Coventry and Warwickshire 2012 Partnership

London 2012 sponsors have been given the inside track on how the region is benefitting from the forthcoming Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership for the 2012 Games (CW2012) and Advantage West Midlands (AWM) have hosted a West Midlands forum with London 2012 sponsors at the Holiday Inn  Stratford-Upon-Avon hotel in  Warwickshire.

The event allowed sponsors to see how the West Midlands has already benefitted from the London 2012 Games and for sponsors to explain their activation plans and assess how they can engage with the regions 2012 priorities.

It also allowed sponsors to examine the possibility of sponsors working with each other to maximise benefits of their sponsorship.

With Coventry being an Olympic Host City for London 2012, Much Wenlock providing the inspiration for one of the 2012 Mascot names and Birmingham hosting the USA and Jamaican athletics teams as training camps, the region is well placed to benefit from 2012 and engage local communities to be part of it.

The region is also delivering a huge cultural programme through projects such as People Dancing and the Community Games and given the proximity to London and our World Class Tourism attractions, is working hard to attract visitors to the region before, during and after the 2012 Games.

Through events like this, CW2012 aims to work with sponsors to support the regional activity and develop support from sponsors for other projects being organised by CW2012 in Coventry and Warwickshire – building on the strong links the region has to London 2012 after Coventry recently became an Olympic Host City.

David Moorcroft, chair of the West Midlands Leadership Group for the 2012 Games, spoke at the forum about 2012-related activities and opportunities in the region.

Speaking after the event, he said: “The Sponsors Forum was a great way for us to demonstrate how the West Midlands is already benefiting from the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and to discuss with London 2012 sponsors the ways in which we can work together to maximise the opportunities for communities and businesses in our region to engage with, and benefit from, the Games now, in the run up to 2012 and beyond it.

Our aim is to make sure as many people as possible have their own Olympic and Paralympic moment and working with London 2012 sponsors at a regional level will support us in achieving this.”

The event was also attended by Justin King, chief executive of Sainsbury and board member of the London Organising Committee for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) , who delivered the key-note opening address at the forum.

Cheryl Russell, National Business Development Manager for QMH UK Ltd,  owners of the Holiday Inn Stratford-upon-Avon hotel said: “We were delighted to have the opportunity to be involved with and host the London 2012 Sponsors Forum.  We found the opportunity to meet with other sponsors and gain an understanding of how we can work together to maximize the impact of the games across the region invaluable. 

The London 2012 Games provide a unique opportunity to showcase the region to the world and it was encouraging to see so many different sponsors adding their support to the work that both Advantage West Midlands and CW2012 have already done in bringing the games to the region.”