The London 2012 Olympics are quickly approaching, but will the Games be the golden egg or “damp squib for” U.K. businesses?
On one side, the culture secretary sees them as “a once-in-a-generation opportunity to promote the UK.” So far, almost 40,000 jobs have been created as a direct result of the Olympics and Stratford City has been reinvented with vast new construction projects, including the largest shopping centre in Europe.
On the other side, renowned composer Andrew Lloyd Webber fears they will bring a “bloodbath” for London theatre, world-famous music festivals, including The Big Chill, have been cancelled, and even VisitBritain doubts we’ll see any real influx of foreign visitors.
So, where does the truth lie? It probably depends what business you’re in and if you’re betting on making a buck this summer or hoping to dig your way out of the recession for good.
Big business sees boom
New businesses on the Olympic doorstep are likely to boom. The Westfield supermall in Stratford drew in 160,000 customers the first day it opened and is expected to be teaming with locals and tourists all summer.
The British economy has been bolstered by all the activity around the Olympic Village since the bid was accepted in 2005 and companies closely tied to the official venues should fare very well.
However, the majority of Olympic projects –construction of sporting venues, food and drink sales, security etc. – have gone to large firms. Meanwhile, Westfield is teaming with multinational stores. From Apple to Armani and Pandora to Primark, shoppers have a full spectrum of mega chains to choose from. But, small, independent retailers say they’ve suffered the consequences.
This January, the Essex Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) labeled the long-term benefits of the Games a “damp squib” for small companies.
“The immediate effect of the Olympic area where Westfield has been developed has been bad. Local businesses have really suffered because of the shopping mall along with the recession,” South Woodford Business Partnership chairman Kerk Davies told The Guardian.
More than 60 percent of small businesses in the area believe the Games legacy will not help them at all, according to a survey conducted by the FSB. In fact, 25 percent of the 1,674 companies interviewed predicted that the Olympics would have a negative effect.
A separate survey conducted by Olympic sponsor BT of 1,200 companies around the UK found that 72 percent expected their supply chain to be disrupted and 40 percent thought staffing would be a headache because staff would want time off.
‘Displacement’
VisitBritain, which has received an extra 27 million in funding to drive up tourist numbers, has admitted that the Olympics will put some people off visiting London.
“For some people, a busy and vibrant environment with a global spotlight on it is not where they want to go on holiday, which is fair enough,” a spokesman told The Guardian. “It’s displacement – people who would usually come here go somewhere else.”
While the usual theatre-loving, Tower-of-London-touring visitors may be fewer in number this summer, Stratford is sure to be packed.
Gearing up to serve the 9.7 million spectators, 200,000 workers, and 140,000 athletes and officials expected in the Olympic Park, McDonald’s is building its largest restaurant ever.
However, as the mega McDonald’s heaves with hungry visitors, restaurants outside Stratford may see fewer diners.
“Many of the visitors will be eating in the Games area so restaurants in the West End may suffer,” a spokesman for the British Hospitality Association told the paper.
“And if Britons stay at home to watch the Games on TV – rather than going out to eat as they might normally do – that will impact on restaurants far beyond London,” said spokesman Miles Quest.
Festivals canceled, moved
The festival industry is still gauging the effect the Olympics will have on the upcoming season.
Glastonbury moved its rest year from 2011 to 2012 to avoid a clash with the Games.
HSome festivals that usually take place at the start of August, including Herefordshire’s The Big Chill and Ireland’s Oxegen, have been canceled.
Organisers of The Big Chill said the Olympics had negatively impacted “artist availability.”
owever, the festival had suffered its own problems in the past. Festival Republic took over the event three years ago when it went into voluntary liquidation with debts amounting to 1.2 million. Last year, it was headlined by The Chemical Brothers, Kanye West, and Rodrigo y Gabriela, but it failed to sell out.
Successful festivals, like Victoria Park’s Field Day and Brighton’s Shakedown, have changed their dates but will otherwise go ahead as usual.
‘Bloodbath’ for the West End?
“Nobody’s going to go to the theatre at all,” Lord Lloyd Webber told the BBC.
He feared “a bloodbath of a summer” for the West End, saying that “most of the theatres in London will shut”.
“It’s going to be very tough,” he told the broadcaster, adding that advance bookings were “about 10 percent” of their normal level.
He claimed that three major musicals “are not going to play over the Olympics.”
However, President of the Society of London Theatre Mark Rubinstein, gave a more nuanced assessment of the situation.
“There’s no question that there’s going to be a lot of visitors in London. I don’t think it’s going to be a bloodbath. I think we are going to see different audiences from the summer audience we would normally see in those weeks,” he told The Guardian.
Rubinstein said the key to success would be in getting those new audiences out of Stratford and into the West End.
“There will be an awful lot of visitors whose primary reason for coming is the Games and we need to work harder as an industry to reach out to those people, to run promotions, to run initiatives that will make sure they get the information about what shows are on and how to book,” he told the paper.
‘Wave of excitement’
Excitement for the Games is growing as venues are finished, but there is a north-south divide over how much Britain will benefit in the long run.
Just 22 percent of Scottish businesses believe the UK economy will benefit, compared to 53 percent in the South of England, including London. In the Midlands, just 36 percent believe the economy will be lifted, according to research by RSM Tenon and YouGov on behalf of The Daily Telegraph.
But, as big and small businesses across the country vie for a piece of the Olympic pie, there may be reasons for optimism regarding the long-term benefits of the Games.
Three-quarters of businesses in Vancouver, which hosted the 2010 Olympics, say they have continued to enjoy higher sales, according to the BT survey.
Sixty percent say they have experienced ongoing Olympic-related benefits. Most of the companies that did well were in the media, leisure, and retail industries.
The Government says it is also backing a new tourism fund aimed at generating £1 billion of public relations and marketing activity in the years around 2012, with the target of 1 million extra visitors a year and £2 billion additional spend for the UK as a whole.
“There is a lack of understanding of the economics behind the funding of London 2012. The budget is very closely monitored and people forget that the physical assets from the Games, such as stadiums and buildings, will generate revenue,” John Abbott, director of accountants at RSM Tenon told The Telegraph.
“Positive consumer sentiment is confidence based. More people are likely to be swept up in the wave of excitement surrounding the Games the nearer we get to July 2012.”
Lord’s Cricket Ground has once again been named the UK’s number one Sporting Venue by BDRC Continental’s VenueVerdict.
The Home of Cricket – which has significantly increased non-match day revenues since opening its doors to corporate and private events – has been recognised for its exemplary customer service, and was found to have the highest Net Promoter Score (NPS) of any eligible sporting venue in an extensive national list.
The BDRC Continental end-of-year assessment also determined that Lord’s achieved VenueVerdict Gold Standard Accreditation in 2011.
Lord’s has diversified from its key business sector of cricket with a growing commitment to the meetings and events market in recent years. To achieve world class customer service in line with the Ground’s reputation as a globally iconic sporting venue, specialist coordination teams, led by Senior Operations Manager James DeGroot, are in place to facilitate the execution and smooth running of events.
Lord’s event planners are trained on the premise that each event is tailored to the specific requirements of the individual. Each member of the Lord’s Meetings & Events Department is given a personalisedtraining programme, including a thorough induction process and customer service training.
Repeat corporate clients that will hold their events Lord’s for 2012 include Mint Event Management, Business in Sport and Leisure Limited and the International Wine Challenge.
Nick Kenton, Meetings & Events Sales Manager said: “We are delighted with this award as it is a testimony to the professionalism of all our departments involved in meeting & events, right through the booking process to the day itself. Having been recognised as the UK’s number one Sporting Venue, it is important that we continue to demonstrate our commitment to customer service through 2012 and beyond.”
Source: http://www.eventindustrynews.co.uk/2012/01/lords-named-uks-number-1-sporting-venue.html
by Claire Rose
The popular Belgian music festival Pukkelpop, which has featured acts such as Placebo, Snow Patrol, Blink 182, The Kooks etc. with the headline acts for this year were set to be Eminem, Foo Fighters and the Ting Ting’s., is set to go ahead for 2012 after a violent freak storm hit the festival in 2011 causing a stage to collapse, four people to be killed and 70 injured on the opening day of the festival.
Following on from the incidents of this year at the festival charities have been created called ‘The Support Fund for the Victims of the Pukkelpop Storm’ and the ‘National Disaster Fund’ to help those and victims’ families who were affected by the incidents this year.
The festival, which consists of 8 stages, over 60,000 punters, a mixture of bands and DJ’s and sideshows, over the period of three days, will take place on the 16-18th of August next year. Food and Drink vouchers are being offered to those who were affected to this year’s cancellation for the next three years. Organisers in a statement said “The festival will only be able to survive with the support of many and thanks to the strong reputation it has built up in the past.”
Speculation and rumours over ticket sales, popularity, funding and health and safety issues will be the festivals main problem next year, though the festival and its organisers ensure that the festival will return to its ‘original form’ in 2012.
For more information on 2012′s Pukkelpop Festival, visit: http://www.pukkelpop.be/en/homepage/
by Laura Randall
Halloween is just around the corner, meaning it won’t be long before the Christmas markets are lining Hyde Park and festive lights are shining down on hectic shoppers across Oxford Street. Think of autumn as the warm up to The Party Season and without a good stretch of those dancing shoes you won’t be able to keep on moving through to 2012. My advice is to get your permanent marker out and jot these plans in your diary as MUST DOs for the lead up to Christmas. Without them you’re sure to spend the best season of them all holed up in front of the fire when what you should be doing is dancing the cold away.
Proof that this season is going to be the hottest one of the year is the selection of gigs spread across the capital. Going to a gig has got to be the ultimate evening of euphoria and nothing warms the heart more than hearing a crowd throb to the beat of an anthem. Be sure to book tickets to all of the events below as each are guaranteed to blow your woolly socks off-
- Bombay Bicycle Clubare using their unforgettably energy to wow the crowds at Brixton Academy on the 19th October, before kicking the night up a notch with a DJ set at the Jamm after party.
Bombay Bicycle Club
- Florence and her fabulous Machine are showcasing the hits that have charmed our ears so eloquently in the past few weeks. What The Water Gave Me and Shake It Out are definite party starters and will get you pounding your foot to the beat of her drum on the 25th October at the Hackney Empire Theatre.
- If you haven’t got plans for Halloween yet then get ready to make them (and if you have, then get ready to break them) because Arctic Monkeys are performing with special guests The Vaccines on Saturday 29th at the O2 arena. This coalition of indie talent will haunt you through the night and with clubs across the capital opening their doors to the living dead all weekend I’d recommend putting on your dancing shoes, you sexy little swine.
- Rihanna has already bombarded England with her Barbadian talent this October but if you were crazy enough to miss her then she’s turning up the heat again in November with another string of UK dates.
- Bob Dylan is giving the UK a rare performance at the Hammersmith Apollo on the 19-21st November. Tickets are sure to sell out in minutes but if you’re lucky enough to get you hands on one then hold on to it tight and enjoy the night!
- James Blake blew crowds away at this years festivals and a one off performance at the HMV Forum on the 30th November is something I couldn’t recommend enough. His voice will warm the coldest of hearts and if you don’t walk out blubbering then you’ll at least walk out in awe.
- This is set to be the gig of the year! M83 doesn’t officially release ‘Hurry Up We’re Dreaming’ for a few more weeks and yet the free stream on Urban Outfitters’ website has caused a surge of fans to fall at Anthony Gonzalez’s feet. On the 1st December you shouldn’t be anywhere else than at Heaven to watch this and if you are, then Santa wont bring you anything for Christmas.
- Little Dragon is at Shepherds Bush Empire on the 4th December and as her album has been a huge hit in 2011 her live performance of it can only be better.
- The Drums have been bringing in the crowds since they surfed onto the scene last year with hits from their self entitled album. Now that Portamento has taken its rightful place on most people’s iTunes, I can only imagine how much energy is going to be pouring out of Shepherds’ Bush Empire on the 9th December.
Plan B
If that list didn’t get you excited for life over the next few months then I think you need to reassess your priorities. But, if you are a social maniac and you need a little more to wet your Autumn appetite then how about attending one of the many events held by Oxfam over the next month. Changing its name to Oxjam, the charity is holding a unique series of live music events to take over Brick Lane, Islingon, Chiswick, Camberwell, Stoke Newington and Brixton. Talent from beatboxers, drum and bass DJs, poets, singer-song writers and even the odd magician will be performing for your pleasure, whilst Plan B is set to make an appearance at the Brixton take over. Make sure you show your face. Come on, it’s for charity!
By the end of the October we welcome back the annual Freeze Festival that sees extreme sports take over Battersea Power Station for a celebration of all things fun! If extreme sports doesn’t do it for you then perhaps the fact that this will be the LAST EVER London performance by The Streets will. Guaranteed to be an unmissable show, Mike Skinner will join Groove Armada, Zane Lowe, Spector and many more for a spectacular night of music, sport and dancing to keep the icicles at bay.
As a perfect recovery from the cold of the Freeze Festival is a party that’s embracing warmer climates. The Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange Project, on the 12th November, has a lineup that’s being kept tightly under wraps. Last year’s event was seriously big and as this year sees London swapping its black cabs and wintery weather for the caribbean spirit of Jamaica, the big freeze is to be locked outside as Alexandra Palace gets taken over by the carnival atmosphere.
Early November brings the christmas markets, firework displays and switching on of the lights throughout the country. The Natural History Museum is the first ice rink to open on the 4th November. Somerset House, Winter Wonderland and the rest will follow not long after. There’s so many free activities to immerse yourself in once the christmas flood gates open to the excitable crowd of children and adults alike so warm those hands on a mulled cider before hitting the ice rinks.
By now your diary should be well and truly bursting at the seams with what’s going to bring your 2011 to a close. Whether it will be a fond farewell or a celebration that it’s over, be sure to keep the final months of the year an erupting, gala of music and entertainment. There’s no better way to banish those winter blues.
With tickets to the top weekenders selling out in minutes and the recession hitting hard, thousands will be signing up to work for their fun this summer. Volunteer work is also a great way for music fans to make friends, get work experience, and pave the way for future employment.
Fancy working behind a bar? Festival Volunteer, which provides bar staff for Secret Garden Party, Glade, Rockness, and Camp Bestival has just opened up its online registration. With no bar experience necessary, good shifts go quickly.
Or, if you’d like to work as a steward, Oxfam provides volunteers for Glastonbury, Reading and Leeds, Womad and more. Examples of stewarding jobs include working at the gate, showing people to their tents, and looking out for fires.
If you’re skilled in medicine, Festival Medical Services (FMS) provides doctors, nurses, paramedics, first aiders and other trained personnel to festivals including Reading and Glastonbury.
So, how does volunteering work?
For Festival Volunteer, which is run by Peppermint Bars, volunteers sign up for two shifts per festival that last six to nine hours each. In exchange, they receive a free ticket to the event, one meal per shift, and two drinks at the end of each shift. Volunteers must be at least 18 years old at the time of the event, but they don’t need to have any prior bar experience. While sensible shoes and a top are required, fancy dress is also encouraged!
Volunteers must register on the web site and pay a refundable deposit of 168 pounds. Then, they have full access to the summer line-up and are free to sign up for any of the live events and select their shifts. Friends are encouraged to sign up for the same shifts to have a better chance of working together. Shifts can be changed up to two weeks before the festival if alternative shifts are available.
Here’s an interesting factoid: Festival Volunteer has found that women outnumber men two to one until about three weeks before the event. So, guys, if you don’t want to be working while your favorite band is playing, sign up now! Women are also far more active on Facebook.
How do the festivals benefit from volunteer staff? They build loyalty and community by involving the festival goers in the production of the event. Charity’s like Oxfam make money and volunteers also keep costs low for the festivals, thereby keeping ticket prices down. So, it’s a win-win situation for everyone.
