The UK has to emulate Australia when it comes to winning sports-related business contracts, says the man behind the London 2012 Olympic Games infrastructure programme.
Sir John Armitt has overseen thousands of Games-related contracts, worth billions of pounds, since he took the helm at the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) five years ago.
During that time, the ODA has overseen the delivery of everything from the building of sporting arenas and other infrastructure to the ordering of plastic cups and fire shutters.
Now, as the preparations for the Olympics enter their final lap, Sir John is looking to ensure the event acts as a catalyst for companies to win similar sports-related contracts in future.
'Longer-lasting benefits'"The UK and its firms has a couple of years to really capitalise on the expertise and experience gained from being involved in this summer's Games," Sir John told the BBC News website.
"But there are longer-lasting benefits - you can still see how Australian firms are winning sports-related contracts because the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney was seen as a good one.
"Clearly the opportunities now exist for us, but we need to match the Australians and make sure they don't dominate."
Sir John is now heading up the British Business Club, a new sports business networking organisation backed by UK Trade & Investment (UKTI).
It will be active for the duration of the Olympic and Paralympic Games and beyond, and is also open to overseas firms as well as UK ones.
"It is a powerful business networking tool for both British and international firms," says Sir John.
"By allowing companies to build their networks and connect with business partners worldwide, it will increase their opportunities to meet and engage with potential partners during the London 2012 Games."
Rio contactSir John said UK firms were particularly well placed to win sports contracts in the Middle East, India and South East Asia.
“Start Quote
End Quote Sir John ArmittBritish companies now have precious experience that they can use to win business at home and abroad”
But he said challenges still remained in Africa and South America, although London 2012 had been building good contacts with the organisers of the 2016 Rio Games.
"There have been a lot of meetings and conversations, and UK firms are doing a lot of the Rio masterplanning," he said.
"Having done something successful here should provide extra leverage for UK firms."
According to Sir John, some 98% of the facilities for the Olympics have been built by UK firms. That is almost £6bn worth of business, or 1,500 contracts, awarded by the ODA to home-based companies.
In total, more than 75,000 firms are expected to have win work related to London 2012.
Now they will be looking to win similar work in the coming decade.
As well as the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and Winter Olympics in Sochi, both in 2014, there are a number of other big events looming on the global sporting calendar.
They include a number of UK-based events, including the Rugby League World Cup in 2013, Rugby Union World Cup in 2015, the Ryder Cup in 2014 and the Cricket World Cup.
Major overseas events include the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil, as well as the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang.
"British companies now have precious experience that they can use to win business at home and abroad," added Sir John.
"They are already doing so in Sochi and Brazil. Further ahead, there are fresh opportunities in Korea and Qatar," he says, referring to the latter's seemingly insatiable appetite for hosting major sporting events.
Joining UKTI in launching the initiative are London & Partners, London Business Network and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
It is hoped the venture will be particularly useful for small and medium-sized enterprises.
Club members can network free of charge with thousands of other businesses "to showcase their expertise and know-how" by creating an online profile.
The website will also provide access to one-to-one meetings, networking events across the UK and free temporary membership of the Institute of Directors in London for the duration of the Games.
Mr Armitt hit the headlines recently when he called for "urgent action to ensure that marketing restrictions applying to London 2012 suppliers are relaxed as soon as possible" after the Games.
He made the point after small and medium-sized firms said they were not allowed to publicise their success, because the event's organisers (Locog) feared it could upset the big-name official sponsors.
"We are seeking post-Games relief for firms from these constraints and are in discussions to see that can be done after the Olympics," said Sir John.
'Feel-good'There has been a glut of analysis from, among others, Lloyds, Goldman Sachs and the government, all trying to size up the exact economic benefit that the UK can expect from holding the games.
Last week, Prime Minister David Cameron said hosting the Games would be worth £13bn to the UK economy over the next four years.
"The 'value' can only be the one that makes people feel good - the Olympic Games will help the feel-good factor," says Sir John.
"But if you are a government that has just spent £9bn on the games, it is unacceptable to spend £9bn on just a six-week party.
"Of course, there are social and sporting legacy benefits from the Games - but you want to feel sure there is a business benefit.
"But you will never know the scale of those business benefits."
He said no-one could predict if the global economic situation would change dramatically over the next four or five years.
"It will be a brave man that says 15% of economic growth was because of this factor, and 20% because of this factor.
"The main question is - have we, because of the Games, increased GDP, got people into work and put the UK economy in a better position?
"Intuitively I know these things are going to happen. For me, that is enough. I am not myself concerned about trying to find out whatever percentage was created by the Games."
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
London Assembly says Olympic organisers should consider ethical, environmental and human rights records of sponsors - The Independent
The London Assembly today passed a motion criticising the International Olympic Committee’s selection of Dow Chemical Company as a worldwide partner, in a deal said to be worth $100m over 10 years.
The Assembly said that the decision to do business with Dow, which is the 100 per cent shareholder of Union Carbide Corporation (UCC), whose Indian subsidiary was responsible for the world’s worst ever industrial disaster in Bhopal, had damaged the reputation of London 2012.
The London Organising Committee of the Olympics and Paralympics Games (Locog) was also criticised today for doing a ‘local deal’ with Dow, to provide decorative wrap for the main stadium which was described by one assembly member as a an “architectural nicety, but totally unnecessary.”
Dow, which denies that it has any responsibility for the Bhopal disaster or outstanding contamination of water and soil in the Indian city, bought UCC in 2001 – 17 years after the gas disaster claimed as many as 25,000 lives.
Several members of the London Assembly said Dow could not absolve legal or moral responsibilities with regards to Bhopal.
Darren Johnson, Green Party member, said: “Dow was not involved at the time and did not own the Union Carbide plant at the time. But it now owns the company wholly, including those subsidiaries involved the water contamination today, and so it cannot absolve those liabilities because of a take-over a deal.”
Labour’s Navin Shah, who proposed the motion, said: “The issues around Dow’s on-going court cases are complex but they are on-going and very real. The Olympics have become a big business, and money talks in the end. The IOC remains a faceless and shameless organisation, colluding with organisation involved in environmental and human rights abuses.”
Tory member Andrew Boff, whose Party members opposed the motion, accused his Assembly colleagues of relying on media reports rather than the facts. “The idea that Dow Chemicals has a responsibility for the tragedy does not meet the test for natural justice,” said Boff.
Concerns about other major sponsors and Olympic partner such as McDonalds, criticised on the basis of the obesity epidemic, were also raised during the debate. The world biggest McDonalds has been built in the London Olympic park.
Mr Shah said it was too late for London but that the IOC should act for future Games and “[have] criteria for partners that conform to their own priorities and keep out the likes of Dow Chemicals.”
Lib Dem Stephen Knight said the IOC was good at protecting the commercial brand of the Olympics, but not the ethical brand - which should be kept “sacrosanct”.
The following motion was passed with a majority of 16 to seven:
“This Assembly believes that the decision of the IOC to select Dow as a Worldwide Partner has caused damage to the reputation of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. This Assembly feels the IOC and national organising committees should consider the environmental, social, ethical, and human rights records of companies when awarding high-profile partnership and sponsorship deals.
The Assembly calls on Locog recommend that the IOC introduces criteria for the selection of worldwide partners and high profile sponsors for future Games that address the principles defined in their Olympic Charter, and that the IOC review their current partnership with Dow in light of those criteria.”
An IOC spokeswoman said: “The IOC only enters into agreements with organisations that it believes work in accordance with the values of the Olympic Movement as set forth in the Olympic Charter.
“Dow is a global leader in its field of business and is committed to good corporate citizenship, and had supported the Olympic Movement for over 30 years.”
A Dow spokesperson said: A Dow spokesperson commented that “misinformed and misdirected allegations and actions” were influencing decisions-makers and that it remains “fully committed” to its partnership with the IOC and the London 2012 Games.
Locog said Dow’s bid for the stadium wrap met its sustainability criteria “by some distance” and the bid “process has been independently validated by the Commission for a Sustainable London 2012.”
Source: www.independent.co.uk
The long arm of the squark: Police called out to deal with swearing PARROT after neighbours complain - Daily Mail
By Tammy Hughes
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Disturbance: Peppe the parrot was so vocal that police officers turned up to investigate a noise complaint
Police were called out to deal with a swearing parrot after a neighbour complained about the noise.
Pepe, a Yellow-Headed Amazon, used to live in a cab firm office and continues to screech out taxi bookings on a regular basis as well as some 'industrial language'.
One long-suffering neighbour even called the police to complain about the noise.
But officers were more than a little taken aback when they turned up to address in Govan, Glasgow, only to be confronted by Pepe.
A local officer tweeting for Strathclyde Police’s Govan Twitter account wrote: 'Noise complaint report, culprit turned out to be a parrot that used to live in a taxi office, shouting things like "Taxi for Govan road!"
'I’m glad to say it’s no wind up, you see all sorts in this line of work. My favourite call this week though.'
His embarrassed owner John McAlinden a retired shipyard worker said: 'He mainly shouts out bookings, like "taxi for Govan" and "taxi for Lidl". He also says things like "car one", "car two" and "10-4".
'Occasionally we get the odd shout for a "car for Paisley". It’s hilarious.
'I was very surprised at first because I was told he didn’t speak much. But sometimes it’s like living in a cab office. He also uses a fair bit of industrial language, which is a bit near the knuckle.
'I think he may have become stressed by his move but I’m now giving him some drops to try to calm him down.'
Taxi! Peppe used to live in a cab firm office and still shouts out related phrases as well as some 'industrial language
Feathered friend: Owner John McAlinden given the parrot as a companion but didn't bank on any police involvement
A friend of the family gave Pepe to John, who suffers from diabetes and has liver and kidney problems, 'to keep him company'.
The parrot is the latest addition to John’s small menagerie of two budgies and a dwarf macaw.
John admitted: 'He’s a bit of a handful and I’m sorry if he’s caused any upset to my neighbours. Hopefully he’s learned his lesson and will settle down a bit.'
The face of innocence: Strathclyde police officers were highly amused when they turned up to the flat only to find a noisy bird
Write caption here
Scots police were called in to investigate last Thursday when a neighbour made a complaint about anti-social behaviour.
A Strathclyde police spokeswoman said: 'We were contacted on Thursday July 5th by a member of the public who had made a complaint about noise.
'Officers attended and it was quickly ascertained that the culprit was indeed a parrot.
'The owner was given advice and no further action was taken.'
Bird-brained: Pepe will routinely screech phrases such as 'taxi for Govan and taxi for Lidl
John’s daughter Simone, 26, said: 'Dad’s a bit embarrassed about it and we’re hoping that the drops Pepe is taking are going to make him a bit more chilled out.
'He’s very cheeky and he will come out with the odd bit of bad language out of the blue.
'Hopefully he’ll quieten down when he gets used to his new surroundings.'
Source: www.dailymail.co.uk
Gary Barlow donates 'Jubilee shoes' to Horder Centre - BBC News
Take That singer Gary Barlow has given shoes that were designed for him for the Queen's Jubilee to a orthopaedic charity to put up for auction.
The Horder Centre is raising funds to create new woodland trails around its grounds in Crowborough, Sussex.
The signed shoes were specially made for the singer-songwriter and have the union jack and lyrics of Sing, the Jubilee song, inscribed on the sole.
A number of other celebrities have also donated shoes to the charity.
They include DJ Norman Cook, tennis player Ana Ivanovic, Olympic ice skating gold medallist Jayne Torvill, ex-England and Bath rugby captain Lewis Moody, singer and TV presenter Kim Wilde and Dame Vera Lynn.
Mr Moody donated a pair of world cup rugby boots.
"Playing a physically demanding sport like rugby at the highest level for many years, I understand the importance of great medical care and what a difference it makes," he said.
"When I was asked to be part of this campaign it was an easy decision to make."
Gary Barlow recently received an OBE in recognition of his efforts in organising the Queen's Diamond Jubilee concert and his work on the commemorative song Sing.
During a three-hour concert outside Buckingham Palace, a host of stars including Barlow performed for the Queen and the concert was broadcast to millions of TV viewers worldwide.
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
London 2012 Olympics: McDonalds Is Watching You (and your chips) - Daily Telegraph Blogs
I can't quite believe this is real. At the Olympics, if you run a fish and chip stall, you're not allowed to serve chips on their own, because McDonald's are the Official Greasy Potato Snack of London 2012!
Apparently, McDonald's are so terrified of off-brand chips that they will only let you buy them as part of a British Heritage Ye Olde Fishe and Chippes package. Heaven forfend you should try to ask for just the chips. I dare say they'll get one of the Eastern European hammer-throwers to hurl you bodily from the venue.
I've put in a call to Locog in an attempt to find out whether this is some weird hoax, but it went to answerphone and that's the limit of my investigative journalism skills. If they get back to me I'll confirm it. But if it's real, and I think it is, then can we remember this as the moment that corporate sponsorship finally lost its mind? I nominate "sponsored the chips" as a modern-day replacement for "jumped the shark" or "nuked the fridge".
• Update: it's real, apparently. I am sighing a sigh of bone-weary disillusionment.
Hat-tip to Kash Farooq on Twitter.
Source: blogs.telegraph.co.uk
London 2012 Olympics: 16 days to go - live blog - The Guardian
Hello and welcome to today’s Olympics live blog. Coming up today:
• The Olympic torch will travel from Reading to Salisbury, via Basingstoke and Winchester. Send me your photos to paul.owen@guardian.co.uk or tweet me @paultowen.
Here is today’s news so far:
• The government and Olympic organisers are drawing up contingency plans to deal with the inclement British summer, following a series of meetings to predict the extent to which London 2012 could be adversely affected by the dismal weather, reports Owen Gibson.
• The British Olympic Association is facing a last-minute scramble to close a £2m funding gap just weeks ahead of the London Games, following slower than projected sales of its Team GB "supporters' scarves" and collectable medals, and has approached government to help broker a solution, reports Owen Gibson.
• Adam Gemili, the London teenager selected for the Olympics, provided another indication of his potential with a dominant heat-winning performance in the World Junior Championships 100m in Barcelona last night. The 18-year-old was able to qualify with something to spare, his 10.37sec the equal fastest time along with that of Tyreek Hill of the United States.
• World Taekwondo Federation secretary general Jean-Marie Ayer hopes the sport can move on towards an "unforgettable" Olympic Games after backing British Taekwondo's selection policy for Team GB. Despite successfully retaining his European title earlier this summer and being ranked number one in the world for the under-80kg division, Aaron Cook was overlooked in favour of Lutalo Muhammad. The WTF yesterday found that British Taekwondo correctly followed its selection procedure in choosing Muhammad.
• “I’ve done all the hard work and I know that in London I’ll have no regrets,” double gold-medal-winning British swimmer Rebecca Adlington tells Sachin Nakrani.
• In the fifth part of our series on Britain’s medal factories, Anna Kessel focuses on athletics.
• London 2012 is turning into a sponsored security show, but the Games could be opened up to turn the ideal into reality, argues Seumas Milne.
• Stonehenge was lit up early this morning with fire sculptures and candle-lit paths to mark the Olympics.
• The Australian Olympic Committee has finalised its 410-member team for the London Games, its smallest contingent in 20 years. Australia finished sixth in the overall medal tally at the previous games in Beijing.
• A Malaysian mining magnate has offered the country's Olympic badminton team a gold bar worth 2m ringgit (£405,000) if they can bring home a first gold medal from the London Games.
All this and more here throughout the day.
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
London Wasps sign winger James Bailey from Lyon - BBC News
London Wasps have signed winger James Bailey from French club Lyon, their second new recruit in 24 hours.
The 28-year-old former England Under-21 international previously played for London Irish, Gloucester and Bristol.
"I thoroughly enjoyed my time in France but I always knew that I wanted to return to the English game at some point," he said.
On Tuesday, Wasps announced the signing of Italy international Andrea Masi, 31, from Aironi.
And director of rugby Dai Young believes Bailey is another important piece in the jigsaw as he looks to build a successful side for next season.
"We've got a lot of talent in our back-three but we have been looking to add depth to our squad out wide for some time and James arrives with solid experience at this level," he said.
Bailey is the second former Lyon player to join the club this summer following the arrival of Welsh centre Lee Thomas.
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Exclusive: Beckham to snub Games as former England captain plans brief London stay - Daily Mail
By Sami Mokbel
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David Beckham is unlikely to stay in London for the entire Olympic Games as he focuses on LA Galaxy and Major League Soccer.
Beckham, 37, was a shock omission from Stuart Pearce's Team GB squad, despite playing a huge role in bringing the Olympics to Britain.
Snub: Beckham failed to make Stuart Pearce's 18-man squad for the Games
Lord Coe, chairman of the London Games organising committee, this week revealed he has held talks with Beckham regarding the possibility of the former Manchester United man being involved with the Games in some capacity, most likely in an ambassadorial role, though nothing has been confirmed at this point.
Beckham's Galaxy contract allows him to be part of London 2012.
However, after missing out on Pearce's squad, it is understood he now wants to play in the matches he would have missed for his club if he was named in Team GB.
Ambassadorial role: But Beckham plans only a short stay in London
Beckham doesn't want to disrupt Galaxy's MLS season and sources close to the player have indicated he could spend as little as a week in London before returning to America.
Galaxy have MLS clashes against FC Dallas, Seattle Sounders and Chivas USA during the Olympics and Beckham wants to be involved in those games.
Furthermore he has been called into an MLS All-Star team to face Chelsea on July 25 - two days before the opening ceremony. But Beckham may miss the friendly to take part in the Games build-up.
Source: www.dailymail.co.uk
US election: Mitt Romney to host £50,000 a head London fundraisers - Daily Telegraph
The 47 named co-hosts of his London events have been sworn to secrecy by the notoriously tight-lipped Romney campaign. They referred all enquiries to a spokesman, who refused to comment.
One senior lawyer slated to attend, who asked not to be named, told The Daily Telegraph he was supporting Mr Romney because of his "sound business acumen".
"He's a guy that can read a balance sheet, knows about creating jobs and really understands about deficits which are all very important things, as people here in the UK also understand," he said.
Guests are told on their invitations that they must bring copies of their US passports in order to prove that they are eligible under US election law to donate to the Romney campaign.
Thomas Grant, an American law academic teaching at Cambridge University who chairs the British branch of Republicans Abroad, is named as a co-chairman of the events, along with Dwight Poler, the European chief of Bain Capital, the private equity company Mr Romney once led.
Also due to attend is Prof Colleen Graffy, a former senior diplomat in George W Bush's administration, who prompted controversy in 2004 by describing the suicides of three inmates at the Guantanamo Bay prison camp as a "good PR move". She now teaches law in London.
Several London-based attorneys from Ropes & Gray, the law firm of Mr Romney's personal money manager Brad Malt, are also expected. The practice frequently represents Bain Capital.
The events come after Mr Romney's campaign outraised the President's for two successive months. Together with Republican headquarters, he raised $182 million in May and June, compared to Mr Obama and the Democrats' $130 million haul.
Meanwhile Mr Romney's conservative allies in so-called Super PACs – a kind of external campaign group that can collect unlimited funds from corporations – are also humbling efforts by those supporting Mr Obama.
Eric Varvel, a fellow Mormon who is chief executive of Credit Suisse's investment bank and is due to attend Mr Romney's London dinner, has given $100,000 (£64,387) to Restore Our Future, the leading Super PAC backing Mr Romney.
Mr Obama's allies have accused the Republican of trying to "purchase the White House", while attacking him for his vast wealth and financial arrangements, which includes holdings in the Cayman Islands and Bermuda and a Swiss bank account that was only recently closed.
One invitee to the London events told The Daily Telegraph: "I don't think anyone should have to apologise for having worked hard and been successful.
It's sad that we've reached a point where some parts of American politics can characterise that as a bad thing. The American dream, the American understanding of capitalism was built on the idea that hard work gets rewarded."
The events are being organised by ScottPrenn, a London company specialising in throwing high-profile fundraising events for political campaigns and charities. The firm organised a London event for Senator John McCain in 2008 and another Romney event last year.
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
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