Business - Business News

POSTED: Wednesday, Nov. 05, 2008

Business opportunities still available for 2010 Olympics

BELLINGHAM - With the presidential election out of the way, Whatcom County can now turn its attention to the next big deal for this area: The 2010 Winter Olympics.

That's the message keynote speaker Brian Krieger brought to the eighth annual Western Washington University Bellingham Business Forum on Wednesday, Nov. 5, at the Hotel Bellwether Ballroom. With a little more than 15 months before the games begin, Krieger said now is an important time for Whatcom County businesses, as well as the community, to become involved in the global event.

"Whatcom County has a unique opportunity to tell the stories of this region to the world," said Krieger director of the 2010 Commerce Centre in Vancouver. "There is also a lot of business left to do, but not a lot of time."

With construction of most of the venues completed, he said much of the need now is for contracts in the service and supply industries. For example, the games will need 1,400 motor coaches, and Canada doesn't have enough to meet that demand, so officials are working with U.S. companies. They are also busy hunting down one million square feet of tent material for office use, such as covering media equipment.

At this point, it is difficult to estimate what direct impact the Winter Olympics might have on Whatcom County, particularly in lodging. If the 2010 Olympics draw the same numbers as Salt Lake City in 2002 or Torino in 2006, it'll be around 250,000 visitors, which could be handled by the Vancouver metro area's lodging facilities. If there are more visitors, they will probably look at Whatcom County as a place to stay during the games.

"I think we're right on the edge on whether it will spill over into Whatcom County," Krieger said to a sold-out crowd of around 340 people.

Along with businesses, Krieger said they'll need about 25,000 community volunteers to help out during the games. Volunteers will get to see what happens behind the scenes of the Olympics.

For businesses interested in potential contracts, a place to start is www.2010CommerceCentre.gov.bc.ca. The site has information about business opportunities, as well as workshops and contract award schedules.

The Bellingham Business Forum is presented by the Western Washington University Foundation, which uses the event to bring together corporate and civic leaders, alumni and others interested in the university and business trends.