The Sanctuary Spa, Madame Tussauds London and London theatres first to announce offers to encourage commuters in Games transport 'hot spot' areas to stagger their journeys.
"We know that at certain times and in certain locations the public transport network will be much busier than usual. That's why we are teaming up with a range of London's top attractions to ensure that people able to travel home outside peak hours on"
Ben Plowden
TfL's Director of Surface Planning

We know that at certain times and in certain locations the public transport network will be much busier than usual. That's why we are teaming up with a range of London's top attractions to ensure that people able to travel home outside peak hours on

A host of top London attractions announced today (Wednesday 7 March) that they will provide special 'after work' offers during the London 2012 Games to encourage people working in Games transport 'hotspot' areas to travel home outside peak hours.

Organisations including The Sanctuary Spa, Madame Tussauds London and West End theatres showing smash-hits including The Phantom Of The Opera, The 39 Steps and Mamma Mia! will offer deals to people working locally to encourage them to enjoy an evening out during the Games.

The participating companies outlined their offers at a breakfast event organised by Transport for London (TfL) and London 2012 for the capital's business community to discuss what they are doing to get 'Games-ready'.

These offers include:

  • After work theatre tickets starting at £10 from the Society of London Theatre (SOLT) for a range of West End shows through a major promotion to be announced in the spring
  • Special offers and spa packages from The Sanctuary Spa which is offering late night opening during the working week
  • Early morning and late night VIP tours at Madame Tussauds London from Merlin Entertainments Group
  • 30 per cent off normal priced cinema tickets after work at Apollo Cinemas, Piccadilly

More than 200 senior business and stakeholder representatives attending this morning's event heard speeches from Deloitte, the Department for Transport, SOLT and TfL who all discussed how their organisations are preparing for the Games.

Kieran West MBE, Olympic medal winning rower, also spoke about his personal experience of winning a Gold medal at the Sydney 2000 Games and how effective travel planning by businesses and commuters can benefit athletes.

Top attractions

Ben Plowden, Director of Surface Planning at TfL, said: 'London will be a hugely exciting place to be this summer with a fantastic spectacle of sporting and cultural events.

'We know that at certain times and in certain locations the public transport network will be much busier than usual.

'That's why we are teaming up with a range of London's top attractions to ensure that people able to travel home outside peak hours on the busiest days are spoilt for choice when deciding how to spend their evening.

'We will continue to work closely with London's businesses to ensure they have all the information they need to get ahead of the Games, and encourage businesses of all sizes to consider what offers they could provide to encourage those in travel 'hot spots' to make the most of the opportunities the Games will bring.'

Reduced price tickets

Julian Bird, Chief Executive of the SOLT who hosted a panel debate at this morning's business event, said: 'When the 2012 Games get under way, many employees in transport hot spot locations will be looking to re-time their commute and enjoy the festival atmosphere.

'To help, we will be providing them with reduced priced tickets to some of the best theatre shows around through our new spring promotion and at tkts in Leicester Square, London.

'I'd urge other businesses to follow our lead and give commuters a range of options to enjoy their summer evenings in the city.'

TfL and London 2012 are encouraging more businesses to introduce offers during the Games, with full details of all the offers - and how to redeem them - available at http://www.GetAheadoftheGames.com and the official @GAOTG Twitter feed in June.

Site-specific advice

TfL and London 2012 provide 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.

More than 500 major companies, employing more than 600,000 people, have already benefited from tailored, site-specific advice. 

A further 700 businesses employing 200 people or less have already attended area based workshops, while around 100 companies employing more than 200 people at multiple locations have attended or will be attending themed workshops to assist them.


Notes to editors:

  • The invite-only Travel Advice for Businesses breakfast event took place at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden from 08:30-10:00 on Wednesday 7 March. Microsoft, The Sanctuary Spa, Merlin Entertainments Group, CBI, O2 and Waterloo Quarter Business Improvement District took part in a panel debate to consider initiatives which will help businesses to keep running smoothly during the Games. The event highlighted the importance of travel planning, and the organisations urged other businesses to consider initiatives to help Londoners re-time their commute
  • To qualify for the offers, employees will need to prove they work in a Games transport 'hot spot' area by showing a business card or proof of employer address
  • London 2012 and TfL are providing free travel advice to businesses operating in areas of London and the rest of the UK that will be affected by the Games. At certain times, and in certain locations, London and the UK's road and rail networks will be much busier than usual. By visiting www.GetAheadoftheGames.com or following the @GAOTG Twitter channel, businesses can receive the latest tips, travel information and advice on how to plan ahead and keep their firms running smoothly
  • Further information and advice will be added to www.GetAheadoftheGames.com as it becomes available between now and the London 2012 Games
  • SOLT is the association which represents the producers, theatre owners and managers of the 52 major commercial and grant-aided theatres in central London. The organisation exists in order to promote theatregoing, develop audiences, and to serve, protect and promote the interests of those engaged in theatre across London, through activities including The Olivier Awards with MasterCard, tkts ticket booth, the Official London Theatre guide, Theatre Tokens and the annual promotions Kids Week in the West End and Get Into London Theatre. For the latest offers and information visit www.theatre2012.co.uk
  • To find out more about the Madame Tussauds VIP tours, please see the Merlin Entertainments Group Events page, as all London tours and experiences are highlighted here: http://www.merlineventslondon.com/. For further attraction details, please see Madame Tussauds London official website: http://www.madametussauds.com/London/