I was in Auckland with the British and Irish Lions when London was awarded the 2012 Olympic Games. Very excited, my first thought was ‘how can I get involved’?

Roll on two years and my excitement grew when I filled in my volunteer form. After working at Synergy for nearly 30 years and with an employment history of running media offices in a number of different sports, I assumed – wrongly as it turned out – that I would be an ideal volunteer to work in one of the many media centres.

Over the next nine months I continued to receive emails from the LOCOG Games Maker programme saying I hadn’t been forgotten but on the other hand I hadn’t been chosen…

Suddenly, three weeks ago, I received an email saying my application had been reconsidered and could I come in for an interview – not for the media centre but instead the Spectator Entry Team!  Still keen to be involved, I rang up and booked my interview time.

So it was that last Friday I found myself heading towards LOCOG’s offices in Canary Wharf to attend my interview.  A group of us sat waiting – about 12 in total – representing a cross-section of London society.

Escorted to the office, the group was full of questions and we were given an outline of the role for which we were being interviewed – in short, we would be ambassadors outside the venues helping spectators with information and also ‘providing entertainment’ if the security queues got too long.  Not quite sure what he meant by that, but it certainly was a worry when we were told that it might take an hour and half to get through security into the venue…it might need a little bit more than us entertaining them with that wait!

We moved on to have our ID checked and our photo taken – in case we are chosen – and were then taken into a holding area full of information about 2012.

Next stop a cinema to watch a short film on the programme – with sweets provided by a nice man from Cadbury and clear mention of our training was being provided by McDonald’s – which constituted a very funny to camera piece from Eddie Izzard. Then the interview…

The interviewer assured us that this would be very informal, asking us the following questions: what is your favourite Olympic memory (I chose Steve Redgrave winning his fifth Gold medal); why do you think you can do the role (given that we had only been told what it was 10 minutes earlier, there was a need to think quickly); how many days can you commit to, etc.

My favourite Olympic memory

With the interview over, we headed down towards the Tube, and I discovered that I was not the only person that hadn’t been selected when their experience might be best-suited…there was a doctor (who had ticked the ‘Medical’ box) and two other media officers (who had ticked the ‘Media’ box).  Most interestingly there was the guy who had researched Boris Johnson’s background for ‘Who do you think you are?’ – I am not sure which box he’d ticked though!

So I am now waiting to see whether I have been chosen and if so to which venue…perhaps it will be Lord’s which is only five minutes from my house and I know like the back of my hand having worked there for various sponsors over the past 20 years – just please don’t  give me Wembley!

Stay tuned for the next update…

By Fiona Foster on November 18th, 2011

Tags: Default, London 2012 sponsorship, London 2012 sponsorship consultants, Olympic sponsorship, Olympic sponsorship consultants, Olympics, Sponsorship, Sport, Synergy, Team GB

2 comments

Having spent the last 30 years working in the sports industry, I am sometimes asked, 'what is your most memorable moment?'.

While the obvious one was seeing England win the Rugby World Cup in 2003, the actual one was a day in 2004 as the Assistant Tournament Director for the Benson and Hedges International Open.

My mobile rang and a voice said ‘Is that Fiona?’. 'Yes...' I said. This was followed by those immortal words ‘This is Seve’. Wow I thought! But  before I could gather my thoughts and reply he said ‘Where’s my driver? I am in the arrivals hall at Gatwick and there is no sign of her...’

A brief conversation followed about  how drivers were not permitted in the baggage hall, but safe to say she was definitely waiting for him in arrivals...

There will only ever be one Seve. Everyone who was lucky enough to see him play or meet him will always remember that day.

By Fiona Foster on May 10th, 2011

Tags: Celebrity, Golf, Rugby, World Cup

No comments

While attending this weekend’s Senior Open Championship two obvious differences struck me from the Open Championship staged at Royal Birkdale the previous weekend.

First was the sponsorship of the Senior Open Championship by Mastercard – or I should say presented by Mastercard.  As a branding exercise it was excellent with their logo appearing everywhere and on everything from the marshalls’ armbands to their very distinctive signage on each tee.  It would have been difficult for anyone to walk away at the end of the day without knowing who was the presenting sponsor.  A contrast to Royal Birkdale where the R&A’s Open patrons – Rolex, RBS, Unisys, Lexus, Nikon, MMC –  are given equal billing with no one brand dominating.

The second difference was the lack of a Bollinger Tent in the spectator village at Royal Troon.  For seasoned campaigners the Bollinger Tent at the Open is a must – a venue at which to see and be seen.  This weekend a glass of Hardys wine was about the best on offer! 

I wonder who decided that a Bollinger Tent was not necessary at the Senior Open?

By Fiona Foster on July 30th, 2008

Tags: Golf, Sponsorship

1 comment