IoD to be Olympic headquarters of Slovak House

Dated: 29 November 2011

Slovak House, the entertaining hub for the Slovakian Olympic team sponsors, athletes and VIPs, will be based at the Institute of Directors’ impressive head office in Pall Mall during London 2012.

Slovak House, which is taking two of the 12 available event spaces, will be a place for the Slovak team to entertain, conduct business, hold press conferences, and generally make a statement throughout the Olympics.

The Institute of Directors’ (IoD) Central London offices are ideally suited to Olympic and Paralympic teams and events.  Not surprisingly, therefore, they are proving the focus of interest for a number of national team committees, in addition to the Slovakians.

The IoD has powerful and well-established connections with the business world in the UK and across Europe.  Its head office, at 116 Pall Mall, is regarded as one of the most beautiful buildings in central London, and is located in a prime location on one of the city’s most famous streets. The building houses magnificent function rooms, restaurant facilities, and a state-of-the-art business centre, all which provide an outstanding centre for teams wanting a flagship HQ during the Olympics.
It is also well-positioned for Olympic teams as 116 Pall Mall is situated within a minute of the Olympic Lanes – and close to the London Live Sites which will provide video links, public information and event spaces during the Games. And in terms of providing hospitality, 116 Pall Mall boasts an award-winning Chef and some of the best trained staff in the business, who between them speak more than 30 languages.

Andrew Main Wilson, Chief Operating Officer for the IoD says: “As Europe’s largest organisation for business leaders, we are both delighted and proud that our prestigious headquarters at 116 Pall Mall has been chosen as the London home for the Slovak House during London 2012.

“116 Pall Mall was built in 1828 and is one of London’s most famous period buildings, located minutes from the dedicated lanes for Olympic athletes and VIPs, and it is symbolically decorated with Olympic Torch-like flambeaux.

“We understand the need for both high-quality facilities along with flexibility when it comes to providing the very best, bespoke service.  We all very much look forward to welcoming Slovak House and providing an impressive, memorable and successful stay.”

For Dr Jan Telensky, the Olympic Attaché of the Slovak Team, the need for high-quality facilities to support its team, as well as an attractive space to entertain guests, underpinned the decision to base itself at the IoD.

“The IoD’s head office will have a significant part to play for us during the London 2012 Olympics and its unique location in the heart of Central London with its access to the lovely garden at the back will make everyone’s experience unforgettable,” said Dr Telensky.

“Slovak House aims to deliver the best possible environment for our athletes and guests.  We were very impressed, not only by the glorious surroundings of 116 Pall Mall, but also by the help and expertise offered by dedicated members of staff who seem very attuned to our needs. So far, we have only had the best possible feedback from our sponsors who have visited the venue.”

“This will be a space that we will be proud to occupy and it will undoubtedly help to promote the brand of Slovakia and enhance the experience of competing at London 2012 for our team.”

In addition to national Olympic committees, London businesses and other organisations not directly involved in the Olympics are also showing interest in the IoD’s head office similarly attracted, it appears, by the quality of the facilities and the flexibility that the organisation can afford them.

Please contact:
Gerry Vincent
Leader Communications
Tel. +44 (0)1564 796219
Mob. + 44 (0) 7879 600788
Email: gerry.vincent@leader.co.uk

ENDS

Contact Points

Edwin Morgan
Media Relations Manager
Institute of Directors, 116 Pall Mall, London SW1Y 5ED
Tel: +44 (0)20 7451 3392
Mob: +44 (0)7814 386 243
Email: edwin.morgan@iod.com
Website: www.iod.com/policy

Notes to editors

  • The IoD (Institute of Directors) was founded in 1903 and obtained a Royal Charter in 1906. The IoD is a non-party political organisation with upwards of 45,000 members in the United Kingdom and overseas. Membership includes directors from right across the business spectrum – from media to manufacturing, e-business to the public and voluntary sectors. Members include CEOs of large corporations as well as entrepreneurial directors of start-up companies.
  • The IoD offers a wide range of business services which include business centre facilities (including ten UK regional centres [three in London, Reading, Birmingham, Cardiff, Manchester, Nottingham, Edinburgh and Belfast] and one each in Paris and Brussels), conferences, networking events, virtual offices and hotdesking, issues-led guides and literature, as well as free access to business information and advisory services and a comprehensive Information Centre. The IoD places great emphasis on director development and has established a certified qualification for directors – Chartered Director – as well as running specific board-level and director-level training and individual career mentoring programmes.
  • In addition, the IoD provides an effective voice to represent the interests of its members to government and key opinion-formers at the highest levels. These include ministers, constituency MPs, Select Committee members and senior civil servants. IoD policies and views are actively promoted to the national, regional and trade media.
  • For further information, visit our website: www.iod.com
  • You can also keep up to date with the latest views from the IoD on twitter.com/The_IoD and at blogs.iod.com