Be creative with Olympics opportunities, says leadership chairman
Tourism businesses in Telford and Shropshire are being urged to take advantage of the potential benefits the 2012 Olympic Games will bring. That’s the message from former world record-holder David Moorcroft, who is now the chairman of the West Midlands 2012 Leadership Group.
Moorcroft said that the games “are not just about sport, and they’re not just about London”.
At the recent Shropshire and Telford Tourism Summit, Moorcroft urged local businesses to be “creative and brave” when it comes to maximising potential opportunities.
He said: “So far, 300,000 people in the West Midlands region have already been involved in the games and businesses across the region have already benefited by securing in excess of £460m worth of contracts.
“In fact, outside London, the West Midlands is the most successful region in the UK at winning games contracts – already 25 Shropshire businesses have won contracts, with Golden Bear the most high profile thanks to the mascots Wenlock and Mandeville. But it’s not enough just to have outstanding tourism opportunities – you need to have creativity of thought, planning and bravery to succeed.
"If you sit back and wait for it to happen, it probably won’t.”
Moorcroft also confirmed that the Olympic Torch Relay would be in the West Midlands region for a minimum of three days.
