34 . Glasgow Business October 2014
WHERE DO WE GO AFTER 2014 GAMES?
Members give their views on the success of the Games, while the Glasgow Chamber asks how to keep up the momentum
N
ow that the Glasgow Games are over – it’s time for reflection and ensuring the Chamber of Commerce helps secure the business legacy from the Games. First, a few thoughts from
some members. “Te Glasgow 2014 Games was a wonderful global
event, but the star of the show was the city and its people,” said John Gemmell, of Heineken UK. “Two of our core values are Passion and Enjoyment. We could see and feel the passion from the athletes. We were proud to play our part in the celebration and enjoyment of the Games. On a personal note, it was mingling with a truly multi-cultural group at the opening ceremony, but also being able to see people enjoying beer and cider responsibly in our stadiums as part of a modern society.” Martin Darroch, Chief Executive of Harper
Macleod, legal advisers to Glasgow 2014, agreed with this sentiment. “Glasgow 2014 was simply transformational – for the
city, the country and everyone associated with the Games.” (See what else Martin had to say on facing page). “Te Games were a friendly, exciting carnival. A great
feat of organisation, and presented with such style and confidence,” said Gerry O’Donnell, Director of Corporate affairs with the Edrington Group, makers of Te Macallan, Highland Park and Te Famous Grouse, the official whisky of the Games. “From our businesses point of view, there was a very
positive reaction with lots of employee involvement in the internal campaign publicising Te Famous Grouse sponsorship. Tere were so many inspirational moments. Too many to mention. “However, we all got a real charge from the many VIPs
who dropped by our tasting stand at Scotland House. It was a fantastic chance to satisfy their interest in Scotch whisky by leading them through a tasting of three expressions of Te Famous Grouse.” Peter Duthie, Chief Executive, SECC, home of much
of the Games’ sporting action, was also fulsome in his praise. “Te Games was an amazing opportunity for Glasgow and Scotland and I am sure that the organisational skills of the 2014 team, coupled with the warmth and friendliness of the city will be remembered by visitors for a long time,” he said. Te SECC campus welcomed more than 200,000
visitors over 11 days, providing a magnificent backdrop for the world’s broadcast media. “We received some fantastic feedback from everyone
who watched the TV reports and the competitions taking place on our site. Trough a brilliant team effort, our campus was transformed to host a range of team and individual sports and to welcome prestigious athletes from across the Commonwealth. To watch 81 gold medals being awarded on our campus was prety special.” So what can be expected now? Stuart Patrick, the Chamber’s Chief Executive, said: “So
far, we have concentrated on emphasising the importance of the work of Glasgow City Marketing Bureau and the PEOPLE MAKE GLASGOW brand. It was great seeing so many people wearing the badge during the Games.” He says the Games branding itself, notably on the side
of the City of Glasgow College buildings off George Square, helped in securing an increase in leisure tourism to the city, with 40 per cent of the tickets sold went to residents south of the border. Now, the Chamber aims work on the Invest in
Glasgow message and use the City Deal initiative to get across the ‘Ten reasons why Glasgow is an economic powerhouse’ message. “We want to encourage investments such as the
Glasgow Airport Rail Link, City Centre Strategy and Clyde Waterfront development that will be important in reinforcing that message with practical investment. We have an unusually powerful opportunity as a city to drive through legacy with investment of scale because of City Deal.” Te Chamber is also emphasising the importance of
continuing the 20 year plan to deliver the regeneration of the East End, which is only a quarter of the way through. “Te Games, the M74, the redevelopment of
Dalmarnock station and the steady reclamation of contaminated land in the East End by Clyde Gateway have all helped to make progress, but atracting new private investment into the area is the true long-term test of success and there is still some way to go to guarantee that.” Stuart Patrick said: “We are encouraging members to
let us know what ideas and initiatives they would support for securing economic gain from the excellent work of the Commonwealth Games.”
GIVE US YOUR IDEAS
If you have an idea on how the city can secure economic gain from the work on the Commonwealth Games, email:
chiefexecutive@glasgowchamberofcommerce.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60