IMEX 2009 - The ‘Only in London Inspiration 100’

FRANKFURT/Main (mip/r).               London is a city offering so much contrast and diversity. Below are a hundred suggestions of unique business events and incentive activities, which can only take place in London.

Westminster Abbey

(Bild: PR.)

Only in London can you…

1. …meet in the crypt of Sir Christopher Wren’s St Paul’s Cathedral in the morning and enjoy a few delicious cocktail drinks at the tip of Sir Norman Foster’s gherkin-shaped iconic London ’30 St Mary Axe’ in the evening.

2. …dance to Michael Jackson at The O2 Arena or dine with Queen Elizabeth II at Madame Tussauds.

3. …have a traditional tour of the Houses of Parliament followed by a contemporary meeting in London’s Living Room at City Hall, the office of the Mayor of London.

4. …have a corporate champagne tasting lesson in world's highest cantilevered observation wheel, the London Eye.

5. …hold your conference and enjoy a glass of champagne in the England Football Team’s changing rooms at Wembley Stadium.

6. …slowly sail down the Thames on a team-building Topsail boat or whizz down the water James-Bond style on the Thames Rib Experience.

7. …open the iconic Tower Bridge or close the Tower of London at the ‘Ceremony of the Keys’.

8. …taste the bitterness of Absinthe at a Vinopolis tasting tour or enjoy a sweet treat at a team-building event at My Chocolate!

9. …breakfast like a king at Fortnum and Mason and dine like a pauper with fish and chips in Rock & Sole Plaice.

10. …get a bird’s-eye view of the London 2012 Olympic Site at Foreman’s Fish Island or sip champagne underneath a Georgian brick-vaulted ceiling and on top of historic tombstones at St Martins in the Fields.

11. …be a spy during the day at the Cabinet War Rooms or follow the steps of Jack the Ripper with the London Walks.

12. …laugh at the free entertainers in Covent Garden or cry at Romeo & Juliet’s play at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre.

13. …enjoy a banquet fit for a king or queen in a historic royal palace dating back to the 11th century in the Tower of London.

14. …have a meeting at Abbey Offices, 37th floor of One Canada Square, the tallest building in the UK with panoramic views over London.

15. …walk in the footsteps of US President Barak Obama and attend a conference at the site of the recent G20 World Summit at the ExCeL London.

16. …be transported back 200 years in time to a life-size re-creation of an East London street scene during your drinks reception at The Museum of London in Docklands.

17. …spend an evening dining al fresco at the Radisson Edwardian New Providence Wharf whilst overlooking the River Thames, the O2 arena and viewing the Meridian laser from The Royal Observatory in Greenwich.

18. …hold a gala dinner at Shoreditch Town Hall, the same venue where Elton John celebrated his birthday.

19. …have a dinner surrounded by the largest collection of children's toys, dolls houses and games in the world at the Bethnal Green Museum of Childhood.

20. …have a presentation or seminar at Wilton’s Music Hall, the world’s oldest surviving music hall.

The Roundhouse

(Bild: PR.)

21. …. wake up in a luxurious hotel, spend the morning working in a sumptuous suite over looking the famous Stamford Bridge pitch, enjoy a private lunch menu brought to you by a Michelin Star Chef, spend the afternoon shopping on the Kings Road followed by a pampering session at a top class spa, have pre-dinner drinks in the First Team Changing Room and enjoy dinner on the hallowed turf – all at Chelsea FC.

22. …enjoy a reception, meeting or conference at the Barbican, Europe's largest Arts and Conference Centre.

23. …have a meeting at the historically important Cabinet War Rooms, where Churchill directed Britain's war effort and enjoy a glass of Churchill's favourite tipple, Pol Roger Champagne, afterwards.

24. …learn the art of the perfect curtsey at Kensington Palace, enter the world of the Tudor Court at Hampton Court Palace and see the delights of the world’s largest quality-cut diamond – The Star of Africa – after a glass of champagne in the Jewel House at the Tower of London.

25. …dance the night away at a summer party on the deck of the historic HMS Belfast, the only surviving vessel of her type to have seen active service during the Second World War, overlooking the Tower Bridge and the Tower of London.

26. …hold a conference in the inspirational surroundings of Southwark Cathedral, set in the heart of old London, which has been a religious site for over 1,000 years.

27. …get the best view in the house as you glide past London's best-loved sights along the River Thames on board of Bateaux London.

28. …dance the tango in a famous and historic hotel. Tango Tea in the Waldorf Hilton’s beautiful Palm Court is an event with live music and afternoon tea that dates back to the early Twentieth century when the hotel first opened.

29. …sample fresh, market food from London’s only summer market, The Covent Garden Real Food Market (16th April – 24th September). Enjoy your lunch break in Covent Garden’s historic Piazza, and sample some of the UK’s premium produce including the Neal’s Yard Dairy, free range Anglais chicken from SJ Frederick & Sons and the finest mushroom from Spore Boys, whilst enjoying entertainment from Covent Garden’s street performances

30. …have a world class dining experience while overlooking the gardens of Buckingham Palace whilst sipping a ‘Londoner’ cocktail. Galvin at Windows is located on the 28th floor of the London Hilton on Park Lane.

31. …be given a VIP pass offering store reductions at one of Europe’s largest and most spectacular shopping centres, Westfield London. Hilton London Kensington, near Holland Park, is offering the pass to all business guests or groups booking a room.

32. …hold a meeting in a room used in James Bond and Michael Caine movies. The boardroom at The Trafalgar Hotel was used during the filming of Dr No and the The Ipcress, starring Michael Caine.

33. …cruise the Thames aboard the Royal Barge used by the Queen – Silverfleet.

34. …stay in the only London hotel with its own, working well! The bottled water at The Zetter Hotel has been pumped from springs some 1500ft beneath the hotel – the drinking water is a true Clerkenwell tradition and the area was named after the Clerk’s well in Farringdon Lane.

35. …visit Ripley’s Believe It or Not! at the London Pavilion, the original venue for the world premiere of every Beatles film, including Help!, Yellow Submarine and A Hard Day’s Night and see 18 Olympic torches from past Olympics including the Berlin 1936 and London 1948 events.

36. ...follow in the footsteps of Monty, Sergio and Tiger. Hold your nerve to hit the narrow 12th green at Augusta National, draw it over the lake at The Belfry, splash out from the Postage Stamp's 'Coffin' bunker ... And then relax in a luxury sports bar, all at Northwick Park.

37. …enjoy herbal afternoon tea overlooking Trafalgar Square, in a roof garden which has been transformed by one of the world’s most acclaimed herb gardeners and authors. The Trafalgar Hotel’s roof garden is located on the sixth floor and herbs will also be used in the food and drinks of the hotel’s Upper & Lower Rockwell bar/restaurant.

38. …hold a meeting on a ‘Club Class Bus’ whilst driving past the iconic sights of London. The silver double-decker limousine buses have sumptuous red leather sofa style seating, superb surround sound, wireless microphones, flat screens televisions and atmospheric lighting.

39. …hold a cocktail party underneath the only 7 tonne Eurofighter Test Plane or view the world’s most comprehensive collection of Luftwaffe aircrafts at the Royal Air Force Museum

40. …host an afternoon tea party for clients at ZSL London Zoo, where Christopher Robin (AA Milne's son) first fell in love with a real bear named Winnie.

41. …walk through England’s first public square, dating back to 1630. Designed by architect, Inigo Jones, Covent Garden’s pedestrianised, cobble-stoned Piazza offers visitors a slice of history and the opportunity to step back in time.

42. …host a conference at the home of the London Symphony Orchestra, the Barbican Hall.

43. …have drinks and canapés in the Household Cavalry Museum amongst the Queens own Blues and Royals Guards.

44. …hold a private dinner for 36 in Wellington Arch overlooking Number 1 London!

45. …hire a traditional Routemaster Red Bus to transfer your delegates from A to B or jump on board a free bus tour of the London 2012 Olympic site.

46. …enjoy a glass of Champagne in the company of sharks at the Sea Life London Aquarium.

47. …host a unique business networking event with a mixture of history, horror and humour at the London Dungeon.

48. …stay in the Queen's guesthouses – The Crowne Plaza London St. James was built in 1862 as Queen's Guest House.

49. …hold a meeting in the same spot where the Queen Mother used to play when she was a child. The Intercontinental on Park Lane has the address of Number 1 Park Lane.

50. …take a tour and hold your meeting whilst gazing at the hallowed turf which is the nation’s most iconic football pitch – Wembley Stadium!

51. …view the annual Summer Exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts is the world’s largest open-submission exhibition. This year’s exhibition runs from 8th June to 16th August.

52. …host your lunch in a garden room overlooking the City and St. Paul’s Cathedral at the Barbican.

53. …host afternoon tea in William Morris's historic Red House in Bexleyheath, an internationally significant home of the Arts & Crafts movement.

54. …hire out a corporate box to cheer on the teams at the only NFL League Game outside of the USA at Wembley Stadium on 25th October 2009.

55. …have a private dinner event overlooking the Australian outback at ZSL London Zoo, Regent's Park, the World's oldest scientific Zoo.

56. …get your incentive team to recreate the famous Beatles album cover on Abbey Road.

57. …welcome business travellers to Europe's longest champagne bar at St Pancras International.

58. …take a group to see the Royal Ballet rehearse at a backstage tour of the Royal Opera House and then enjoy a dance-themed afternoon tea!

59. … bring your senses to life at your meeting at Novotel London West with their ‘The 5 Senses Experience’. Novotel London West is situated in Hammersmith near London’s West-end.

60. …take a group and watch a performance at the famous Brit School in Croydon – whose alumni include Amy Winehouse, Adele and Kate Nash.

61. …watch a show at Hackney Empire, where Charlie Chaplin, Stan Laurel and WC Fields trod the boards

62. …create a sports themed team building game on Hackney Marsh, the largest concentration of football pitches in Europe.

63. …hold a champagne business reception at the Fan Museum – the first and only museum in the world devoted entirely to all aspects of the ancient art of the fan.

64. …take a tour of Harrow School, famous for educating seven prime ministers, including Winston Churchill.

65. …wine and dine the night away whilst the hero of 1966 World Cup Squad – Sir Bobby Moore – looks on from his plinth of glory at Wembley Stadium.

66. …take your team to drink at Dickens' and Thackery's pub, the historical Trafalgar Tavern in Greenwich.

67. …breakfast with Victoria Beckham in Madame Tussauds in the morning and spend the afternoon following in David Beckham’s footsteps at The Wembley Stadium.

68. …hold a corporate reception under the bones of a dinosaur or sip champagne next to the world's oldest insect at the Natural History Museum.

69. …enjoy an organic pint after a long day of business at the World's first organic pub, The Duke of Cambridge in Islington.

70. …host a drinks reception in an inner city Conservatory at the Barbican, home to over 2,000 species of plants as well as koi carp, finches and quails.

71. …gaze at the largest collection of dresses once belonging to Princess Diana at her former home, Kensington Palace – blue badge guides offer groups tours!

72. …create a corporate treasure hunt around the largest weekly antique markets in the world on Portobello Road.

73. …have a meeting in the world's highest cantilevered observation wheel overlooking London with a 360 degree view, the London Eye.

74. …drink Mai Tai cocktails from a giant canoe in the venue that first created the legendary cocktail. Trader Vic’s is one of London's best-kept secrets, in the lower ground floor of the London Hilton on Park Lane.

75. ...create a private dinner event where Winston Churchill had a direct line to President Roosevelt in the Second World War at the Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms.

76. …hold a private dining experience at the world-famous Harrods or enjoy a traditional English afternoon tea under palm trees in a soaring eight-storey, glass roofed central atrium at the London Landmark Hotel.

77. …hold your meeting overlooking the brand new covered centre court at Wimbledon.

78. …watch the top eight seeded tennis players in the world at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals at The O2 Arena in November 2009!

79. …take a tour of the Thames barrier at Woolwich Reach – the world's second largest movable flood barrier!

80. …host a cocktail reception whilst standing next to R2D2 at The Movieum of London in County Hall.

81. …hold a meeting for over 1,500 delegates in a historic 1912 building, along with purpose built, state-of-art conference facilities with unique views over Westminster Abbey and the Big Ben – only available at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre and Central Hall Westminster.

82. …hold a blue-sky brainstorm at the home of England Rugby at Twickenham Stadium.

83. …hold an exclusive tour and cocktail reception whilst viewing the world's biggest collection of lawn tennis memorabilia, dating from 1555, at the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum.

84. …hold a business dinner with a difference on the HMS Belfast at London Southbank – Europe's largest surviving armored warship

85. …hold a Shakespearean themed team building event at Shakespeare's Globe, in the area where he lived and worked!

86. …take an exclusive tour of the 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.

87. …have a tea-tasting workshop at Fortnum & Mason, The Queen's grocer.

88. …hire an exclusive corporate box to watch the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships at The O2 Arena.

89. …stare in wonder at Van Gogh's Sunflowers at the National Gallery – where you can take an incentive group for free!

90. …hold your next brainstorm session at Lord's, the home of cricket!

91. …hold your next meeting underwater watching the magical Cownose rays swimming in perfect synchrony at the new Sea Life London Aquarium!

92. …celebrate with Selfridges Oxford Street in 2009 as they mark their 100th anniversary – you can hold private events in the shop in their ‘Wonder Room’.

93. …host an awards ceremony at The May Fair Hotel – the official hotel of London Fashion Week.

94. …hold a VIP event at The Goring. The Goring hosted the President of Mexico and his delegation for the recent State Visit and the G20 Summit in London. The Goring’s private dining rooms were designed by HRH Viscount David Linley.

95. …get your clients to handle a bar of gold at the Bank of England Museum and see the largest collection of Bank of England notes and associated material in the world.

96. …sip a 1950’s themed cocktail in Skylon Restaurant and bar in the Royal Festival Hall, which has been inspired by the 1951 Festival of Britain. (The Royal Festival Hall has recently appeared in the smash-hit film ‘The Boat that Rocked!)

97. …stay in a suite used in an Alfred Hitchcock movie: The Dome Suite at Hilton London Hyde Park, with its separate lounge and bedroom with panoramic views over London, was used during the filming of Hitchcock's 1972 film "Frenzy".

98. …meet London’s biggest flock of indoor sheep at The Goring Hotel, London’s oldest privately owned hotel – now in the hands of the Goring family’s fourth generation.

99. …take your delegates shopping after a long day of conferences to Bond Street, set in the heart of historic Mayfair; a playground for society’s wealthiest, most stylish and influential people.

100. …travel back in time to listen to London as it was in medieval times or turn the London Eye capsule into a time travelling tardis by getting your group to listen to the new Way2GoGuides – only available for London.

Giessen, 27. Mai 2009 / Bilder: PR