Sir John Armitt’s report on how UK industry can harness the achievements of the Olympics urges the government to take immediate, urgent steps to help Olympic suppliers win new clients in the UK and abroad “before the gold dust loses its shine”.
“The Olympic Park stands as a superb advertisement for UK plc …no-one else has this unique selling point. But it needs to be pressed home soon before the gold dust loses its shine.
“The next 12 to 18 months represent a crucial window of opportunity for UK businesses to capitalise on their involvement in the project, particularly in terms of securing work on other major sports events.”
The ODA chairman acknowledges that long-standing complaints about the No Marketing Rights Protocol go beyond the thwarted desire for publicity, and that the NMRP could prevent UK businesses’ from using their Olympic achievements as a springboard to work elsewhere, including Sochi, Brazil, Korea and Qatar.
“The restrictions on companies marketing their own involvement in the London 2012 project are a barrier to future success and prosperity, not just for the companies themselves,” he writes.
The report also suggests that government marketing initiatives so far, including an Olympic conference, reports and an online register of Olympic suppliers, www. springboardtosuccess.co.uk, have been less effective than hoped.
Armitt therefore recommends that UK Trade and Investment set up a “task force” to draw in London 2012 expertise and target overseas opportunities for major firms, and that the government should do more to promote the official support available for UK companies and aim to reach a wider audience of SMEs
Other recommendations include a “comprehensive marketing tool” to promote the success of the government, its agencies and individual companies in building the venues and infrastructure for the London 2012 Games.
And he calls for “urgent action to ensure that marketing restrictions applying to London 2012 suppliers are relaxed as soon as possible after the conclusion of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.”
London 2012 – a global showcase for UK plc was commissioned by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport and based on questionnaire responses from 276 Olympic suppliers and comments made in workshop events. Its publication was allegedly delayed by Secretary of State Jeremy Hunt’s focus on concurrent events.
More positively, the report highlights the capacity-building effect of the Olympics. The survey found that 63% of suppliers had developed innovations during their work on the project that would be carried over to future work, and 68% of large businesses said working on the Games had increased their ability to take on big projects, such as Crossrail. A quarter had developed joint ventures that would be taken forward.
The report also respondents also highlight how the Olympics sustained many contractors through several lean, tough years. More than 48% said their company’s financial situation had been enhanced by working on London 2012.
