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LONDON 2012

ARENA GROUP

SPECIALISTS IN event overlay design and management, Arena Group is building the entire infrastructure – from sand to fl ooring – for the London 2012 Beach Volleyball event. It is also supplying seating and tentage for the table tennis, judo, boxing, weightlifting and fencing, and the hospitality facilities at a number of venues.

“Getting our name attached to the Olympics was all- important to us,” states Joe O’Neill, director of global overlay and event services. “Everyone at Arena Group was ecstatic when we won the contracts as they really put us on the world stage. “We are the major player in our industry in the UK, but have been looking to go global for some time. We unsuccessfully

HORNBY HOBBIES

LONDON 2012 has proved a winning experience for toy company Hornby Hobbies, which has launched a series of innovative collectibles to celebrate the Games. As well as products such as London 2012 souvenir buses, taxis and keyrings, the Margate-based fi rm, which has overseas subsidiaries in the US, France, Germany, Spain and Italy, has produced a Team GB Velodrome Cycling Set, which follows the traditional slot racing format of Scalextric. London 2012 project director Alexandra Balzaretti says: “Being associated with the Olympics has been incredibly rewarding and is something that we are immensely proud of. It’s one of the best things that Hornby has ever taken on.

IRIS NATION

CREATIVE AGENCY Iris Nation struck gold after being chosen to design the mascots for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Named Wenlock and Mandeville, the two mascots aim to refl ect the UK’s diversity, connect young people with sport and to tell the story of the country’s proud Olympic and Paralympic history. “This landmark piece of work is a real point of pride for our company,” says chief executive Ian Milner. “Bidding for it was a real long shot, as we were up against thousands of competitors from the worlds of advertising, design, character development and branding.

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“All I can say is that it was a prize well worth winning. The mascots will have a massive impact in terms of revenue and

pursued opportunities related to previous Olympics in Beijing, Athens, Sydney and Turin and are confi dent that our London 2012 work will be a tremendous springboard to going forward with other Games projects across the world. “We are now exploring opportunities in Sochi, hosts of the 2014 Winter Olympics, with good dialogue underway. We have also visited Brazil twice and are in discussions about contracts for the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics, and are targeting the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the World University Games in Russia and Korea. “We see London 2012 as a calling card, an example of us adopting the best practice which all organisers of overseas sporting events are looking for. It has made us a credible

global player and we relish the opportunity.” > arenagroup.com

“It was really important to us to be involved with London 2012. The exposure that you get from such an event is unprecedented, allowing you to promote your products to an audience that covers pretty much everybody. It’s opened so many doors for us. We have won huge accounts with companies who have never sold a toy before simply on the basis of our Olympic association. It’s also enabled us to reintroduce people to Hornby and what we can do. “The level of sales that we have achieved to date has surpassed our expectations, both in the UK and overseas. We already had a strong overseas market presence, but London 2012 has exposed us further internationally – in China, our

sales have been four times bigger than our original forecast.” > hornby.com

our design will be held up as a reference point all over the world the next time anyone is asked to produce a mascot for a big football tournament or Olympics. “This contract is also helping us to create a new dialogue with some of our existing clients – the likes of Adidas, Heineken and Visa, who are very interested in the Olympics and are major sponsors of it.

“One of the best things about our design is that it travels and is meaningful across the globe. Iris Nation is a very young British company, but is expanding worldwide, and the mascots will help build our stature overseas. Everybody knows and respects the Olympics, and our London 2012 association will

raise a few eyebrows and enhance our reputation.” > irisnation.com

LET’S DO BUSINESS

TO FIND OUT MORE about the UK Trade & Investment Olympic Legacy Unit, contact

Martin Hall on 020 7215 4680 or email martin.hall@ukti.gsi.gov.uk

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