It seems that there may be another fly in the ointment of the forthcoming Winter Olympics, being held in Turin in the next fortnight, in addition to the worries over low ticket sales and strike action at airports.
There is a distinct lack of snow.
It has not snowed since late December in Sestriere, the venue for the skiing events, and despite extensive use of snowmaking machines, the International Ski Federation remains concerned.
The start point of the men's downhill race could be lowered by 10m as a result.
Given the fact that large parts of Europe are currently in the grip of the worst winter freeze since the 1940's, this is something of a blow.
Friday, January 27, 2006
Thursday, January 26, 2006
The Price of Sponsorship
Those of you wishing to be in the top 10 sponsors of the 2012 London Olympics, will have to dig deep into your pockets.
The price tag for a top ten spot is a minimum of £50M per head.
Who ever said that the Olympics was just about sport?
Games organisers are hoping to sign up 10 high roller sponsors, by March, covering four sectors; automotive, banking, telecommunications and utilities.
It is hoped that UK commercial sponsorship will cover approximately 35% of organising committee's financial needs, estimated to be around £2BN.
The remaining requirements are to be covered by International Olympic Committee broadcasting and sponsorship revenues, ticket sales, merchandising and other commercial activities.
Sir Digby Jones, director-general of the CBI, took a side swipe at the EU and has asked the games organisers to buy British-made goods.
Quote:
"I want every single medal that is hung around the necks of the world's athletes to be made in Britain. I want Britain to treat European Union procurement rules in the way that France would."
The "good old boys" in the unions needless to say rules out a no strike agreement. Brendan Barber, general secretary of the Trade Union Congress, said:
"I don't think talking about a no-strike agreement is the right approach."
All rather akin to watching pigs, with their snouts in a trough!
The price tag for a top ten spot is a minimum of £50M per head.
Who ever said that the Olympics was just about sport?
Games organisers are hoping to sign up 10 high roller sponsors, by March, covering four sectors; automotive, banking, telecommunications and utilities.
It is hoped that UK commercial sponsorship will cover approximately 35% of organising committee's financial needs, estimated to be around £2BN.
The remaining requirements are to be covered by International Olympic Committee broadcasting and sponsorship revenues, ticket sales, merchandising and other commercial activities.
Sir Digby Jones, director-general of the CBI, took a side swipe at the EU and has asked the games organisers to buy British-made goods.
Quote:
"I want every single medal that is hung around the necks of the world's athletes to be made in Britain. I want Britain to treat European Union procurement rules in the way that France would."
The "good old boys" in the unions needless to say rules out a no strike agreement. Brendan Barber, general secretary of the Trade Union Congress, said:
"I don't think talking about a no-strike agreement is the right approach."
All rather akin to watching pigs, with their snouts in a trough!
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
Olympics Strike
In the true spirit of the Olympics, ie making money, the ground staff at Turin airport have shown that they are more than willing to enter into the spirit of things.
They have just started a wildcat strike, breaking an Olympic games truce with local unions less than three weeks before the Winter Games.
The labour stoppage is forcing flights to land at other Italian airports, and leaving travellers stranded after their flights did not depart.
Turin airport spokesman, Roberto Bergandi, said workers were protesting about plans to fire 11 ground staff.
A local truce covering the airport began 10 days ago, while a nationwide truce is due to begin on January 31.
Meanwhile, an official from a union for workers involved in an unrelated labour dispute with Alitalia raised the possibility that if that airline's employees remain dissatisfied with efforts to resolve their complaints they could violate the nationwide Olympics truce with strikes.
There's the true "Olympic spirit"!
They have just started a wildcat strike, breaking an Olympic games truce with local unions less than three weeks before the Winter Games.
The labour stoppage is forcing flights to land at other Italian airports, and leaving travellers stranded after their flights did not depart.
Turin airport spokesman, Roberto Bergandi, said workers were protesting about plans to fire 11 ground staff.
A local truce covering the airport began 10 days ago, while a nationwide truce is due to begin on January 31.
Meanwhile, an official from a union for workers involved in an unrelated labour dispute with Alitalia raised the possibility that if that airline's employees remain dissatisfied with efforts to resolve their complaints they could violate the nationwide Olympics truce with strikes.
There's the true "Olympic spirit"!
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
London Hogs The Limelight
The British government has just woken up to the fact that, unless it acts now, the money it is pumping into the London 2012 Olympics will be gobbled up by London based firms and foreign owned companies.
Tessa Jowell, the Olympics minister and culture secretary, is now trying to bring other UK businesses onboard. She is trying to stimulate them to bid for the £3.3BN state spending on the event.
The government panic is as a result of a report issued by PwC, last month, that said that the games could leave the regions about £2.8BN worse off than if another country had staged the event.
On what do they base this rather dubious conclusion I wonder?
Ms Jowell, ever mindful of the ongoing moans form the regions that London gets all the money, said that the government would be "proactive and aggressive" in encouraging regional involvement.
Quote:
"We are absolutely determined to see the benefits diffused around the country."
It seems to me that if the businesses outside of the capital do not have the nounce or the drive to do this for themselves, then they are probably not up to the job of providing goods and services for the Olympics.
Tessa Jowell, the Olympics minister and culture secretary, is now trying to bring other UK businesses onboard. She is trying to stimulate them to bid for the £3.3BN state spending on the event.
The government panic is as a result of a report issued by PwC, last month, that said that the games could leave the regions about £2.8BN worse off than if another country had staged the event.
On what do they base this rather dubious conclusion I wonder?
Ms Jowell, ever mindful of the ongoing moans form the regions that London gets all the money, said that the government would be "proactive and aggressive" in encouraging regional involvement.
Quote:
"We are absolutely determined to see the benefits diffused around the country."
It seems to me that if the businesses outside of the capital do not have the nounce or the drive to do this for themselves, then they are probably not up to the job of providing goods and services for the Olympics.
Monday, January 23, 2006
Turin Organising Committee Spooked
The Turin Organising Committee is so worried about the low turnout of punters prepared to buy tickets to the forthcoming Winter Olympics, that it has commissioned a national television and advertising campaign called "Being There Is Different."
Turin's organising committee, which sells tickets within the European Union, has sold less than 60% of its 1 million tickets and has availability left for every event.
Turin's organising committee, which sells tickets within the European Union, has sold less than 60% of its 1 million tickets and has availability left for every event.
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