Lima 2019 PanAm Games: UK trade mission highlights the importance of a lasting legacy
Over 30 delegates visited Peru to share their international expertise and identify opportunities to support the Lima 2019 Panamerican Games.
Over 30 delegates visited Peru to share their international expertise and identify opportunities to support the Lima 2019 Panamerican Games.
The British Embassy Lima this week welcomed a major trade mission from the UK, composed of over 30 business leaders interested in new opportunities to support the Pan American Games Lima 2019. This was the UK’s largest trade delegation to Peru in recent memory. Key sectors included transportation, security, catering, marketing, technology and broadcasting.
British companies have worked as partners on every major sporting event from the Sydney Olympics in 2000 to the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics in 2018. Companies joining the mission played an important role delivering mega events like London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2014 and the 2016 Rio Games.
The DIT team at the British Embassy Lima organised a seminar called “ Inspiring Future Generations: Maximizing the Economic and Social Legacy of Sporting Events”, which was attended by around 170 local stakeholders. At the seminar, UK expert speakers and the Peruvian organisers of Lima2019 underscored the importance of leaving a lasting and inclusive legacy for the people of Peru after the Games. The UK companies also had business meetings with Lima2019 and Peruvian companies to identify specific business opportunities, and visited several construction sites of the Pan American Games.
The UK’s Ambassador to Peru Anwar Choudhury said:
“Sport is a national obsession in Peru and the UK alike – inspiring and uniting us. In 2017, the UK and Peru signed a Government-to-Government agreement for the UK to support the successful delivery of the Lima 2019 Pan American and ParaPan American Games”.
“The British companies joining this mission have come to Lima to share their experience, and learn more about the partnership opportunities that Lima2019 opens up in Peru and the wider region. They bring the inspiration, expertise and skills that will help ensure a Games and legacy to be proud of’.
Ben Fletcher, Director of Strategy, Marketing and Communication at The London Legacy Development Corporation, said:
“Delivering a powerful Legacy was part of our successful bid for the 2012 Games and one of the reasons why the International Olympic Committee (IOC) chose London; delivering our Legacy commitments and priorities was at the heart of planning London 2012. The London Legacy Development Corporation was created to maximise the opportunities to transform east London that were created by the Games. It has been a great pleasure to share our experiences with the talented team and dynamic leaders who will deliver a great Lima2019. They were interested to hear how legacy and the creation of a dedicated agency has helped create so many new jobs and houses and wider social benefits”.
Key facts:
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The government-to-government agreement between the United Kingdom and Peru implies that bids for the Pan American Games will follow the UK’s New Engineering Contract (NEC) model, which has allowed to speed-up current infrastructure projects and reduce costs.
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The UK Bribery Act (2010) has some of the most rigorous anti-corruption standards in the world. The UK is ranked amongst the Top 10 least corrupt countries in the world, according to Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI).
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The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games contributed over £14 billion in investments and trade for the UK economy. By 2020, the added value to the UK economy as a result of hosting the Games will be between £28 billion and £41 billion.
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Facilities built for London 2012 have regenerated a previously underdeveloped area of the city. Nearly 10 million people have visited the Olympic Park since it was fully reopened in 2014 and the former Olympic Village now houses over 6,000 people.