London 2012: Warming up for the Olympics

whole?

Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre (SCEC) was a host venue for
Sydney 2000, and director of marketing and sales Amanda Anker has fond
memories of the opportunities the event afforded the city. "Hosting the
Games bolstered Sydney's international image," she says. "It gave us a
unique opportunity to show millions of people worldwide that Sydney is
beautiful, and above all that our events industry is extremely
professional. Our role as host city helped us secure many international
meetings both before and after the year 2000. No doubt London will see
the same impact."

Anker's prediction could well be correct, and many of the Olympic venues
in the UK are indeed adopting a positive attitude. Wembley Stadium will
host the Games' football events within the newly refurbished arena, and
Wembley director of sales and marketing Peter Tudor is clearly relishing
the prospect for the entire capital. "We are already world leaders in
event organisation, planning and logistics, with internationally
acclaimed venues and facilities," he says. "Now we have a unique
opportunity to mark out that territory in front of the whole world. It's
up to each of us to grab it and make the 2012 Games a showcase for
everything that's best about our industry."

Another positive factor of hosting the Games is the legacy it will leave
behind, inevitably boosting UK tourism. Excel London chief executive
Jamie Buchan comments that Sydney saw a major growth in international
conferences and exhibitions before and after the Games, greatly
enhancing its business profile.

This opinion is shared across the events industry, with those in the
tourism sector also awaiting the boost such an event will bring to the
UK. Visit London commercial director David Hornby says: "For the past
two-and-a-half years, and for the first time in ten years, London has
started to earn back its world share of tourism, so we're on the up, and
I think it will only benefit tourism as a whole. I think the Olympics
will relaunch London and put it in the world's eye."

However, not everyone thinks the benefits will come quite so easily.

Moving Venue Management managing director Richard Beggs warns that
tourism will only be boosted if London delivers the greatest-ever Games.
"As long as we achieve that, tourism will see a huge surge after the
Olympics," he says. "Having beach volleyball on Horseguards Parade in
Whitehall will show a contemporary sport in a very traditional,
architecturally beautiful environment, inspiring tourists to come
here."

The Olympics will not only mean good business for the UK but the
investment in the capital's infrastructure will leave a legacy long
after the Games has finished. The regeneration of a number of areas,
including the East End, and improved transport links, will benefit not
just the visiting masses but also those who live in the area. Visit
London's Hornby describes the regeneration as creating a "city within a
city".

Royal Horticultural Halls managing director Rene Dee emphasises that the
regeneration of the East End and the refurbishment of other facilities,
including Wembley and The O2 (formerly The Dome), have to be sustained
after the Olympics to ensure that London is portrayed as a world-leading
host city for events in the future.

SCEC's Anker found the changes to Sydney prior to 2000 produced
invaluable benefits. "The Olympics presents a fantastic opportunity to
upgrade a city's infrastructure and iron out any problems that may
otherwise be put in the 'too hard' basket," she says. "In Sydney we now
reap the benefits of a wide range of work undertaken prior to the
Olympics, including improvements to our public transport system, the
opening of some magnificent hotels and the beautification of many public
areas."

The main UK Olympic Park will be in Stratford, east London, with
international transport links via the Eurostar due to open in 2007.
Fencing, hockey, swimming and cycling will all be based at the Olympic
park, and it is hoped that the Aquatic Centre, which is due to open in
three years' time, will sustain public interest in the park during the
next seven years.

The newly refurbished 90,000-seat Wembley Stadium, scheduled to host the
FA Cup final next year, is the venue for the Olympic men's and women's
football finals. "Wembley Stadium has shown the benefits of putting
sporting venues at the heart of regeneration and we look forward to
Stratford's transformation," says Wembley National Stadium Limited chief
executive Michael Cunnah. "It's a boost to sport in this country and we
are honoured to be involved."

Another essential venue is Excel, which will host boxing, judo, tae kwon
do, weightlifting and wrestling. It will provide seated arenas with
capacities from 6-10,000 and is currently finalising plans for the
development of the 25-acre site at the east end of its campus.

Greenwich Park, Regents Park, Hyde Park and the Horseguards Parade will
also host sporting events, ranging from beachball and volleyball to
cycling.

The Royal Parks will remain fairly untouched during the Olympics and
will only have electrical, water and drainage improvements in time for
the Games.

The O2 is set to be transformed in partnership with Anschutz
Entertainment Group (AEG) and mobile services giant O2, and will re-open
in 2007. The venue will host the gymnastics and basketball events. "By
2012 The O2 will be part of the fabric of London life and will have
hosted many major music and sporting events, including the World
Gymnastic Championships in 2009," says AEG chief executive David
Campbell. "Bringing the Olympics to the capital will result in major
regeneration of the extended east London area and we are honoured to be
given the opportunity to host events."

The main point drummed home to the IOC from the London 2012 bid team was
the positive influence the Games will have on London's young people.

"There's no doubt the Olympics can be an inspiration to young people and
that was in the main presentation shown in Singapore, and it's something
we want to encourage." says a Department for Culture, Media and Sport
spokesperson. Visit London's Hornby adds that the youth theme stood out
from other bids as it focused on a theme, rather than concentrating on
the venues.

Another impact that will benefit London's young people will be the boost
in jobs, especially within the hospitality, tourism, manufacturing,
retailing, sports, logistics, transport and marketing industries. "Tens
of thousands of people will be volunteering and working on the Games,"
says Hornby.

"Small and medium-sized companies will benefit, marketing will benefit,
in fact every business in the East End of London will benefit in some
way because of the Olympic Games."

Since the win the London 2012 bid team, which worked closely with agency
Live on the project, has been renamed the London Organising Committee
for the Olympic Games as the preparation stage begins. Sebastian Coe
remains chairman and Keith Mills, previously chief executive of the bid
team, will become deputy chairman.

"We have moved into a different phase delivering a complex multi-faceted
project," says Coe. "But our plans are about more than just bricks and
mortar or financial packages. We set out a vision in Singapore and we
are now calling on all relevant agencies in the UK to work with us to
deliver it. This is about inspiring more young people to become involved
in sport and giving the young athletes of the future the help they need
to become champions."

The Olympic Bill, which was passed on 15 July, will establish the
Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA), a body responsible for co-ordinating
infrastructure projects, transport and delivery of Games venues. In the
meantime, the London Development Agency will push forward the project
until the ODA is established.

On the subject of security, in the wake of the terror attacks in London
on 7 July Coe stressed security is tight. The Government will create a
cabinet-level Olympic Security Committee to be chaired by the Home
Secretary, £25m has been set aside for in-venue security and
£200m has been allocated out of the overall £2.38bn
public-funding package to cover wider security costs.

The 2012 Olympics will probably be here before we know it, but it seems
that the lasting impressions it makes on London and the UK as a whole
will benefit us all for years to follow.

VENUES FACT FILE

THE OLYMPIC PARK STRATFORD, LONDON
Capacity: Olympic Stadium - 80,000 Aquatics centre - 20,000, (15,000 +
5,000 secondary arena Hockey Centre), Velopark - 6,000
Events: Swimming, synchronised swimming, diving, water polo, fencing,
volleyball, basketball, hockey, modern pentathlon, handball, cycling and
athletics

BROXBOURNE HERTFORDSHIRE
Capacity: 12,000
Events: Canoe, Kayaking

ETON DORNEY WINDSOR CASTLE
Capacity: 20,000
Events: Canoeing, kayak flatwater and rowing

EXCEL DOCKLANDS, LONDON
Capacity: 6,000-10,000
Events: Boxing, table tennis, judo, tae kwon do, wrestling and
weightlifting

GREENWICH ARENA GREENWICH, LONDON
Capacity: 6,000
Events: Badminton and rhythmic gymnastic events

GREENWICH PARK GREENWICH, LONDON
Capacity: 23,000
Events: Equestrian and modern pentathlon events

HAMPDEN PARK GLASGOW
Capacity: 52,000
Events: Football

HORSEGUARDS PARADE WHITEHALL, LONDON
Capacity: 15,000
Events: Beach volleyball

HYDE PARK LONDON
Capacity: 3,000 plus many thousands more spectators watching the event
throughout the park
Events: Triathlon

LORD'S CRICKET GROUND ST JOHN'S WOOD, LONDON
Capacity: 6,500
Events: Archery

MILLENNIUM STADIUM CARDIFF
Capacity: 74,600
Events: Football

OLD TRAFFORD MANCHESTER
Capacity: 75,000
Events: Football

REGENT'S PARK LONDON
Capacity: 3,000 + more on course
Events: Cycling

ROYAL ARTILLERY BARRACKS WOOLWICH, LONDON
Capacity: 7,500
Events: Shooting

ST JAMES' PARK NEWCASTLE
Capacity: 52,000
Events: Football

THE 02 GREENWICH, LONDON
Capacity: 20,000 seats
Events: Gymnastics and basketball

VILLA PARK BIRMINGHAM
Capacity: 42,000 spectators
Events: Football

WEALD COUNTRY PARK ESSEX
Capacity: 3,000 + more on course
Events: Mountain biking

WEMBLEY LONDON
Capacity: 90,000
Events: Football

WEYMOUTH AND PORTLAND OSPREY QUAY ON THE SOUTH COAST
Capacity: 240
Events: Sailing events

WIMBLEDON LONDON
Capacity: 30,000
Events: Tennis