Business velocity gets going at the Velodrome

Ahead of the formal opening of the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, Glasgow Business Club members launched their new season’s programme there on Tuesday 18 September.

The outside of the Velodrome main entrance. Prior to the official opening soon, no photography is permitted inside.

A lunch with more than 100 people heard Gordon Arthur, Director of Communications and Marketing for the 2014 Commonwealth Games, detail business opportunities open to companies of all sizes.

‘The railings around this place were all made by a local company who’d never done this before but who saw the business opportunity,’  he said. ‘There are £126 m worth of contracts at tier one – and there are three tiers to go!’

He advised members to sign up with the Glasgow Business Portal and register their interest.

He also emphasised there were many ways to be involved.  ’The opportunities for people to make the Games their own are unbelievable,’ he said.

People can register now to buy tickets when they go on sale next summer. The Queen’s Baton Relay will cover all 71 Commonwealth countries competing with 4000 people needed in the UK to carry the baton here. Employers will soon be given information on how to support employees wishing to be among the 15,000 volunteers needed. But there are only 673 days to go….. he encouraged!

Legacies from the Games are already in place with hockey pitches opening next year, Toryglen Soccer Centre is already busy and even the Velodrome itself, is being used as a Glasgow Club venue for sports and health activities for people in Glasgow.

A culture programme would also be part of the Games which take place between 23 July and 3 August 2014. A total of 17 sports are programmed.

The Games tartan – a winning design by Shawlands Academy pupil, Aamir Mehmood – has been launched and Gordon Arthur promised ‘you’ll see a lot more of it from now on.’

The Games Mascot will be announced this week – Thursday 20 September.

An easily digestible catalogue of facts and figures on the Games went down well with the Business Club members. This was the first occasion that three separate business clubs covering – south, east and west of the city – had met formally under the new banner of Glasgow Business Club.

Said Norman Ferguson, President and host on the day: ‘Echoing the words of Remo Pisaneschi the previous President of Glasgow South Business Club – this is an ideal opportunity for a larger club to offer more to members by joining together. It also means Glasgow Regeneration can continue to be supportive as it has been for 26 years. The new Glasgow Business Club is a city wide agency providing one point of contact for companies.’

The next meeting will be on Tuesday 23 October at Ibrox Stadium where new members will be welcomed along with established members of the three previous Clubs to a networking lunch.  Contact www.glasgowbusinessclub.co.uk for further information.

Gordon Arthur, head of 2014 Games Communications and Marketing and Norman Ferguson, President of the Glasgow Business Club at the inaugural meeting in the Velodrome