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Tourism: Less than 2 until 2010: When will Washington get into the game? |
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Written On: March/April 2008 |
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Written By: Danielle Rhéaume |
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In less than two years, the world will watch a celebrated Canadian light the Olympic Cauldron. Nobody knows yet who the torchbearer will be. It could be Canada’s favorite environmentalist, David Suzuki. It might even be the mother of cancer survivor and amputee Terry Fox, who led the Marathon of Hope across Canada on a prosthetic leg in 1980. It’s still too soon to tell.
It is time however, for Washington’s business owners to determine is how they will feel in that moment. Will the torch ignite excitement over lucrative dreams realized, or create heartburn for those who let opportunities pass them by?
Instead of reaching for the antacids now, businesses of all sizes should look to examples set by public and private leaders for insight, opportunities and guidelines. By doing so, business owners stand to make educated decisions leading to wise investments and an Olympic-sized legacy that boosts Washington’s economy for years to come.
Vancouver wins the bid
Back in 2002, when Vancouver won the bid for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, former Democratic Gov. Gary Locke issued a press release calling it a “win-win” for Vancouver and for Washington. He predicted that trade, tourism and economic development opportunities associated with 2010 would be far-reaching and that the large influx of visitors traveling through Washington en route to the games would create major impacts in security, transportation and other infrastructure. The following year, he launched the six-member 2010 Task Force—co-chaired by U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen and former transportation secretary and congressman Sid Morrison—through the Washington State Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development.
Following her inauguration in 2005, Democratic Gov. Chris Gregoire continued support for the task force, describing the 2010 Olympics as “a platform for ongoing dialogue with our Canadian neighbors on issues of mutual interest, including border crossing and security, transportation, international trade, and workforce development.” CTED started a newsletter designed to connect businesses and communities with 2010 opportunities. The publication listed special events, workshops and news about preparations for the Olympics and doing business in Canada. They also launched a 2010 Olympics Web site, which featured related news and links to important resources.
“There was very mixed interest from the business community at that time,” said Mary Rose, who was program manager for CTED’s 2010 effort at that time. “Some were very excited about the opportunities around 2010, while some never believed they existed.”
Only a few seek 2010 deals
As Washington’s “ongoing-dialogue” with our Canadian neighbors continued into 2006, business insiders wondered when Washington would start investing in 2010-related opportunities. That February, the Puget Sound Business Journal even published an article titled “Only a few seek 2010 deals.” This article revealed how, even though The 2010 Commerce Centre—a business opportunity Web site created by the BC Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Secretariat—had already posted nearly 340 business opportunities over the past year, few of the opportunities were pursued by Washington’s businesses. This was happening even though the Commerce Centre, which was facing shortages in labor and materials, had encouraged them to apply.
In a guest editorial for the Snohomish County Business Journal a month later, AWB President Don Brunell urged businesses of all sizes to get involved, while also asking state officials to help businesses identify opportunities and connect with Canadian partners. Though he acknowledged CTED’s efforts in the article, he emphasized that more needed to be done “to provide specific and timely information to interested business owners here in our state.”
That June—about three years into their mission—the 2010 Task Force released a 10-page impact study echoing many of Brunell’s recommendations. This report also noted the importance of providing training, outreach and education programs to businesses and commercial interests throughout the state while also assisting communities in attracting teams for training, and integrating 2010 opportunities into all tourism promotion plans. They also underscored the importance of relating business opportunities through e-mails and the state’s “2010 information clearinghouse.”
These recommendations were likely influenced by a survey conducted by The Gallatin Group, a major public relations firm hired by CTED. The results of this survey—which were deleted from the 2010 Task Force’s final report—revealed that 82 percent of the Washington community and business leaders surveyed by Gallatin “were not aware of the 2010 Commerce Centre Web site listing all contracting opportunities connected with the games.”
Also deleted from the report was a key summary stating, “There are two major impediments to Washington state business taking advantage of the contracting and subcontracting opportunities presented by the 2010 Winter Games: First and foremost, lack of awareness of the opportunities themselves. Second, lack of experience or knowledge in doing business across the United States-Canada border.”
Even though it was time to sound an alarm to awaken Washington businesses, communications efforts only lasted about a year before halting completely when Rose’s temporary program manager position ended and she departed for another job. Due to limited funding and other staff changes, the tourism division was “in a state of flux at that time,” according to Marsha Massey, then-interim director. This state of flux created a hardship for many of Washington’s destination-marketing organizations (DMOs) that depend on the state to create opportunities they can’t create on their own. “They can afford to go to markets that we can’t afford and reach people we can’t reach—it’s their job to push the introduction.” said one DMO director.
On Sept. 28, 2007, the 2010 Task Force forwarded a letter to the governor recognizing their accomplishments over the past four years and outlining how four subcommittees had been formed to work on key areas for 2010. They were tourism (which appears to have only been active for a short time in 2006), economic development, transportation and security. The letter then mentioned other ongoing efforts and stated that the task force would remain on call but would no longer meet regularly.
By this time, legislation had already passed that almost doubled Washington’s tourism budget, raising it to $6.8 million. The increase took Washington from near rock-bottom in the nation to around the national average in spending on tourism promotion. It also led to a public-private partnership model and a governor-appointed tourism commission. The Tourism Division was then able to secure Marsha Massey as their managing director. They also hired communications professional Kristin Jacobson, a much-needed new public relations and special projects manager, to serve as the point person for tourism efforts around the Olympics.
“We want businesses to know how to take advantage of the 2010 games being so close,” said Jacobsen. “We hate the thought of businesses missing out on important opportunities.”
Key players moving forward
When Salt Lake City won the bid for the 2002 Winter Olympics in 1995, neighboring Idaho jumped to leverage Olympic opportunities. “Idaho’s efforts began early and moved quickly. They launched a plan within five years of the games and created a committee (which met quarterly),”according to a Dean Runyan report distributed to CTED in August 2006.
Idaho saw the Olympics in Salt Lake City as “the most significant media event to occur in the Pacific Northwest in our lifetime,” according to Carl Wilgus, who was Idaho’s Department of Commerce administrator at that time. It was an opportunity for 3.5 million people to “learn something about Idaho,” he said.
Idaho’s successful 10-point strategic plan—a plan that many of Washington’s business and community leaders have now adopted for their efforts around 2010—led to a reported $100-million economic benefit to the state.
It’s important to note that Idaho had a modest tourism budget of only $3,751,804 the year Utah won the bid.
According to IDC Tourism Director Karen Ballard (who worked for IDC in a different position at that time), “Synergies that we never could have anticipated happened around the 2002 Olympics.” These synergies, according to Ballard, drove their efforts as they implemented their strategic plan, which is still guiding them today. In fact, if Washington doesn’t step up their efforts to bring Olympic teams to the state for training, Idaho could easily give Washington a run for their money in the race for Olympic opportunities and media exposure leading up to 2010. And so could Oregon.
Earlier this year, the governors of both Idaho and Oregon sent letters to international winter sports federations inviting teams to train in their states for the 2010 Olympics, according to Ian Burkheimer, the 2010 tourism program manager for PNWER. So far, Washington has not. Idaho brought in 16 teams to train prior to the 2002 Winter Games. Their success was highlighted in the Dean Runyan report delivered to CTED back in 2006.
Burkheimer, who has already been in touch with more than 40 international teams about training and acclimatizing in the Pacific Northwest, estimates that teams may spend between $20,000 and $100,000 on hotels, food, lift tickets and other expenses for a two-week visit. In addition, Washington could generate even more revenue from the increased media exposure.
As a public-private partnership, PNWER’s 2010 Olympics/Tourism Division is dedicated to increasing regional economic development around the games. Their geographic scope includes British Columbia, Alberta, Yukon, Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana, where they act as an information conduit and procurement coordinator between the states and provinces, as well as relevant community and business organizations. Because of their unique insight and experience, they are in an ideal position to provide resources to businesses interested in procurement opportunities in British Columbia—one of Washington’s strongest and most overlooked trade allies.
PNWER also oversees TerraNW: 2010 In Sight. This program connects “national teams and elite athletes with sustainable training, competition and marketing opportunities” within the Pacific Northwest. In order to further their efforts, TerraNW launched an interactive and detailed directory of training venues in this region. This online directory is destined to become an invaluable resource for sports federations, as well as business owners and media representatives leading up to and following 2010.
Another ambitious effort within Washington is SnoGold, the communications hub for 2010 information in Snohomish County. This grassroots effort, shaped by Idaho’s strategic plan and initiated by County Executive Aaron Reardon, is already marketing Snohomish County as the “Gateway to the Games.” Their far-reaching and impressive efforts include connecting with national and international 2010 travel-related companies, marketing their area to Canadian residents hoping to flee B.C. during the games, arranging for an Olympic torch visit and improving local customer service.
As other regions and businesses slowly awaken to 2010 related opportunities, SnoGold will have already met one of their impressive goals this October when the 2008 Skate America Championships come to Everett, bringing an estimated $2.6 million to their county. “We want television viewers to see our area and say, ‘Hey, I want to go there!’ or, “That’s a great venue—I should stage an event there,’” said Amy Spain, executive director of the Snohomish County Tourism and Visitors Bureau. With 4.3 million people watching, Snohomish County couldn’t ask for a better opportunity to make a lasting, positive and welcoming first impression.
If business and destination marketing toward 2010 were an Olympic competition, SnoGold and some other key players certainly would have a head start on winning the gold medal. Even so, there is still plenty of room for the rest of Washington’s business owners to get in the race and seize the far-reaching opportunities that only an event of this magnitude can present. If they do, there is no doubt that Washington’s business owners will join the rest of the world and feel nothing but sheer excitement in 2010 when the cauldron is lit and the games begin.
Sidebar: Seizing the opportunities
Idaho’s plan included developing and marketing Olympic training sites; staging events and exhibitions; marketing the “scenic route” to and from the games through Idaho; acquiring corporate sponsorship; promoting Idaho as a base camp for the games; promoting Idaho to international tour operators; attracting Utah residents fleeing the chaos of the games; raising awareness of Idaho through media hosting and press releases; developing a travel information center in Salt Lake City; and developing a “Buy Idaho” campaign.
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