London 2012 Olympics Tickets and Tours: Organisers Want to Avoid "Beijing Ticket Syndrome"

As Spyns gears up for its 2012 Olympics tours, London 2012 organisers are at pains to avoid "Beijing syndrome" for its summer games tickets. All the London 2012 sponsors have been told they must make extra effort to ensure all their guests use their Olympic tickets, so the Games stadiums are as full as possible. Deighton told a House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport committee: “We will talk to sponsors, they have a stake in this too, and there is a reputational risk. "We are saying, ‘Make sure your guests take up the seats, you do have a responsibility to work hard to make sure your guest sits in that seat’.” Sponsors, combined with broadcasters, have access to 10 per cent of the total 8.8 million Olympic tickets available.


Deighton also said the sale of the Paralympic tickets would take place after the Olympic tickets go on sale in March, 2011. He said this was to ensure they “had their moment in the sun”. But it also gives organisers some breathing space to refine ticket prices and marketing strategies depending on the success of the Olympic sales. Locog has budgeted to raise £500 million from the Olympic and Paralympic tickets, a huge chunk of its £2.15 billion operating budget.  Deighton was upbeat about the budget overall and said another key element – the marketing budget of £600-700 million – was on track.


“We are trending towards the top end of that range and I expect we will reach £700 million at the end of March 2011,” he said. "We are very confident of getting to the top end of the range.” Deighton confirmed that the Locog budget would not be tabled at the end of the financial year in March 2012, but after the Paralympics had finished in September 2012 so that the organisers could focus solely on delivering the Games rather than accounting. He said this 18-month accounting period had received government approval. “We took a balanced assemessment and everyone accepted this was the best way to go,” Deighton said.

Meanwhile the Olympic Delivery Authority said it would shortly reveal a shortlist of candidates interested in long-term investment in the athletes’ village. ODA chief executive David Higgins said there was significant corporate interest in the athletes village apartments, which will be without kitchens when used by the athletes so that the residences can accommodate an extra bedroom during the Games.

Spyns is an active travel company based in Whistler, BC (Canada). For more information about Spyns and our tours to the 2012 London Summer Olympics, please visit our websites http://www.london2012-tours.com/ and http://www.london-tours-2012.com/ or call us toll-free at 1.888.825.4720.