H O M E

SEMINAR
Area46.com
Est. 1995

Hi, I'm Maurice Cardinal.

I hope you can join us for this Meet Up.

It's going to be Kits casual, and deal primarily with the special challenges retailers and restaurateurs will face when the 2010 Olympics come to town.

My goal is to help you understand how to compete effectively in this unique 2010 market.

I am Pro-Olympics, with a twist ... which means I love the sport, but hate the politics.

I live in and operate my business in Kitsilano, and since 1993 have developed online marketing strategies for companies all over the world. Our clients have Olympic contracts that range from modest amounts up to ten million dollars. I have also managed cultural events for the '88 Olympics in Calgary, which means I have first hand knowledge regarding how challenging it can be to do business in an Olympic region. You can learn more about my background here.


Business owners in all Olympic regions always
mistakenly feel it's easy to leverage Olympic momentum.

During the 2010 Bid, politicians, and those with a vested interest in the Olympics promoted that all you have to do is open your doors and athletes and spectators will swarm.

Nothing could be further from reality.

In fact, if you've been listening carefully, lately, these same people are now telling you the exact opposite. Tourism leaders are promoting that the only gains local businesses will realize will be long term. In an effort to protect their monopoly they are trying to convince you that you should just sit back and go along for the ride. They literally do not want you to compete for athlete and spectator revenue while everyone is in town. Does this make sense? Not to me, and I hope you see through it too.

Granted, Olympic athletes and spectators are picky, and focused on participating in the Games.

The reality though is that most Olympic operations are also usually poorly managed, which means spectators are run ragged. They complain about it all the time. When this happens they tend not to venture too far from their hotels. Based on our extensive research and contrary to what VANOC is promoting, Vancouver is unfortunately shaping up to be just like all other Olympic events, and the recession is making it worse.

2010 will be chaotic and an exercise in extreme frustration for everyone.

In one respect the IOC is correct when they say Olympic spectators are not average tourists, but it's not for the reasons they promote. For starters, the Olympics is a monopoly, which means for every dollar spent at your business means money is not channeled to Olympic organization coffers. Don't underestimate the significance of this statement. VANOC and their sponsors have little incentive to send money your way. If you want it you will have to compete just like everyone else. They are counting on your trusting nature. If they really had a plan to share with you, well, they would have shared it long ago. Don't hold your breath.


Without doubt SOME businesses will make a killing marketing products and services to Olympic athletes and spectators, but unfortunately, it will primarily be companies in the Olympic epicenter, which is in the Robson and Granville neighborhoods. Businesses outside this hot zone will not realize the same action.

VANOC and the IOC work very hard to ensure spectators spend time and money on their turf, but if you use social media tools properly you can attract and entice athletes and spectators to your corner of the world.

It's not as hard as many think, and it is affordable, even in this recession. The reality though is if you do nothing, and simply wait, the opportunity will pass you by, so I hope to see you on Tuesday so we can all discuss some of the options available to businesses in Kitsilano.

It's a new era, and thanks to the internet and social media, Olympic organizations no longer so tightly control the market in Host regions. I'm looking forward to meeting you and answering questions you have regarding the 2010 Olympics, but please don't hesitate to contact me directly beforehand. If you have specific questions email me so I can be prepared to answer them effectively during the meet up.


Click Here to Register your Spot for the
Next Seminar on June 23, 2009 at 6:00 pm Sorry ... you missed this event
But if you click here we'll let you know when we run another seminar.

Door prizes totaled more than $2,600.00 - click here to see who WON !!


or ... call us now for more information 604.739.6796

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