Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What are the benefits of entering my event details in The Culture Diary?

A. Benefits can include:

• informing London's public services of what’s coming up, as early as possible, to enable them to plan resources to keep the city functioning in an already busy period.
• associated London 2012 marketing campaigns to local, national and international markets (including a 2012 listings diary).
• engagement in other major events in 2012 including the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.
• clearer planning for 2012, including new marketing and artistic collaborations, the identification of suitable dates and promoter partnerships.

By listing your event in The Culture Diary, you have the potential to be included in marketing campaigns that will be led by the GLA and Visit London in 2012.

Q. Does this mean I will now be automatically included in the Cultural Olympiad?

A. Submitting your information to the diary does not automatically qualify you to any promotional activity for 2012 and does not mean that you are part of the London 2012 festival or related programmes.

Q. I already have the Inspire Mark and am included in Cultural Olympiad promotional activity - do I still need to enter information in the diary?

A. Yes! If you are planning an event for 2012, you need to enter it into the Culture Diary. Nothing will be entered automatically.

Q. Is this only for cultural events associated with the Olympics and Paralympics or for cultural events that aren't part of the official 2012 Cultural Olympiad Games programme?

A. No. 2012 will be a busy year so we want to make sure that all events, festivals and cultural activities are listed to create a complete overview of the full range of activities in the city in 2012.

The Culture Diary is a way of making sure that audiences can access the full range of activities safely and that events can be accommodated so that they will be delivered successfully. Obviously, the busiest time of year will be the summer period around Games time and also the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, but the diary is for all cultural events from 1 January 2012 all the way through the year.

Q. Is my information confidential? Who will see my event information?

A. Relevant information in the diary will be shared with the Boroughs, blue light services, GLA and other key public service providers to ensure effective planning for public transport, road closures and health & safety.

Where indicated, some information will only be used for internal purposes at the GLA and within the GLA family (including artistic content, sponsors, marketing and logistics). Basic information about the event will be displayed as part of the search functionality of the diary.

Q. How will my event information be used?

A. We plan to use this information a number of ways, including (but not limited to):

1. by the GLA, Boroughs, and key public services, to monitor the level and type of activity being planned in London in 2012.
2. creating a listings diary of all the cultural activity taking place in London during 2012. This will give a platform for visibility in what will be a very busy year, as well as highlighting the range and diversity of the cultural offer in London.
3. by the GLA Culture and Events team in planning, programming and delivering events for 2012.
4. by the GLA and Visit London Marketing teams for promotional purposes
5. by LOCOG to monitor activity being planned across the city that relates to the Olympic and Paralympic Games and to support promotional activity.

Q. By entering my events into The Culture Diary does this mean I no longer need to get the normal event approvals and licences? Is this a shortcut to delivering an event in 2012?

A. No!.

Entering your event in the Culture Diary does not constitute approval and you should therefore absolutely ensure that you continue to plan your event in the normal way and follow the regular process for event approvals. We do not have the capability or resource to aid events with permissions and licensing.

Q. I'm not the Tate Modern - is my event too small to be included?

A. Absolutely not! The Culture Diary is inclusive of all activities & events, of all scales, for individuals or organisations, whether commercial, subsidised or voluntary, from across the diverse cultural sectors and industries. If you are planning an event in 2012, we want to hear from you regardless of the nature and scale of your event.

Q. I've not confirmed my event(s) details yet, what should I do?

A. 

2012 will be an extraordinary year with a huge increase of activity planned across London. The sooner your event(s) are confirmed, the sooner they can be available for promotion and only events which are confirmed will be considered for inclusion in promotional activities so don’t miss out!

The final deadline for confirming and amending your events is 31 March 2012.

Q. How can I add new events?

A. Currently the option to add new events in disabled to monitor the number of existing events on The Culture Diary however this will re-open in the New Year and we will communicate how and when you can do this in January 2012.

Q. Why do I need to enter my events by the 31 March 2012?

The Culture Diary is a leading channel to help plan, programme and publicise your event(s) to Londoners and visitors for 2012. To be able to use The Culture Diary, you must register and include as much information as possible. You have until the 31 March 2012 to update the information, after which no new details can be added.

This date is fixed to enable Boroughs and London's other public service providers to plan and coordinate across all the events and activities in 2012.

Q. My information is showing twice - should I delete my entry?

A. Please let us know and we will ensure that the duplication is resolved. Our contact details are below.

Q. What web browser do I need to use this site?

• Microsoft Internet Explorer version 6 and higher
• Mozilla Firefox version 3 and higher
• Google Chrome version 5 and higher
• Apple Safari version 3.1 and higher
• Opera version 9 and higher

Q. The site isn't working - who can I contact?

A. Please contact us at theculturediary@london.gov.uk and we will look into this right away.