London Latest - Mayor at World Cup; Oscar Winner for Opening Ceremony

Mayor Johnson’s World Cup Lessons

London Mayor Boris Johnson will make a key speech promoting the 2012 Olympics in Cape Town on Friday, as part of his five-day fact-finding mission to South Africa to take tips from World Cup organizers.

Johnson will talk up the benefits of London 2012 at a UK Trade and Investment international business breakfast event.

Later Friday, Johnson will meet with Helen Zille, Premier of the Western Cape and Dan Plato, Mayor of Cape Town, to discuss best practice ideas in preparing for a large-scale sporting event.

"With the eyes of the world on South Africa it is the best place to be to sell the capital and lobby for further investment," he said.

"And as London prepares to host the 2012 Games, it is also a fantastic opportunity to learn from South Africa’s experience of hosting major, world class events."

He said he was interested in learning how Cape Town prepared for its World Cup host city role. Johnson and his delegation will also learn lessons about security, crowd control and ticketing.

Johnson, who landed in South Africa yesterday, is also lending his support to the England 2018 World Cup bid.

"If you want to have a great World Cup you host it in a great world city. We are passionate about football in London. We want the chance to use football to bring our society together," he was quoted by the U.K.’s Press Association.

"I'm here representing our city as the jewel in the crown of the England bid - a fantastic place with the best football venues on earth, a world city that can host a great World Cup."

On Friday, Johnson will join Prince William, president of the Football Association, and Prince Harry to cheer on the England team in their match against Algeria at Cape Town's Green Point Stadium.

On Saturday Johnson will attend an England World Cup bid reception hosted by Princes William and Harry. During his trip, he will also find time to meet with FIFA officials, sponsors and South African politicians.

On his arrival in Cape Town Wednesday, Johnson was pictured giving a blast on a vuvuzela, the plastic trumpet that has sparked so much debate at the World Cup. Broadcasters have started to filter out constant buzz of vuvuzelas during coverage of the opening round of group games following complaints by T.V. viewers that the din is ruining their enjoyment of the tournament.

Johnson insisted the vuvuzela had many attractions but ruled out introducing them for the 2012 Games.

"It's a great way of expressing yourself in a loud, vehement, parping kind of way," he told PA. "I wonder whether collectively it doesn't actually detract from the game. It just produces a slightly monotone whine doesn't it? And I think maybe that's not the effect we're going to want to see in 2012."

Oscar Winners Leading Opening Ceremony Production Team

LOCOG says Oscar winners Danny Boyle and Stephen Daldry will serve as directors of the London Opening Ceremony. Boyle will serve as artistic director and Daldry as executive producer, creative.

The film directors will be joined by Mark Fisher, Hamish Hamilton, and Catherine Ugwu, who are serving as executive producers.

Danny Boyle said: "I’m honored to have been invited to be the Artistic Director for the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games. It’s a completely unique opportunity to contribute to what I’msure are going to be a fantastic Games, I’m really excited to be involved."

Greenpeace Raises Concerns for BP Olympic Sponsorship

According to a report in Marketing Week, Greenpeace climate campaigner Ben Ayliffe said LOCOG needs to "think carefully" about BP’s sponsorship of the Games.

LOCOG, he warns, needs to consider the "shadow that it will cast over their brand" to be associated with the oil company.

BP is a tier one sponsor for LOCOG.

Good Progress on 2012 Media Center

The concrete structure of the Main Press Centre that will cater to 5,600 journalists is now complete.

The Olympic Delivery Authority said Wednesday that the project was on schedule to be completely finished in summer 2011. A number of windows are already in place on three sides.

Facilities available in the MPC during Games time will include a press work room with around 800 workstations and more than 150 private office spaces for agencies and news organizations from around the world.

ODA Chairman John Armitt said: "This is the first time press andbroadcasters will be based in the same area and marks a significant effort to make the best use of space within the Olympic Park. The buildings are designed to be converted into business facilities after the Games to serve the community for years to come."

The entire 2012 main media complex will serve over 20,000 reporters, photographers, broadcasters and support staff across more than 860000 square feet. A catering village will dish out 50,000 meals each day and a 656 feet high street will have a hairdressing salon, post office, general store, bank, ATMs and a bar.

There will also be a temporary main press conference room between the IBC and MPC that will cater for up to 700 journalists at a time. Post-Games the facilities will be converted into much-needed business space in the London borough of Hackney.

The LOCOG press operations team will move into the MPC full-time more than seven months before the Games open. The MPC will be open to the media from June 27 to Aug. 17 and then Aug. 22 to Sept. 12 for the Paralympic Games.

Green Light for ExCeL for 2012

The London borough of Newham has rubberstamped plans to turn the ExCeL exhibition center into a hub of temporary venues for the 2012 Games.

Planning permission was granted for temporary structures to be built on the ExCeL site which includes security fencing, spectator access, security and broadcast compounds. The Pontoon Dock site will be a broadcast center.

At Games-time ExCeL will be transformed into five separate temporary arenas hosting seven Olympic sports, followed by six Paralympic sports a few weeks later.

Tickets on Sale for Olympic Ball

Tickets are on sale for the British Olympic Ball, a fundraiser intended to support current and budding Olympic athletes organized by the British Olympic Association.

The BOA said demand for the Sept. 24 event was high and the 1,100 tickets were expected to sell out quickly.

The ball, taking place in The Great Room at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London, will be attended by a host of current and future stars of Team GB, alongside over 50 Olympic legends. Major celebrities from the worlds of sport, fashion and entertainment are also attending.

Written by Mark Bisson and Ed Hula III.