Ben Plowden, Director of Planning, TfL Surface Transport, Ben Dowd, Business Director at O2 and Lindsey Venter, Group HR Director at The Zetter Hotel will come together on Twitter from11:30-12:30 BST on Wednesday 30 May 2012. The chat will be hosted by the official London 2012/TfL Get Ahead of the Games transport advice twitter feed, using the hashtag #GAOTG.
In the Twitter chat, the guests will answer questions from large employers to small businesses on all aspects of travel planning ahead of the Games, helping firms maximise the business benefits the Games will bring. Topics include:
- Planning ahead to minimise the travel impact of the Games on operations;
- Challenges experienced to date with travel planning and how to overcome them;
- How to test travel plans;
- How to implement employee flexible working;
- Sending and receiving deliveries during Games time;
- How to continue with any travel plans put in place after the Games.
Businesses impacted by the Games who are available to take part in the business chat should follow #GAOTG on Twitter from 11:30-12:30 BST on Wednesday 3 May 2012. Questions for the panel can be submitted to @GAOTG beforehand, using the hashtag #GAOTG.
Ben Plowden, Director of Planning at TfL Surface Transport, said: “More than 61 per cent of business leaders across Europe are now using Twitter, which is why, for the first time in Games history, we’re engaging with employers via this important channel. By teaming up with business experts, this Twitter chat is an important way for us to speak to bosses directly and answer their questions.
“London will be a hugely exciting place to be this summer, with a fantastic spectacle of sporting and cultural events. Parts of the road and public transport network will be exceptionally busy during the Games and this will affect firms around Games venues and across central London. This is why we’re working closely with businesses, to ensure they have all the information they need to get ahead of the Games, while also delivering important advice and support.”
Ben Dowd, Business Director at O2, said: “We know the Games are expected to bring operating, travel and business challenges to firms, and that is why we’re planning ahead. We’ve tested our ability as an organisation to manage all the complexity that those challenges bring.
Firstly, by conducting a flexible working pilot at our Slough office, where 2,500 staff worked remotely for the day. By understanding how this worked, the planning we needed to put in place and how our IT and employees needed to respond, we are now in a position to share our learnings with other organisations via Twitter, helping them to be ready and manage not only the impact of the Games but any future impact that may disrupt their business.”
London 2012 and TfL have provided free travel advice to business programmes to companies operating in areas of London and the rest of the UK that will be affected by the Games. Five hundred major businesses employing more than 600,000 people have signed up for specific travel advice and have drafted travel plans which they have shared with TfL, and more than 20,500 businesses across London and other affected areas of the UK have attended TfL arranged or supported workshops.
Businesses are encouraged to use the support available at www.GetAheadoftheGames.com to prepare and test in advance of the Games.
