London – Arthur Griffiths: Games gypsy?
Yes, indeed.
The man who led the Vancouver Whistler 2010 Bid to victory when the Canadian Olympic Committee voted in 1998 has moved to London to be part of the 2012 Games.
The 52-year-old former owner of GM Place and the Vancouver Canucks and Grizzlies took a brief detour into politics when he lost a 2008 byelection as a Liberal candidate in Vancouver-Burrard. Then he got heavily involved in the five-ring circus.
Griffiths spearheaded Vancouver 2010 hospitality, retail and logistics for Russian sportswear manufacturer Bosco and handled business development for Contemporary International, the company contracted for security screening at venue gates by the RCMP Vancouver 2010 Integrated Security Unit and venue operations for VANOC.
Bosco hired him in May to fulfil the same duty in London, since Sochi 2014 will be the next Games. Contemporary is bidding on contracts with the London organizing committee. Griffiths moved across the pond in September.
“The first time I’ve lived anywhere else but Vancouver and I’m loving it,” Griffiths said.
Griffiths’ son Stirling moved with him and got a job as a floor manager in the Thames Foyer high-tea restaurant at the posh Fairmont Savoy. Griffiths’ mother Emily and father Frank preferred to stay there whenever they visited London. Griffiths’ paternal grandparents were English themselves.
With 92 weeks until the Games open in East London, Griffiths said the vibe is similar to Vancouver in 2008. Locals know the Games are coming, but it’s not top of mind. The economy and strikes on the Tube are bigger worries.
Will sponsors who reeled- in spending at Vancouver 2010 ante up for London 2012, despite the continuing economic uncertainty? For Griffiths, the answer is simple.
“The world looks at London as where you do business; if you happen to have a business proposition by who you are, sponsors, advertisers and corporate, you have no hesitation coming here to do business,” he said.
Will he move to Sochi to make it an Olympic hattrick?
“Why of all the things that I’ve done in my life wouldn’t I take a run at this, especially in a place like London?” he said. “Sochi? I’m going to play it by ear. I hope to get there and visit, but I don’t have any concrete plans yet.”
The 2010 Commonwealth Games are over. You’re excused if you didn’t notice they began after the controversy over the filthy Athletes’ Village.
It got cleaned up, and the Games that some thought would be cancelled did happen in Delhi, India. Some locals said it brought order to the chaos, but it was hard for this first-time visitor to notice. It really is incredible India, as the tourism slogan says.
The Games could have been in Hamilton, had Delhi not made a last-minute offer of $100,000 to each of the 72 Commonwealth Games associations to clinch the bid in 2003.
The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) may have been compelled to copy the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which snubbed Toronto in 2001 to choose Beijing for 2008.
Will the “Friendly Games” do for India what the Beijing 2008 Olympics did for China?
Not likely, because the Commonwealth Games are a much different animal than the Olympics.
The IOC has a roster of global sponsors and broadcasters. The CGF does not.
“Yes, we cover the globe. We’ve looked at the issue of TOP-type [sponsorship]. We’ve worked with agencies in the past to say is it feasible?” said CGF CEO Mike Hooper. “The reality is it’s a difficult one. We’ve got nations and territories. It’s a challenge to try and do that. There hasn’t been an appetite to do that. What we do is assign all the marketing rights to the host committee.”
Which explains why, if you watched CBC’s coverage, you saw field-level advertising for Indian Railways, Air India and Tata Motors. Coca-Cola and Reebok were in Delhi, but as fourth-tier suppliers. Indian Railways was among the biggest advertisers on Doordardash TV coverage and ran a daily catered and secured round-trip to Agra for tours of the Taj Mahal by athletes, Games family and media. Word of mouth by those who experienced the deluxe Delhi-to-Agra excursion could be among few lasting legacies.
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