http://www.london-tours-2012.com/
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A survey released today shows firms in Vancouver - the city that hosted The Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games - allowed themselves an average of 18 months to get everything they thought they would need - from extra network capacity to new working practices - in place. Twenty per cent started preparing three years in advance. Even so, 49 per cent of those contacted said their organisations had failed to take full advantage of the opportunities on offer.
Conducted for BT by Vanson Bourne, the survey also highlighted the benefits of being well-prepared and the consequences of inadequate planning. Two thirds of respondents said their organisations had benefited from the Games. A quarter reported improvements in sales of between ten and 25 per cent during the Games themselves - a further six per cent even more. And while demand obviously fell once the event was over, 29 per cent of those surveyed said their firms were continuing to enjoy higher demand for products and services. Forty three per cent attributed this to an increase in business from overseas.
In all, 61 per cent of respondents reported lasting benefits resulting from investments made in the run up to the Games. Twenty six per cent said their organisations were more efficient, 19 per cent were still benefiting from flexible working arrangements introduced to help staff avoid congestion caused by the influx of visitors while 20 per cent reporting enduring performance improvements resulting from upgrades to networks and IT systems.
Emer Timmons, President BT Global Services UK, said: "This is excellent news, but the results of the survey make it clear that the benefits many firms gained could have been even greater. Thirty eight per cent of those contacted felt their organisations should have equipped themselves better in advance. "The survey's findings have big implications for UK plc as well as for individual firms. The next few years are going to be tough for us all. London 2012 shines out as an opportunity for British businesses to demonstrate the quality of their products and services, show the world what they can do and win the new business UK plc needs. It would be tragic if the opportunity were to be missed." The survey highlighted the particular importance of having sufficient infrastructure in place. Twenty three per cent of organisations experienced shortages of network capacity during Vancouver 2010 as a result of surges in demand from employees and/or customers. Sixteen per cent wished their firms had increased the capacity of their contact centres in the run up to the Games, and 30 per cent said their firms should have done more to improve the flexible working facilities available to staff.
"The lessons from Vancouver are clear," added Timmons. "To gain from the opportunities London 2012 will create, businesses need to prepare well in advance. The benefits will persist long after the Games are over, so executives should take a long-term view of any investments they are asked to make. But time is running out. The longer firms delay before taking steps to get ready for the Games, the greater the chance they'll miss out."
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