Bejing 2008 is just months away. When London 2012 is mentioned, many dismiss the subject as low down their list of priorities—after all it is over four years away! The London Cultural Olympics starts as soon as Bejing 2008 ends in 2008.

In tourism terms, 2012 is just two destination brochure guide ‘print-runs’ away—many brochures being spread over 2007/2008, for example. It is, in part, for these reasons that as new report warned that many British Businesses were not preparing for the event.

According to an article in The Daily Telegraph on 16th August 2007, “the Olympic Readiness Survey presented a picture of apathy and lack of preparation by many in the leisure, retail and travel sectors in advance of the huge event. Some estimates claim that the Games will deliver a £2 billion bonus for the British economy”. Having ourselves approached marketing@london2012.com (the official body), to apply for a licence to use or refer to the 2012 games, they eventually replied after two attempts, refusing permission to use the logo or providing the information we had asked for. Instead licences are granted only to multi-million pound international corporations. Far from the
Games being an opportunity for British Businesses around the UK, it remains closely monitored and guarded by the 2012 Olympic Committee. They argue that they do this to obtain the highest revenue to offset the vast UK tax-payer contribution.

Since the ethos of the Olympics is to encourage the spirit of participation—irrespective of status or political persuasion— then surely a fee licensing system based on company annual turnover would enable all to participate in the same vain?

So far from apathy or lack of preparation, it seems that smaller businesses are unable to become involved in a system that excludes them at the very centre of the London 2012 organisation itself. Instead UK smaller companies must remain focused
on areas within their direct control, that can be improved and developed.