zones 1-9) on the day of the event. On the busiest day of the Games, 800,000 people are expected to use public transportation

Recommendation: Ensure assignees are aware of the upcoming logistics and transportation disruptions. Due to congestion on the U.K.’s transport system, avoid travel when possible, especially for assignees new to the U.K. For deliveries in and around London, SIRVA has been working closely with our suppliers to help support assignees. A few of these initiatives include:

• Supplementary shifts on van lines as required, providing out-of-hour deliveries to avoid any disruption caused by the Games. The Transport for London (TfL) will be conducting test trials to identify best practice for out-of-hours deliveries and SIRVA will take note of their findings.
• Ensuring additional resources are in place; for example, increased furniture inventory for furniture rental if temporary accommodation availability is reduced and an assignee has already found their home but has not yet received their shipment.
• Obtaining exemptions from particular operating restrictions to help avoid disruption to deliveries and / or collections of goods.
• Delivering goods to a nearby delivery location where loading restrictions are not affected by the Games.

Useful Resources

For further detail on travel in and around London during the Olympics, click here.

Find out more about the Olympic and Paralympic Games on the Official Website.  

For more information on how SIRVA can help you prepare your relocation programme for the 2012 Olympics, contact us.