July marked the start of the 10-year countdown to the Opening Ceremony of the 2032 Brisbane Olympic Games.
Ai Group wants to ensure members have early access to the opportunities the Games will bring to Australian businesses and has launched the Business2032 initiative.
In broad terms the Olympics will bring opportunities in three main areas:
As we get closer to the Games, we will be inundated with news and information and Ai Group wants to be a curator of that info, so we can provide the details you need to know to drive your business success.
We will initially provide a quarterly update so our members get in on the ground floor of any opportunities the Games will bring.
Ai Group has business contacts across the globe and has reached out to glean some intel from industry bodies in other Olympic cities.
Our friends from the Mouvement des entreprises de France (MEDEF) say that the French business community is involved and was part of the application to host the Olympics.
With the Paris games secured, MEDEF Senior Advisor Rodolphe Baron said the group continues to advocate that the Olympics bring business opportunities to member companies, especially SMEs, by establishing strong standards on sustainable development and social impact.
He said local companies developed to become more competitive than foreign companies in those area and as such captured most of the opportunities.
The MEDEF signed a social and economic convention with all business organisations and Unions in France, which listed 16 goals aiming for a more sustainable and inclusive Olympics in 2024, and it, and its membership, is taking an active part in delivering on those goals.
The group is also paying attention to the legacy of the Olympics i.e. jobs remaining after the event, lifelong training, and economic benefits from a long-term perspective.
Interesting insights from the work being done for Paris 2024 came recently from Etienne Thobois, Chief Executive Officer of the Paris 2024 Organising Committee,who beamed into an event in Brisbane earlier this year.
Mr Thobois said Paris was treating the Olympics as a "unique opportunity to enhance the role of sport in society" and planned to host a "revolutionary games" from which the energy benefits all.
He said it was not just a city project, but a national pride project.
One interesting aspect of the build-up to the Paris Games is they have a group called the "team of explorers", the members of which challenge everyone to innovate and ensure that all aspects of the games do not lose sight of the vision.
He urged that you all "need to get a little crazy" to ensure that the Games are genuinely unique and memorable.
Ai Group has organised a special member-only event on August 30, which will highlight some of the opportunities we can expect to come from the Games being staged in Australia.
Leading the discussion will be Mike Kaiser, the Director-General of State Development in Queensland. He has oversight of the delivery of infrastructure needed to deliver the Games, and is responsible for ensuring there is an ongoing investment dividend for the region.
He will be joined by Inspiring Cities Managing Director and former long-term CEO of Brisbane’s Economic Development Agency John Aitken, who will provide insights into how businesses can leverage big events.
Ai Group wants to provide you with the most relevant information, so let us know what you want to learn about the 2032 Games.
Through our connections across all levels of Government we have unique access and not only get the answers you need, but feed in suggestions that will ensure the Games are as successful as they can be in building a sustainable legacy for our communities and ensuring as many Australian businesses as possible can benefit.
Email your thoughts to Ai Group's Director of Marketing, Content and Digital Steve Zeppa
Steve Zeppa is Ai Group's National Director of Marketing, Content and Digital and is responsible for the marketing and content strategy at Ai Group, including oversight of brand execution and the evolution of the organisation's digital presence.
