 Location-based platform Foursquare -- which recently announced a slew of merchant tools -- is ready to take London by storm. Though Foursquare was hindered from doing some things because of its partnership with American Express (the Olympics, as Morgan Freeman tells us, are proudly sponsored by Visa), the service will definitely have a presence on the ground. "We have seen some more drastic growth in the UK, but it's hard to say what it is attributed to," says Omid Ashtari, Foursquare's director of business development for European markets. "We have had a great AmEx launch, some strategic partnerships and the redesign in the last few weeks, so there are many factors." That's thanks in part to Ashtari's work developing partnerships in Europe that are akin to Foursquare's early success with Starbucks and Bravo. These deals bolstered the startup's growth and made people realize that Foursquare isn't just a game-driven, badge-unlocking product; there's actually a lot of content and even some specials. "We really want to replicate the success that we had over in Europe," Ashtari says, especially in the UK, which is one of Foursquare's biggest markets. Ashtari has been speaking with retailers, publishers, broadcasters and sports teams to establish partnerships and get them on board with Foursquare, which is building out a team for further European business development. The Olympics are definitely one way of marketing Foursquare. Mashable spoke with Ashtari about the company's plans for London 2012. Below, we also highlight a few specials you might want to take advantage of, if you happen to be on Londontown. London 2012 Efforts If you've downloaded the official London 2012 app (from London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, or LOCOG), all of your social check-ins will run through Foursquare, as LOGOC claimed all venues where Olympic events are happening. London 2012 also has a page on Foursquare that offers tips on where to go, what to see where, how to get around and historical tips, so you can learn something new while you're on the go. Even before the Games began, London 2012 ran a contest that enabled people to unlock the Olympic Torch Relay Badge. The Olympic Torch Relay has 700 legs of 10 miles each throughout the UK, so each endpoint was claimed as a venue on Foursquare. That way, people could check in and unlock the badge. "A lof of people are standing there, watching the torch come by, and by unlocking the badge, they show a level of engagement," says Ashtari. IOC Efforts Meanwhile, the IOC has its own Foursquare page, which includes tips from athletes from all over the world, in addition to tips about getting exercise, whether it's a great running track in Los Angeles or a weightlifting center in Berlin. Like London 2012, the IOC also has its own badge. Launched one month prior to the Games, the IOC's Get Fit For Olympics program encouraged people to get fit and work out for the Olympics. If users follow the IOC on Foursquare and check in to two places where one could engage in sports -- running tracks, swimming pools, gym halls, etc. -- they'd unlock the badge. Once they unlocked the badge, there's a link that lets users enter to win tickets to the Olympics. "I think we were the only platform the IOC gave tickets away on," says Ashtari. "The story works really well -- for Foursquare, you actually have to get out there and go to the place, which means there's a level of activity, which gels well with the mission of the Olympics -- they want you be active," he explains. London Venues Of course, the IOC and LOCOG aren't the only ones getting in on the Foursquare action. A Westfield shopping mall in Stratford has been in talks with Foursquare, and used the new local updates to promote its #IWasThere photo booth (see above). And some municipalities near the Olympic Park -- anticipating millions more people in the vicinity -- reached out to Foursquare to learn more about the platform, in hopes of increasing footfall in the area. "They want to know how to get a leg up," says Ashtari. So if you're wandering about London and not sure where to go, you can turn to some British publishers on Foursquare. The Guardian, The Telegraph and Time Out London syndicated their web content onto Foursquare, tagging it to relevant locations. "You can trust our Explore algorithm and the tips from our publishers," says Ashtari. Need to pick up some threads or grab a bite to eat? Smaller businesses have gotten in on the Foursquare action. In addition to statement credits through American Express, here are some local specials that might be of interest: Bea's of Bloomsbury: Free cupcake for the mayor. Yumchaa: Get a free slice of lemon drizzle cake with the purchase of an iced tea or frozen blended iced tea. Jamie's Italian: Celebrate the launch of Jamie Oliver's fantastic spring/summer menu with a complimentary glass of prosecco. Crepeaffaire: Get 15% off a sweet or savoury crepe with every check-in. Walkabout: Classic burger and a pint of Carling for £6.40 with every check-in. Debenhams: Check into Debenhams Oxford Street on a Friday and get a free coffee. Plus, the mayor is entitled to free coffee in the Debenhams Cafe. Clink Prison Museum: HISTORY Channel offers two-for-one entry to The Clink Museum. And if you're worried about your Foursquare check-ins eating up your data plan, don't fret -- Central London is outfitted with free Wi-Fi during the Olympic Games. | 
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