Alberta Olympic Advantage
by Stephanie Sparks
Keeping up with the Joneses? More like luring the Joneses’ guests next door. The 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games start next month and Alberta businesses have more than a few ways to step into British Columbia’s international spotlight.
Sponsorships
Unless athletes grace the coveted spot on a Wheaties box, chances are they’re cash-strapped as they train for their big event. Supporting a team or individual’s development will give them a better starting point, as well as get your company’s name out there. An added bonus for Alberta: Russell Reimer, partner, Agenda Sport Marketing in Calgary, says that “Almost 50% – maybe even higher, percentage-wise – of the athletes that will represent and win medals for Canada will be Alberta-based athletes.”
Supplier Opportunities
Don’t want to feel responsible for a whole bobsled team? Perhaps your company has a product or service it can supply to any of Alberta’s sports and training facilities, including the Canmore Nordic Centre, Canada Olympic Park and the Olympic Oval. “Because of the ’88 legacy facilities, all of the athletes who grew up in other parts of the country gravitate to Calgary as their high-performance training base,” says Reimer.
Sport Tourism
Due to the reach of the yearly World Cup Round Table marketing initiative, Alberta has tapped into European markets for travellers with a passion for cross-country skiing, snowboarding and other winter sport activities. “From an international perspective, the goal of the long-term approach is to position Alberta as a ‘must-do’ destination, a place where you come to do something fun.”
Family Activities
Our neighbours in Saskatchewan and B.C. will be loading their kids into the minivans looking to appreciate “the story that Alberta has to tell about how it hosts these athletes each year.” Families will be coming not just to ski, but likely to visit countless restaurants, museums and activity centres.
Olympic Hangover
A side-effect of too much Olympic spirit? “The perception is that tourists don’t want to come where there are a lot of other tourists,” explains Reimer. If visitors feel that post-Games Vancouver is going to be a busy place, they may change their plans, choosing the Canadian Rockies over Whistler. Alberta businesses need to recognize this phenomenon to capitalize on it. But the “hangover” isn’t permanent: tourism in Sydney is steadily rising after a drop following the 2000 Summer Games.
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