2012 London Olympics and beyond

How
Our
Local
Business
Community

Created
and
Leveraged
Business
Opportunities

Connected
to
the
Olympic
Games

Andrew
Priestley
-‐
London,
UK
2012

Disclaimer

This
is
for
discussion,
education
and
information
purposes
only
and
does
not

constitute
advice.
Be
aware
that
the
anecdotes
pertain
to
research
conducted
for

the
1988
Games;
and
preparations
for
the
Sydney
2000
Olympics
and
notes
span

1992-‐1996;
and
2000-‐2004.
Some
data
and
trends
may
now
be
outdated.
Every

effort
has
been
made
to
make
the
comments
general
and
relevant
to
2012

circumstances.

© 1996, 2000 and 2012 Andrew Priestley
www.andrewpreistley.com Andrew@andrewpriestley.com
UK Phone +44 (0) 7879 330060 1 of 27

Introduction

In
1994,
I
lived
on
the
Sunshine
Coast
Queensland,
Australia
and
I
was
part
of
a
local

Chamber
of
Commerce
committee
to
understand
and
leverage
opportunities
for
the

business
community
of
our
local
region
regarding
the
Sydney
2000
Olympic
games.

The
Sunshine
Coast
is
located
in
the
South-‐East
sub-‐tropical
coastal
corner
of

Queensland,
Australia.

Historically
it
was
associated
with
the
timber
industry,
farming,
cattle
and
produce

growing.
At
the
time
the
three
biggest
industries
were
tourism,
retail
and

construction.

It
is
also
developing
a
reputation
for
innovation
and
clean
tech

industry.

It
is
still
one
of
Australia’s
fastest
growing
regional
centres.
At
the
time
the

population
was
about
150,000
but
spread
over
a
wide
area
extending
from
the

northern
suburbs
of
Brisbane
and
Caboolture
north
to
Noosa,
Fraser
Island
and

Gympie
and
west
to
the
hinterland
of
Kenilworth
and
Conondale.

We
started
thinking
about
opportunities
early
-‐
about
six
years
out.
Discussions
were

initiated
by
the
local
authority
and
local
tourist
development
board.
The
region
had
a

number
of
high
profile
theme
parks
but
it
was
felt
that
the
region
had
more
to
offer

than
fun
parks
and
waterslides.
The
goal
was
to
distribute
the
benefits
of
tourism
to

all
the
community.

I
learned
a
lot
because
I
honestly
thought
that
the
only
money
to
be
made
during
the

Olympic
season
was
IN
or
around
Sydney.
It
was
exciting
to
realise
that
the
reach
of

the
Games
would
be
felt
a
lot,
lot
further
than
the
proximate
Olympic
arena
and

village.
I
learned
that
a
lot
of
visitors
would
be
in
Sydney
for
the
event
and
once
the

Games
part
was
over
they’d
be
seeing
a
lot
more
of
Australia.

Again
my
perception
was
big
cities
and
major
tourist
attractions.
I
am
indebted
to

the
consultants
who
opened
our
eyes
to
the
opportunities
for
the
smallest
and
most

UK Phone +44 (0) 7879 330060 2 of 27

remotely
located
businesses.
And
I
was
fascinated
with
the
research
of
just
how
long

the
Olympics
continues
to
draw
tourists,
what
they
come
to
see
and
do,
what
they

like
and
don’t
like
and
what
else
is
tempting
for
a
visitor.

I
learned
that
touristy
things
comprises
a
small
part
of
visitor
spend.
Visitors
want
to

be
entertained
and
educated.
Importantly
they
want
lasting
memories
that
extend

way
beyond
the
sporting
attractions.

What
happened
in
our
community?
It
is
estimated
that
the
Sydney
Olympics

generated
an
estimated
$200M
in
revenues
for
our
small
regional
centre.
This

included
revenues
generated
in
the
seven
weeks
surrounding
the
event
and
ongoing

revenues
tracked
for
at
least
4-‐6
years
after
the
event.
It
also
created
jobs
for
our

region.

What
worked?

We
a)
got
creative
(and
uncomfortable)
and
b)
we
took
a
planned
and
unified

approach
to
marketing
our
region
-‐
all
prior
to
internet
and
social
media;
and
c)
we

took
a
long
term
approach
and
continued
to
promote
the
region
long
after
the

Games.

Importantly,
the
local
authority
hired
several
consultants
with
Olympic
experience

and
we
tapped
into
some
solid
research
from
the
1988
Olympic
Games.
But
I
think

we
realised
that
we
could
benefit
from
the
Games
and
then
took
action.

It
is
important
to
remember
this
context.

I
will
tell
you
how
we
did
it

with
a
case
study.

But
first
…

UK Phone +44 (0) 7879 330060 3 of 27

Who
comes
and
why?

The
goal
is
to
design
campaigns
specifically
to
attract
a
niche
market.
It
is
important

therefore
to
understand
exactly
who
comes
and
why.

There
are
several
key
categories
of
visitors:

i.
The
Sports
Specialists

This
includes:

The
Competitors/Athletes

This
comprises
the
athletes,
coaches,
trainers,
medicos
and
teams.
Money-‐wise,
this

small
group
will
come
and
be
mainly
focused
on
the
Olympic
site,
the
Games
and
the

immediate
environs.

ii.
The
Affliates

This
comprises
the
power
brokers
and
power
seekers
and
includes
political

representatives;
and
families,
spouses
and
partners;
and
the
entourage.

Associates

This
includes
investors,
sponsors
and
promoters
who
want
to
be
associated
with

excellence.
Historically
every
Olympic
Games
are
an
occasion
for
business

networking,
training
events
and
conferences.

iii.
Strategists

These
are
the
lobbyists.
Again
power
brokers
and
power
seekers.

iv.
The
tourists

These
are
the
games
voyeurs
looking
for
a
‘bigger
than
life’
experience.
Specifically

they
are
looking
for
life
long
memories
based
in
and
around
an
international
and

cultural
experience.

UK Phone +44 (0) 7879 330060 4 of 27

Technically
they
are
passengers
–
here
for
the
ride
of
their
life.
The
key
question
is:

What
will
most
people
do
with
their
time
and
their
money?

At
the
time
the
research
suggested:

• The
Competition
7%

Statistically
they
attend
two
events
only!
Essentially
during
the
Games
few
sleep,

but
most
drink
and
eat
in
that
order.

After
drink
and
food
and
accommodation
what
else
will
they
do?

Revenues
historically
go
to:

• Arts
and
entertainment
20%

• History
and
culture
33%

• Natural
attractions
40%

What
else
do
they
do?

They
attend
any
special
events,
conferences,
trainings,
courses;
and
leisure
activities.

There
is
a
huge
market
for
organised
activities.

UK Phone +44 (0) 7879 330060 5 of 27

When
do
they
come?

For
your
reference,
the
1988
Olympics
served
as
the
model
for
1992,
1996,
2000
and

2004
Olympics.
What
happened
in
the
1988
Games
was:

1979

1988

Strategists
Lobbyists
Media
Athletes
Conference
Conference

Planners
Controllers
Arts
Arts

Spectators
Exhibitors
Exhibitors

Tours
Tours

Events
Events

1994
1998
2000
2004
2005

Conference
Conference
Athletes
Conference

Arts
Arts
Controllers
Arts

Exhibitors
Exhibitors
Spectators
Exhibitors

Tours
Tours
Tours

Events
Events
Events

UK Phone +44 (0) 7879 330060 6 of 27

Where
else
do
they
go?

Historically,
the
Games
generate
interest
in
the
immediate
surrounding
areas

starting
with
the
host
city.
For
example
Westfield
is
located
at
the
Olympic
venue
in

London
(2012)
and
they
are
boasting
that
70%
of
the
spectators
will
pass
through

that
area.
Westfield
are
no
slouches
when
it
comes
to
research
so
if
they
are
there
I

am
fairly
confident
they
have
done
long
term
projections.

A
typical
Westfields
development
in
Australia
works
on
a
25
year
plan
–
so
I
am

guessing
they
have
done
their
numbers.
But
this
retail
focused.

Visitors
then
explore
the
immediate
local
regions;
then
nationally,
then
neighbouring

major
regions
i.e.,
Europe.

For
example
the
LA
Games
was
the
jump
off
point
for
Las
Vegas,
Alaska,
the
Rockies,

Chicago,
New
York;
and
Asia;
and
Europe.
NB:
the
European
marketing
focused
on

the
seniors
market
and
business
conferences.
Business
conferences
are
tax

deductible
with
the
Olympics
as
the
backdrop!

The
research
showed
that
the
lion’s
share
of
revenues
will
go
to
whoever
is
best

organized!
(On
that
basis
Westfield
will
make
a
lot
of
money).

The
Australian
Sunshine
Coast
as
a
region
did
pretty
well
from
the
2000
Games
even

though
located
1300
miles
from
Sydney.
Why?
Because
we
started
early
and

promoted
our
region.
We
worked
with
key
organisers
and
promoters
to
offer

existing

established
and
new
experiences.
In
our
case
we
intensified
our
promotions

about
nine
months
out.

While
ticket
purchases
and
accommodation
bookings
occur
12
to
24
months
out,

broader
booking
choices
for
ex-‐Olympic
activities
can
still
be
effective
about
9-‐6

months
out.

UK Phone +44 (0) 7879 330060 7 of 27

(To
be
clear
we
worked
closely
with
Tourism
Sunshine
Coast
and
Tourism

Queensland
and
Tourism
Australia
and
the
local
authorities.
I
think
we
had
gazetted

a
lot
of
ideas
and
opportunities
as
well.
Gazetted
means
documented
and
registered

with
the
authority.

In
addition,
those
authorities
were
connecting
to
tourism
agencies
in
America,

London,
Asia
etc.
For
example,
the
flower
show
in
Toowoomba
was
featured
heavily

in
out-‐bound
literature
going
to
overseas
agencies.

I
am
pretty
sure
that
the

agencies
also
connect
with
tour
operators
and
travel
agents.)

We
know
that
a
huge
turn
off
for
Olympic
guests
are
the
crowds
and
public
transport

hassles
so
they
are
ultimately
looking
to
get
away
from
the
epicentre
of
the
Games

once
they
have
seen
their
ticketed
events.
This
historically
means
they
travel
out
of

town.
They
go
to
regional
areas.

We
said
the
LA
Games
saw
a
massive
boost
in
travel
to
Alaska,
Chicago,
Canada
–

simply
because
these
regions
offered
a
coordinated
approach.
This
is
historically

what
happens
so
we
can
predict
that
visitors
will
gravitate
to
whoever
best

promotes
their
region.

In
the
seven
weeks
around
the
Games
visitors
will
explore
the
hosting
city
i.e.,

London
BUT
then
they
will
then
outer
regions.
They
will
want
to
explore
what

England
seems
famous
for
–
charming
and
quaint
English
countryside,
mountains,

forests,
historic
attractions,
wilderness/deserts,
unique
urban
centres,
diverse

cultural
experiences,
and
themed
activities
i.e.,
arts
community.

If
you
live
in
a
‘quaint’
village
you
might
not
think
much
of
your
local
fresh
bread

bakery
or
Fran
in
the
local
pub
or
Raj
at
the
local
green
grocer
…
but
a
visitor
finds
all

of
this
novel,
romantic
and
memorable.

UK Phone +44 (0) 7879 330060 8 of 27

You
have
to
get
creative
and
identify
what
is
valuable,
unique
and
special
about

your
region
…
and
package
that
experience.
You
have
to
see
what
you
do
and
your

region
as
special.

Importantly
visitors
want
a
cross
cultural
trails
and
unique
opportunities.
They
want

high
quality,
no
hassles
and
‘capsule’
memories
(packaged
experiences).

The
key
offering
is
memories.

One
way
to
create
a
memorable
experience
is
through
the
creation
of
trails.

Trails

Visitors
will
have
to
travel.
So
if
they
have
to
travel
distances
they
want
trails.
They

want
to
know
where
they
are
going.
Imagine
a
12
day
bus
trip
round
Europe.
We

leave
London,
go
to
Brussels,
Heidelberg,
Zurich,
Roma,
Venice,
Marseille,
Paris
and

back
to
London.
That’s
a
trail.

I
live
in
Ealing.
When
we’ve
had
friends
stay
we’ve
walked
to
the
park,
gone
to
the

shops,
had
afternoon
tea
at
the
local
French
themed
café,
wander
through
the

gallery,
stopped
in
at
the
Red
Lion
for
a
beer
where
Alec
Guiness
and
Peter
Sellers

used
to
drink
and
then
dinner
at
the
Rose
and
Crown
where
Billy
Bunter
was
written.

That’s
a
trail!
Its
just
smaller.

In
Port
Isaac
in
Cornwall
there’s
ONE
street.
There’s
a
few
curio
shops,
a
pub,
a
rock

wall
to
the
sea
and
a
house.
Its
hard
to
get
to
Port
Isaac
but
it
has
a
thriving
tourist

market
because
ITV’s
Doc
Martin
was
filmed
there.
You
can
get
a
map
which
shows

where
‘stuff’
is
–
Doc
Martin’s
practice,
Mrs
Tishell’s
shop,
Bert’s
restaurant
and
so

on.
Port
Isaac
must
surely
be
promoting
their
little
village.

The
Australia
TV
show
Sea
Change
was
filmed
in
three
sea
side
locations
and
you
can

do
a
Sea
Change
tour
of
Laura’s
house,
the
Star
of
the
Sea
pub
and
Diver
Dan’s
boat

shed.
That’s
a
trail.

UK Phone +44 (0) 7879 330060 9 of 27

But
…

Nobody
wants
to
see
Port
Isaac
twice.
Not
do
they
want
to
see
another
Aboriginal

dance
troupe
or
a
recreation
of
the
Knights
of
the
Round
Table
or
a
Wild
West
shoot

out
or
a
Casino
experience
twice.
They
want
to
go
to
points
A,
B,
C,
D
and
E
and
see

something
different
and
unique
at
each
point
in
the
trail.

And
they
don’t
want
to
go
to
dud
places.
Ilfracombe
is
lovely.
Barnstaple
nearby
is

awful.
Illfracombe
is
on
the
way
to
Port
Isaac.
Port
Isaac
is
not
far
from
St
Ives.
Lands

End
is
not
far
from
St
Ives
and
it
has
a
great
guest
experience
centre.
But
the

beaches
on
the
way
to
Penzance
are
lovely
but
empty.
And
boring
…
but
not
if
you

are
a
bird
watcher.

The
trails
can
be
vast.
We
already
said
that
the
LA
Games
had
trails
going
to
nearby

San
Diego
but
as
far
north
as
Alaska
and
as
East
as
New
York.

As
an
example
the
LA
Games
had
this
trail:

• Sacremento
–
Old
Town,
the
Railway
Museum
and
the
Capitol

• The
Shakespeare
Festival

• The
Tapestry
and
Talent
Festival
which
pulled
between
700000
and
7M

visitors!

• The
Garlic
Festival
which
attracted
2M
visitors
at
$100
av
spend.

• The
Hearst
Castle
California
–
still
attracting
visitors

• Allenstown
–
100K
visitors
av
spend
$70

• San
Diego
Town
500000
to
3M
visitors
av
spend
$300.

• The
San
Diego
Zoo/Flower
Show

In
most
cases
the
attractions
were
30
minute
to
1-‐hour
experiences.

The
Sydney
Games
had
trails
to
Queensland,
Perth,
Adelaide
and
gateway
trails
to

Asia
(Indonesia,
China).

UK Phone +44 (0) 7879 330060 10 of 27

Again,
we
had
to
rethink
the
idea
that
the
major
tourist
attractions
would
absorb

most
of
the
tourist
money.
To
some
degree
this
is
true.
But
history
shows
that

anyone
can
create
a
profitable
experience.

Such
as
a
coastal
bird
watching
day
out.

Again,
imagine
an
Ealing
Experience.
Ealing
is
a
small
shopping
centre
in
West

London.
But
it
has
pubs,
parks
and
a
theatre
and
quaint
restaurants
and
galleries
and

it
is
close
to
Little
India.
It
seems
mundane
if
you
live
there
but
it
is
totally
NEW
to

visitors.

The
Ealing
Experience
might
start
with
shopping,
takes
in
the
parks,
a
few
quaint
old

pubs,
a
gallery,
a
show.

You
might
ask:
Who
would
buy
that!

Montville
is
on
the
Sunshine
Coast,
Queensland.
It
is
a
VERY
small
town
that

capitalised
on
the
Sydney
2000
Olympics.
It
is
ONE
street
in
a
town
that
is
hard
to
get

to.
But
they
produced
a
user-‐friendly
street
map
of
cafes,
galleries,
craft
shops,

music
stores
and
restaurants.
The
map
told
them
what
to
watch
out
for
and
look

forward
to.
They
included
nearby
attractions,
(the
dam,
the
rainforest).
The
map

included
B
&
Bs
and
farms
and
unique
hotels.

They
also
beautified
the
parks
and
tidied
the
streets
–
every
day.
They
pruned
and

preened.
They
held
little
meetings
in
the
church
to
train
people
how
to
be
friendly
to

visitors.

Importantly
they
told
the
world
about
it.
How?
They
lodged
their
ideas
with
the
local

tourist
authority.
They
wrote
press
releases
and
sent
clippings
as
far
afield
as
the

quilters
clubs
in
the
USA.

And
all
BEFORE
internet
and
social
media!!

Remember.
The
punters
want
variety.
You
can
only
look
at
trees
and
old
churches

for
so
long.

UK Phone +44 (0) 7879 330060 11 of 27

You
need
to
build
an
experience
around
what
is
unique
…
or
could
be
unique.
Maybe

its
what
you
take
for
granted.

For
example,
a
lot
of
people
love
the
Murder
Mystery
evenings.
Montville
has
a

thriving
amateur
theatre
society.
They
created
a
short
30-‐minute
show
that
included

street
performers
and
a
humorous
church
service
(drunken
vicars
and
loads
of

innuendo
and
confusion.)
Local
shop
traders
wore
old
time
costumes.
If
it
is
unique

and
you
promote
it
you
end
up
on
a
trail.

They
promoted
their
art
show.

The
three
keys
are:

• Understanding
tourism
patterns

• Competitive
positioning

• Unique
business
opportunities

The
recurring
theme
is:
don’t
just
focus
on
sporty
themes.
It
is
a
small
market.
This

trend
has
persisted
since
1992.
Money
is
made
at
and
during
the
Games
but
the
real

money
is
made
AFTER
the
Games.

Young
people
do
not
have
the
real
money.
In
1988
the
backpacker
market
was
not

significant.
Backpackers
wanted
a
quick
experience
on
a
tight
budget.
International

seniors
and
investors
do
have
money
and
time.
Not
surprising
every
Games
attracts

the
seniors
markets
who
have
disposable
income
and
want
to
spend.
They
almost

always
keep
showing
up
after
the
Games.

The
competitors,
trainers
and
associates
want
products
and
experiences
developed

for
during
and
after
the
Games.

UK Phone +44 (0) 7879 330060 12 of 27

The
power
brokers,
entourage,
sponsors
and
conferences
goers
offer
the
powerful

market
opportunities.
Those
businesses
that
focused
on
the
power
brokers
ran

conferences,
exhibitions
and
training
events
against
the
Olympic
backdrop
and
post

Olympics.
We
knew
that
training
at
the
xxxxx
xxxxxx
on
the
Sunshine
Coast
was

cheaper
than
training
offered
in
Sydney.
Training
in
the
local
art
gallery
will
be
a
LOT

cheaper
than
Central
London
events.

Believe
it
or
not,
tours
of
Silicon
Valley
were
big
money
spinners.
Tours
of
China’s

industrial
parks
and
factories
was
a
big
money
spinner.
Tours
of
the
local
winery

were
popular.

The
top
three
experiences
we
focused
on
were:

• Unique
arts
experiences

• Unique
community
experiences

• Unique
international
experiences

Our
larger
businesses
also
looked
for
opportunities
to
host
conferences
and
worked

with
organisers
to
offer
unique
visitation
packages.

For
example,
the
Novatel
hotel
chain
promoted
events
through
their
sister
hotels

worldwide.

Surveys
said
that
those
who
benefitted
most
had
offered
high
quality
experiences

with
no
hassles.

I
want
to
emphasise
that
ALL
of
the
marketing
then
was
snail
mail
and
mass
media.

Only
the
very
biog
players
could
afford
a
TV
ad
campaign
which
is
why
a
lot
of

people
chipped
in
money
to
the
tourist
ad
campaigns.

But
with
FREE
social
media
tools
anyone
can
make
a
web
site
or
a
video,
upload
it
or

embed
it
in
an
email
and
message
the
world.

UK Phone +44 (0) 7879 330060 13 of 27

Positioning

The
first
key
question
we
asked
was:
what
do
we
value?
Why
are
we
valuable?
What

is
special
about
us?
How
are
we
positioned.
Positioning
basically
lives
on
a
spectrum

of
budget
to
premium.
Businesses
were
able
to
position
themselves
on
this

spectrum.

But
we
looked
at
the
flavour
of
our
region
as
an
‘out-‐doorsy’
lifestyle
region
–

swimming,
boating,
fishing,
canoeing,
hiking,
camping,
history
etc.

We
had
pocket
of
performance
and
the
arts.
Gympie
created
a
film
festival
(like

Sundance).

And
science
and
manufacturing.

A
big
attraction
was
hospitality
and
food.
Aussie
BBQs
were
a
popular
attraction
and

stupidly
simple.

And
natural
attractions.
The
region
had
mountains
and
rainforests
and
lakes
and

rivers.
And
amazing
flora
and
fauna.

You
have
to
start
thinking.

Target
Markets

We
aimed
at
niche
markets
NOT
the
masses.
Plus
we
focused
on
the
long
term

visitor,
not
the
entry/exit
visitor.
And
the
older
visitor.
The
grey
dollar.
Some
towns

promoted
their
reputation
for
pink
dollar
tourism

The
focus
was
on
‘stay’
tourism
traffic.
How
do
we
get
people
to
stay
longer?

We
focused
on
experiences
for
2-‐10
people.

UK Phone +44 (0) 7879 330060 14 of 27

Partners
and
Trails

Once
we
got
the
idea
of
trails
we
looked
for
market
partners
locally;
and
regionally.

Montville
teamed
up
with
Noosa
and
Tewantin
to
create
an
art
trail.
Gympie
teamed

up
with
Sovereign
Hill
(Victoria)
to
create
a
gold
trail.
I
think
Australia
Zoo
teamed
up

with
Taronga
Park
and
Dubbo
Zoos
(NSW)
to
create
an
animal
trail.

We
focused
on
arts
–
inspiration;
stories,
history
and
culture;
and
bonds.

Locations

Get
out
a
street
map
and
a
local
map.
You
need
to
think:
what
have
we
got
of
value

that
we
take
for
granted
and
what
might
attract
visitors.
And
who
else
has
value
that

we
can
partner
with?
For
example
Bristol
could
partner
with
Bath.

Events

Get
out
your
calendar
and
look
at
it.

For
example
a
lot
of
trails
look
at
recurring

annual
events
and
then
send
tourists
on
to
the
next
event.
For
example,
the
Maleny

Folk
Festival
flows
into
the
Port
Fairy
Folk
Festival
which
flows
onto
Womalaide.

Toowoomba
has
the
annual
flower
show.

The
Olympics
involves
travel
which
has
romantic
and
sentimental
overtones.
The

Olympic
Spirit
is
about
competition,
national
pride,
gathering
of
clans,
culture
etc.

It
attracts
superstars
and
the
entourage.
It
requires
planning.
Reps
will
come
from

many
nations.
This
equals
business
opportunities
and
business/project
partnerships.

UK Phone +44 (0) 7879 330060 15 of 27

Cooperate

The
research
showed
that
a
unified
marketing
approach
works
best.
Its
almost
that

you
need
to
view
your
local
and
wider
region
as
a
giant
theme
park
and
compile

everything
you
can
offer
in
the
way
of
tours,
experiential
trails,
and
then
link
those

experiences
i.e.,
tours
to
historic
places
and
unique
surroundings.

Everyone
benefits
when
you
work
together.

Gateways

Is
your
area
a
gateway
to
somewhere
else?
Ealing
is
a
gateway
to
Perivale,
Hanwell

and
Chiswick.
Believe
it
or
not
there
is
a
canal
network
that
is
tourist
worthy.

West
London
is
a
gateway
to
the
west
–
Cornwall
and
Devon
and
Wales.

The
UK
is
the
gateway
to
Europe.
You
can
partner
in
that
gateway
or
be
the
unpaid

farewell
committee.
Do
not
watch
and
wave
as
tourist
money
flows
across
the

Channel!
Connect
and
cooperate.
Cross
promote.

Australia
was
the
gateway
to
Asia
and
Pacific
Rim
and
it
included
Indonesia,

Malaysia,
Taiwan,
China,
Korea,
Japan,
Alaska,
Canada
and
California.

People
who
did
really
well
looked
at
their
existing
niche
market
and
looked
for
what

was
being
offered
elsewhere
and
further
afield
and
then
aligned
with
those

opportunities.

For
example,
small
business
exhibitions
is
now
big
business.
I
am
sure
that
Earls

Court
is
not
the
only
small
business
expo
in
London
or
the
UK
or
Wales
or
Scotland

or
Western
Europe.

UK Phone +44 (0) 7879 330060 16 of 27

Stay
Tourism

Don’t
waste
time
moving
people
around.
Spend
time
on
leisure
activities
not
waving

people
off
to
other
destinations.
Think:
Stay
tourism.
Think:
who
can
come
and
how

long
will
they
stay?

For
example
a
well-‐received
package
was
business
and
entertainment
packages.

During
the
Games
look
for
obvious
niches.
For
example,
athletes
and
politicians.

They
are
a
conservative
market
looking
for
an
excuse
to
travel.
After
a
quick
city

experience
they
want
to
escape
mass
experiences.

They
are
weary
but
still
want
to
participate.
What
has
your
community
got
to
offer

and
share
with
them?
Architecture,
history,
nature,
diversity?

Tip:
if
you
run
a
coordinated
campaign
focus
on
quality
control
not
quick
bucks.
We

had
people
who
set
out
to
milk
the
Games.
In
some
cases
one
trader
ruined
months

and
months
of
preparation
because
of
one
shonky
rip
off
stunt.
Be
alert
for
price

manipulators.
Tourists
talk!

Go
for
a
sense
of
community.

The
London
riots
of
2011
brought
communities
together
because
of
strife.
Why
not

come
together
to
leverage
opportunities?
We
realized
that
the
Australian

government
spent
millions
promoting
Australia.
So
is
the
UK
government.
Piggy
back

off
their
efforts.

What
have
you
got
that’s
special?

One
small
town
in
Queensland
Australia
had
a
thriving
timber
industry.
They
already

had
an
woodcraft
festival,
a
furniture
show,
forestry
tours
and
even
a
pest
control

expo!
So
they
offered
timber
experiences.

UK Phone +44 (0) 7879 330060 17 of 27

Using
timber
as
their
theme
they
focused
on
food,
fashion,
gifts,
furniture,
forestry,

shipping,
safety,
coaching,
skills
and
even
law
and
order.
They
created
furniture

store
trails.
They
had
a
train
ride
through
a
forest.
A
pottery
exhibit.
Classes
in
lathes

and
wood
turning.
History
trails.
Markets.
Restoration
expos.
Multicultural

traditions.

Keil
Mountain
is
a
tiny
town
that
focused
on
its
cultural
diversity.
They
already
run

an
annual
food
expo.
They
even
tied
in
with

other
local
festivals
and
even
a
festival

in
Asia
and
Europe!
It
took
some
planning.

What
cultures
live
in
your
area?

Ealing
has
an
amazing
Indian
community
just
up
the
road.
And
a
Polish
community.

Toowoomba
has
an
annual
flower
festival.

London
is
full
of
historic
pubs.
There
has
to
be
a
pub
tour
somewhere.

Bundaberg
is
a
sugar
town
with
historic
pubs
and
Cobb
and
Co
wagons
sugar
mills,

sugar
trains
and
tractors
and
sugar
cane
farms
and
a
sugar
festival.
They
did
a
back

to
the
50s
sugar
festival.

Bundaberg
did
something.
Nambour
–
another
famous
sugar
town
–
did
nothing.

Identify
your
resources.
What
do
you
have
of
value?
You
will
attract
the
same
people

who
value
what
you
value.

UK Phone +44 (0) 7879 330060 18 of 27

Attract,
Hold,
Route,
Return

We
focused
on
four
strategies:

Attract
Hold
Route/Trails
Return

What
is
of
value?
Events
Create
experiences
Broker
Specials

What
do
you
do
Accomm
Packages
What
can
we
do
to

annually?
Tours
Family
Packages
get
people
to
refer

Culture
Boardroom
or
come
back?

Eco
tourism
experiences
–

Arts
events,

conferences

We
tried
to
broker
memorable
opportunities
locally,
regionally,
nationally
or

internationally.
Be
the
first,
middle,
exclusive
or
last
experience
but
make
it

memorable.

Focus
on
people,
natural
or
cultural
experiences.

People
Natural
Cultural/Special

Nationalities
Beach
Proximity
experiences

Diversity
Islands
Mills,
cheese,
horse
studs

Artists
Forests
Annual
festivals

Experts
–
fishing,
hiking,
Mountains
Conferences

science,
cooking,
wine,
Hiking
Technology

markets,
medical,
Flora
Car
show

manufacturing,
farmers
Fauna
Bike
show

Languages
Crops
Barge
show

Cattle
country
Craft
show

Hinterland
wals
Theme
parks

Wetlands

Rivers

Farms

UK Phone +44 (0) 7879 330060 19 of 27

What
do
we
value?
What
can
we
offer
that
is
quality
or
high
end?

Start
with
family,
cleanliness,
service,
quality,
imagination,
systems,
arts,

environment,
safety,
simple,
old
world,
new
world,
modern,
low
cost,
lifestyle,
fast

food,
slow
food,
action,
relaxing,
intimacy,
engagement,
expertise
etc.
What

positions
you?

Is
it
stories,
myths,
legends?

UK Phone +44 (0) 7879 330060 20 of 27

How
to
view
tourists

See
a
tourist
as

• Potential
tourist

• Tourist

• Visitor

• Guest

• Ambassador
or
advocate

• Investor

Every
community
has
people
who
hate
tourism.
And
there
are
some
who
proactively

try
to
undermine
your
efforts.
Montville
had
a
local
farmer
who
posted
Go
Home!

billboards
on
his
property
leading
in
to
town.
Some
shop
keepers
cynically
posted

and
boasted

‘local
and
tourist’
rates.

In
1994
you
could
get
away
with
that
sort
of.
But
you
can’t
do
that
now.
People
film

and
upload
this
sort
of
thing
on
their
mobile
phones
and
seconds
later
its
global.

Who
do
you
want
as
a
visitor?

For
example,
if
you
are
Chinese
you
can
track
your
heritage
to
Bundaberg
because
a

lot
of
Chinese
families
were
engaged
to
create
the
sugar
industry.

I
can
track
my
ancestors
to
the
West
Brompton
Cemetery
where
Beatrix
Potter
is

buried.
Cemetery
tours
are
a
huge
money
spinner.

A
guest
will
ask:
Is
my
story
here?

UK Phone +44 (0) 7879 330060 21 of 27

Revision:
What
happens
after
the
games?

Historically,
there
is
an
after
burn
effect
long
after
the
Games
finish.
This
can
be

when
the
real
revenues
start
to
kick
in.
Do
not
assume
that
the
revenue
making

opportunities
cease
once
the
games
end.
Historically
that's
when
they
start.

Once
they
have
experienced
the
games
visitors
move
on
to
other
experiences
such

as
festivals
-‐
both
national,
recognised
and
regional.
If
it
is
unique
and
quality
and

promoted
it
tends
to
work.

Don't
just
offer
touristy
things.
Offer
business
opportunities,
trainings
and
special

entertainment.

What
we
learned

Above
all
we
learned
to
be
creative
and
use
our
imagination
both
as
a
region
and
as

individual
businesses.
Have
a
vision
and
envision
the
positive
future.
And
it
has
to
be

strategic.
Strategic
planning
will
trump
random
and
ad
hoc
attempts
to
cash
in.

1.
Recognise
arts
opportunities

2.
Marketing
-‐
plan
for
niche
markets
and
power
brokers
not
mass
markets

3.
Position
for
what
visitors
are
seeking
-‐
history,
business
opportunities,

entertainment,
positions.

4.
Create
themed
activities.

5.
Look
for
ways
to
promote
business
opportunities.

6.
Use
a
unified
approach.

I
think
the
Sunshine
Coast
benefitted
because
we
identified
our
natural
attractions

and
existing
tourist
attractions.
(NB:
Being
an
existing
tourist
attraction
is
no

guarantee
you
will
dominate
visitor
spend.
Visitors
are
looking
for
something
unique

-‐
not
hackneyed.)

Word
of
mouth
carries
during
and
after
the
Games.

UK Phone +44 (0) 7879 330060 22 of 27

What
do
visitors
talk
to
others
about?

Word
of
mouth
is
a
massive
opportunity.
You
want
good
PR.
You
want
advocates.

The
standards
apply:
quality,
service,
value
and
cleanliness.
Add
friendliness
and

genuine
interest
too.

1.
Believe
it
or
not
they
talk
about
how
clean
a
region
is.

If
your
local
town
has
a
lax
approach
to
litter
and
graffiti
for
example,
that
WILL

carry.
Clean
up.
If
you
run
a
shop
keep
it
clean.
Encourage
your
residents
to
tidy
up

and
take
pride.
The
little
town
of
Monteville
absolutely
benefitted
because
the

residents
made
a
unified
and
concerted
effort
to
tidy
their
village.
It
had
a
thriving

arts
community
and
the
place
had
instant
appeal.
Locals
removed
rubbish
and
kept

the
village
spit
spot.

Disneyland
gets
more
comments
about
its
cleanliness
than
any
other
aspect.

2.
They
talk
about
friendliness.
Learn
to
smile
and
engage.
There
is
nothing
worse

than
treating
visitors
shabbily.

If
you
do
not
want
to
see
Olympic
tourists
stay
away.

As
a
region
discourage
anyone
who
displays
‘Go
Home’
banners.
That
can
ruin

everything
you
are
working
towards.

3.
They
talk
about
rip-‐offs.
Those
towns
or
individuals
businesses
that
decided
the

Olympics
was
a
opportunity
to
rip
off
visitors
did
NOT
historically
benefit.
Visitors

sensed
they
were
being
ripped
off
and
that
news
carried.
With
social
media
one

tweet
or
blog
can
hit
up
to
8000
people
within
minutes.
Visitors
will
search
on
line

for
value.

NB:
if
you
are
in
a
village
that
has
a
hotel
that
has
hiked
its
prices
visitors
will
talk

about
that
problem
...
which
impacts
every
other
business.
Anyone
doing
a
solo

effort
and
who
is
ripping
off
visitors
is
damaging
your
regional
reputation.

UK Phone +44 (0) 7879 330060 23 of 27

We
had
some
'cowboys'
too
and
business
close
buy
WERE
hurt
by
their
selfishness.

4.
They
talk
about
service.
Visitors
let
others
know
if
the
service
was
good.
Be

friendly
and
accommodating
and
be
of
service.

5.
They
talk
about
relationships.
Tourists
want
to
connect.
They
remember
the
old

lady
who
sold
them
a
ticket
for
a
pony
ride
who
chatted
about
the
history
of
the

local
horses.
In
fact
they
talk
more
about
connections
than
attractions.

Work
Together

I
can
only
say
that
our
region
worked
together.
This
meant
funding
etc
but
it
also

meant
doing
basic
things
like
tidying
up,
repairing,
pruning,
beautifying.

Our
region
did
a
lot
better
than
regions
with
a
lot
more
to
offer.
Other
regions
with

better
amenities
and
attractions
were
complacent
and
assumed
visitors
would
just

naturally
go
there.
We
offered
a
well-‐orchestrated
campaign
before,
during
and
long

afterwards
and
the
region
benefitted
for
several
years
after
the
Games.

Plan

People
might
say
it
is
too
late.
This
is
never
true.
Planning
helps
but
you
can
still

leverage
the
Games
at
any
time.
Social
media
is
probably
your
best
tool
in
2012.
A

simple
video
or
five
on
Youtube
about
your
local
area
can
work
wonders.

Think
Long
Range

If
you
missed
the
Games
the
research
says
there
is
an
after
effect.
You
can
STILL

leverage
Olympic
tourism.
In
fact
you
have
up
to
seven
years
after
the
Games
to
do

so
in
most
cases.
UK
is
in
the
world
spotlight.
A
lot
of
people
will
not
want
to
go
to

London
during
the
Olympics.
They
will
wait
till
the
crowds
leave
and
the
prices
go

back
to
normal.
But
they
are
intending
to
come.
Keep
promoting.

UK Phone +44 (0) 7879 330060 24 of 27

Special
considerations

We
coordinated
our
positioning
and
marketing,
focused
on
culture,
offered

education
and
training
for
local
businesses,
information
services,
positive
media

coverage,
technology
and
political
assistance
(i.e.,
relax
local
ordinances
for
street

parades).

1. Positioning
–
this
included
identifying
our
self-‐image
and
positioning.
We

discussed
how
we
wanted
to
be
perceived
i.e.,
arts
and
history.

2. Culture
–
culture
offers
a
stabilising
influence
that
people
want
to
return
to.

This
is
why
so
many
Aussies
travel
to
the
UK.
Culture
taps
into
values
and
we

are
attracted
to
stable
values.
For
example,
we
agreed
to
offer
genuinely

friendly
and
interested
service.
People
commented
most
on
how
interested

we
were
in
them.
We
purposely
talked
about
spending
time
with
visitors.

3. Education
–
We
ran
education
nights
for
the
local
businesses.
In
some
cases

we
looked
at
retraining
people
to
actually
like
visitors.
The
biggest
hurdle
was

getting
people
to
cooperate.
People
don’t
compete
when
they
know
where

they
are
going
together.

4. Media
–
the
media
has
a
long
reaching
ability
to
transmit
the
right
and
wrong

messages.
We
asked
the
local
media
to
focus
on
what
we
were
doing
well.

We
also
learned
to
not
add
the
media
and
marketing
until
we
knew
where

we
were
going.
Media
picks
up
on
confusion
otherwise
and
treats
that
as
a

story.
Remember,
we
make
the
message.
The
media
isn’t
establishing
the

message
they
are
just
speaking
for
us.

5. Politics
–
we
sought
support,
funding
and
cooperation
from
the
local

government
and
councils.
We
wanted
strong
direction
and
leadership
as
well

from
our
elected
members.
Again
the
focus
was
on
the
politicians
speaking

for
us
not
to
us.
Representing
our
wishes.

UK Phone +44 (0) 7879 330060 25 of 27

Who
made
our
job
difficult?

Unions

A
potential
threat
to
our
Olympics
campaign
was
union
activity.
The
unions
saw
the

Olympics
as
golden
opportunity
to
push
through
demands
and
pay
rises.
For

example
bus
drivers,
baggage
handlers,
road
workers.
We
worked
with
the
unions

but
they
were
VERY
hard
to
work
with.

Long
after
the
Games
the
locals
remembered
how
uncooperative
the
unions
were.

Cowboys

There
is
a
huge
short-‐term
temptation
to
hike
prices
because
you
can.
Visitors

expect
you
to
profit
from
the
Games
but
they
are
not
stupid.
We
made
every
effort

to
get
our
local
business
people
to
work
together
–
long
term.
But
one
or
two

strategic
businesses
ran
their
own
race
and
hiked
their
prices
and
that
damaged
our

efforts.
They
did
not
contribute
to
the
plan
but
benefitted
from
our
time,
money
and

effort.

Again
the
resentment
was
palpable.

Government
officials

We
ran
into
the
thinking
that
says
that
extra
visitors
means
extra
load
on
the
local

amenities.
So
this
lead
to
introduced
permits
and
controls
and
restrictions.
For

example
it
was
mooted
that
you
needed
a
permit
to
have
a
BBQ
at
the
park
on
the

beach!
It
was
amended
to
commercial
ventures.
Parking
fees
were
introduced
to

beaches.
I
went
to
a
remote
beach
in
Norwich
and
damn
…
you
had
to
pay
£2
to
park

there.
I
can
imagine
a
parking
inspector
lurking
in
the
bushes
in
the
hope
that

someone
might
venture
down
his
lonely
road!

The
locals
protected
loudly
and
often
it
worked
and
often
it
didn’t.
The
local
airport

introduced
increases
to
landing
tax
to
cover
extra
use
of
amenities
during
the

Games.
It
was
never
rescinded
once
the
Games
ended.

UK Phone +44 (0) 7879 330060 26 of 27

Snapshot
of
roll
out

• I
attended
a
meeting
put
on
by
the
local
authority
and
local
tourism
board.

(This
assumes
your
local
council
has
a
Games
focus
and
advisory
board.

Check!
Ask!)

• I
attended
meetings
held
by
the
Chamber
of
Commerce.

• I
participated
in
a
local
initiative
to
promote
the
region
through
Tourism

Sunshine
Coast
and
Tourism
Queensland.

• I
received
monthly
‘what’s
on’
updates
from
Council
as
we
moved
closer
to

the
Games.

• I
met
with
clients
I
knew
to
see
what
help
they
needed
–
because
I
ran
a

small
ad
agency.

• I
went
to
several
meetings
with
the
local
media
–
TV,
radio
and
press.

• I
talked
with
local
magazine
editors
i.e.,
arts,
lifetsyle.

• I
prepared
several
small
seminars.

• I
was
asked
to
be
a
presenter
for
one
of
the
hotel
chains
who
had
an

established
conference
market.

• I
was
given
an
Olympic
Supporter
sticker
for
my
business.
This
initiative
was

to
show
visitors
who
was
supportive
and
who
wasn’t.

Get
the
idea?

In
a
small
way,
I
was
lucky
enough
to
experience
several
of
the
closed-‐door

committee
sessions.
This
document
is
my
notes
from
those
sessions
and
I
hope
it
is

of
some
value
albeit
limited.

Next
Steps

There
is
a
lot
of
good
info
on
the
net
too
if
you
go
looking.

Good
luck.
Happy
to
talk
about
my
experiences.

Andrew
Priestley
2012

UK Phone +44 (0) 7879 330060 27 of 27

2012 London Olympics and beyond

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