Article from Mike Hawkins JP - Executive Secretary of Brentwood Chamber of Commerce; For Vision for Business, January 2007

The Olympics come to Brentwood

How far away the 2012 Olympics seemed when London’s successful bid was announced just 18 months ago. But here we are in 2007, just 5 years to go and suddenly it starts to seem not far away at all, especially when there is so much to be done to make sure the London games are the best ever.

It is pleasing to be able to say, however, that the ‘Olympic’ Borough of Brentwood is already ahead of the game and has certainly become alive to the opportunities which the build-up to the Olympics present to our community – as well, of course as the 2012 games themselves.

Just a few weeks after the original announcement in 2005, Brentwood Chamber of Commerce held our annual summer networking event in BT’s spacious offices and grounds in the London Road. As has become customary, there was a distinguished panel of local opinion-formers, including Council Leaders and our local M.P., lined up to take questions and debate issues of topical interest.

A couple of questions came up about what Brentwood was going to do to make sure that local businesses and residents could take full advantage of this unique opportunity, and this triggered off a long discussion about the best way to approach the challenge. It seems to have bourn fruit because the Council’s ‘Brentwood Business in the Community’ conference, held before Christmas, was all about what the Olympics could mean for Brentwood.

It was entitled “2012: A Vision for Brentwood” and had as its centrepiece an excellent film in DVD form made by Capricorn Media, a Chamber of Commerce member. If you have not already seen it, you should take the opportunity to do so. Brentwood Council’s website describes how you can get hold of it. It presents Brentwood in an extremely favourable light, - as it deserves to be portrayed - and it will make you proud to be a ‘Brentwoodian’.

Brentwood Chamber of Commerce’s Vice Chairman, Rob Bristow, has been elected as Chairman of the town’s ‘Brentwood 2012’ Committee. The group will be taking a close look at all the angles necessary to make sure that Brentwood enjoys a successful and positive Olympics, and Chamber of Commerce will therefore have a role to play in looking after the interests of local business.

The opportunities are not just about the few weeks of the games themselves, when the Mountain Biking event will come to Weald Park bringing thousands of visitors and the world’s media - putting Brentwood firmly in the global spotlight. Everything must run smoothly and visitors must be given the best possible impression of Brentwood – so much so that they might want to come back to visit, work, live…. or at least shop!

As Brentwood is only 15 minutes by train from the Olympic Stadium site, we could see thousands of spectators and media representatives wanting to stay in this area, eat, drink here or just look around. And that goes just for the period immediately surrounding the games themselves. But there will be other high profile pre-Olympic Mountain Biking events (required by the IOC as ‘dress rehearsals’) which could also provide business opportunities. For any business with ambitions to take advantage of the trading possibilities on offer, now is the time to start planning.

And, of course, for the residents of Brentwood, this once-in-a-lifetime event should be hugely exciting. If we give the Council and other local bodies involved in the preparations our 100% support, Brentwood will be placed firmly on the map for many years to come.