Why Prepare for 2010 Now?

In about eighteen months, the world stage will be located only 45 miles north of Whatcom County. More than 80 countries will converge on the Greater Vancouver area for the 2010 Winter Olympics. Is your business ready?

Written Jun 24, 2008, read 528 times since then.

In about eighteen months, the world stage will be located only 45 miles north of Whatcom County.More than 80 countries will converge on the Greater Vancouver area for the 2010 Winter Olympics. There is no question that a large number of tourists, international workers, media professionals, and regional visitors will enter Whatcom County from all sides. But still, this is eighteen months away. Why then should we emphasize so heavily the need to prepare and get ready now? To think about this, let's look at a couple of areas we plan for in our businesses every day.

In order to recoup the cost associated with marketing efforts, we expect that time will tell if our efforts were successful. This is because a great deal of planning and effort must go into marketing so that we reach our target audiences. We need also to market effectively our products and services and create the appeal that will generate marketplace interest. As business leaders, we would never dream of putting together a marketing package overnight and expect that it would yield the returns we desire. Remember, the Olympics are only eighteen months away.

When we hire and train new employees, we realize that there will be a "learning curve" that they must overcome before we receive our expectation of skilled performance and prolific productivity. Like marketing, we anticipate that time will tell just how effective our hiring and training has been. Yet, the one thing we all seem to run short of is exactly that: time. With our daily responsibilities, we simply do not have enough of this precious commodity, which sometimes means that our staff is left lacking in quality training and planning for their individual and team growth potential. We mean well, and we do plan to get around to it - just as soon as there is enough TIME. Remember, the Olympics are only eighteen months away.

In fact, when we consider all the planning that goes into preparing for thousands upon thousands of visitors into our area; and when we consider all the effort needed to prepare our teams to provide the exceptional service on which our business is based; and when we take into account our own responsibilities, it seems nearly hopeless to do anything about it - now. This is the main reason that the 2010 Service Initiative was created.

The 2010 Service Initiative will help you with your marketing efforts, establish cost-effective, high-quality training to prepare your teams for greater success and assist regional businesses in preparing for our visitors without putting additional strains on your already hectic schedule. So why should we get ready now? Because eighteen months is not very far away at all. Now is the time to develop a strategic marketing plan - especially if your business is in the service or retail industry. Today is the day to begin training your team in order to provide them the skills they will need to deal positively and effectively with an influx of traffic that will easily be the most diverse traffic your team has ever encountered.

After all, the Olympics are only eighteen months away.

Learn more about the author, Henry Beeland.

Comment on this article

Posted by Lori Richardson, Bellingham, Washington | Jun 29, 2008

Henry, I agree - there is a great opportunity for those in Whatcom County to really "shine" with the 2010 Olympics and all the opportunity it will bring to our community. Creating a business plan around it sounds like a fantastic idea.

Small business sales coach and fundraising auctioneer
Posted by Robert Collier, Lacey, Washington | Jun 29, 2008

I too agree wholeheartedly. There is much opportunity for all and esp. those who specialize in service work.
Posted by Henry Beeland, Bellingham, Washington | Jun 30, 2008

Thank you for your comments. Robert, you are absolutely right. Service-oriented companies and retail trade companies stand to benefit the most during this time period. The problem I see is that too many of them are simply "hoping" they will get noticed and they are depending entirely on the laws of volume in order to claim their share of the increased traffic. Research has clearly shown that this method is not very effective. Many visitors during the Olympics are planning their stay as efficiently and as effctively as possible due to economic changes, time constraints, and additional travel concerns. Why wait to "see" if you get noticed, when you can actually extend the invitation ahead of time?
Posted by Krista Dunk, Olympia, Washington | Jul 01, 2008

Does anyone know where the bulk of the visitors come from? Which countries have the most traveling fans for the Olympics generally? Language signs and other consideratons like that should be explored as well as part of a marketing strategy.

Thanks! NWweddingplace.com
Posted by Robert Collier, Lacey, Washington | Jul 02, 2008

Krista, funny that you should post this question. Since I do recycling for a living I have actually been looking at other countries for what symbols they use to indicate a recyceling bin for recycelables. And do not thnk that our symbols are universal,,they are not. There are 3 different symbols used in europe alone. I have no idea what they use in most of asia though I do know that Japan has different symbols as well. But as for the rest of the world,,asia, africa, south american countries or the middle east or even the slavik and the baltic countries. Basicly what ever country has contestants in the games, will have staff and supporters showing up. So, I guess it will depend on what type of marketing you are aiming at.
Posted by Henry Beeland, Bellingham, Washington | Jul 03, 2008

Krista, Thanks for the question. It is not really a simple answer. Over 80 countries participate in the Olympics. These countries not only represent different symbols for services, but a wide range of cultural views and customs, language barriers, and economic interests and practices. It is quite difficult to bottle this information into a packaged deal. Instead, we should - each business - map out our plan for marketing and reaching our respective target audience and undestand how to meet their needs effectively and consistently. At the core of your question - the diversity of this international group - lies the very reason we created the service initiative.
Posted by Jim Carney, Bellingham, Washington | Nov 10, 2008

Marketing for the Olympics or Marketing in general... a shotgun approach never..(or should I be safe and say rarely) works. Put a blind ad in a newspaper without thinking who you want to reach and hope someone reads it. And then hope that someone will have the need your advertising for. And then hope they respond! To much hope and very little action. Henry is right on here. We need to be putting things into action well in advance. Love the service initiative. Great for pulling together whatcom county in prep for this upcoming infusion of people and hopefully sales!

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Why Prepare for 2010 Now?

In about eighteen months, the world stage will be located only 45 miles north of Whatcom County. More than 80 countries will converge on the Greater Vancouver area for the 2010 Winter Olympics. Is your business ready?

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