ATLANTA, Sept. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Think London, the foreign direct investment agency for London, and UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) will begin the second leg of the 'Route to 2012' roadshow today in Atlanta. The Route is aimed at highlighting business investment opportunities in London, especially around the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Think London, in partnership with UKTI, completed the first part of the roadshow in June 2009, when it engaged with businesses from a broad range of sectors including digital and sustainability on the West coast of the United States. Having already visited Palo Alto, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Austin in June, the 'Route to 2012' will continue on to a further 5 cities in North America culminating in Vancouver for the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Two key events will take place in Atlanta, along with a number of one-on-one corporate meetings. The first, a business breakfast, will take place at the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce on the morning of September 9, 2009 and will focus on the lessons learnt from the 1996 summer Olympics in Atlanta, and the investment opportunities in London for Atlanta-based businesses leading up to 2012.

The second event, a VIP business dinner, also takes place on September 9, 2009 and will focus specifically on the digital media and sustainability opportunities available in London. Joseph V. Tripodi, EVP of The Coca-Cola Company, will discuss the company's sustainability efforts for the 2012 Games. According to Tripodi, "Hosting the Olympics Games is a massive undertaking and responsibility. But our Company has no doubt that London will rise magnificently to the challenge. We are determined, as a company and as individuals, to play our full part in making 2012 the most memorable ever Games."

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson has also taken a strong stance on encouraging green development, and consequently there exists a wealth of opportunities for businesses operating in this sector.

Michael Charlton, Chief Executive of Think London, added, "We are delighted to be here in Atlanta at the start of the second leg of our 'Route to 2012' business roadshow. On a personal level, it's fantastic to be back as I spent several years here at the Consulate in the mid 90's. In less than three years London will host what has been dubbed the first 'Green Games'. This is not only creating new business opportunities right now, but also opportunities for returns on investment that will extend well past 2012. In fact there has never been a better time to invest in London with a deeper and wider talent pool, lower commercial property costs, and the depreciation of sterling against the dollar, the global recession has opened a window of investment opportunity in London now."

Lord Davies of Abersoch, the UK Minister for Trade, Investment and Business, concludes: "North America and the UK have a historically strong economic relationship, and we are seeing great interest from US companies in the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. I would certainly encourage them to either partner with a British company or to consider investing directly in the UK. Moreover the UK provides an excellent platform for wider growth in the European market. As an indication of the scale of the opportunities available, Lloyds TSB, sponsors of the 2012 Games, have predicted that there will be 21 billion pounds Sterling of business outcomes from the London Games in 2012."

About the 'Route to 2012':

The 'Route to 2012' is a business roadshow being hosted by Think London, in partnership with UK Trade & Investment (UKTI), aimed at highlighting the business opportunities London has to offer, specifically around the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012, and the 2012 Games legacy for those companies wishing to consider the longer term opportunities in London. The first leg of the roadshow took place in June 2009 and took in the cities of Palo Alto, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Austin, Seattle and Dallas. This successfully generated over 30 new business leads. The aim of the second leg of the road show is to engage with companies from the sustainable and digital sectors in and around the cities of Atlanta; Washington DC, New York and Boston. The roadshow will culminate with an event in Vancouver during the 2010 Winter Olympics. UK Trade & Investment is working with Think London on the 'Route to 2012' roadshow by hosting events, offering key note addresses and delivering the broader UK messages for US companies.

About Think London:

Think London is the foreign direct investment agency for London, connecting international businesses to London, helping them set up, succeed and grow. Think London is a not-for-profit, private-public partnership delivering expertise and advice to international businesses. The service is completely free, comprehensive and confidential. Think London works with government and the business community to help companies access the best people, places and opportunities in the city. Since 2000, Think London has assisted nearly 900 companies from North America expand their operations to London including Whole Foods Market, First Citizens Bank, Google, LinkedIn, Aramark, Microsoft, Amgen, Facebook and TerraCycle Think London's principal funding partners are the London Development Agency and a network of Commercial Partners. Other key partners are the City of London Corporation, which also provides funding, UK Trade & Investment and the business community through London First. For more information, please visit the website at www.thinklondon.com

About UK Trade & Investment:

UK Trade & Investment is the UK Government's international business development organisation that helps businesses locate in the UK and grow internationally. Every year it helps hundreds of firms discover global growth from a UK base. UKTI staff have unparalleled knowledge of commercial, political and social issues. Their services are delivered from within the UK and British diplomatic posts in some 100 markets all around the world. www.uktradeinvest.gov.uk

SOURCE Think London