Missed Opportunity at the Olympics - Go Canada! - Paralympics!

The Winter Olympics are over. Well, almost. Go Canada in round #2 - the Paralympics! The Media FX Group was proud to have been involved, contributing our multi-screen technology to the BC Pavilion, which will be open for the 2010 Paralympics as well.

I was asked the other day about my thoughts on VANOC’s management of the games. The media has certainly been singing their praises. Give me a break – I say!

What are you saying, Ron?? Did you not like the Olympics so far?? Blasphemy!

No! That’s not what I am saying. I thoroughly enjoyed this once-in-a-life-time experience. But I certainly do not credit John Furlong or VANOC.

First of all, the credit goes to the local spectators (99% Canadian) who endured the long 3+ hour waits to get into any of the venues. Secondly, to the Canadian athletes who won Gold, Silver and Bronze. And finally, the weather. The glorious sunny weather that made Vancouverites come out of their houses and apartments in droves. John Furlong has nothing to do with this. He was a acceptable administrator, with a VERY poor French accent.

On that note, I was supremely embarrassed by the closing ceremonies. The Media FX Group has worked for the Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC) in branding Canada, and what I saw (with the exception of the celebrity endorsements – which I enjoyed) was a BIG no-no, no!!!!. The opening ceremonies, BEAUTIFUL!!! Well done CIRQUE DU SOLEIL. But the tongue in cheek off-Broadway Canadian satire, was idiotic. Don’t get me wrong. I enjoyed it (some-what). But it was a waste of a HUGE opportunity to make another feel good, tourism extravaganza. “Keep Exploring” – is the latest CTC branding for international audiences. What I saw was.. “Canadian’s are idiots and have no culture – so they make fun of themselves”. How is that going to help us pay for the 2.5 billion to put the games on? Certainly, the US, Chinese, Japanese, and Europeans who did watch the spectacle, will not think.. “Hey, I love beavers and moose, and those Monty Python Mounties... Let’s got to Canada on vacation next year”.

In a nut shell, if it rained like it normally does, and if Canada did no better than they did in Calgary, including a lost to the American’s in the Hockey game. And if 200,000+ people did not scream out the Canadian anthem all day and all night (right outside my window)... These games would be perceived a lot differently. And those things John Furlong and VANOC, had no control of. His success was a fluke.

So hats off to Canadians, our athletes and the weather! Hopefully that was enough to make an impact on tourism. I'm not so hopeful that the Paralympics will have the following worldwide to make any impact. If they don’t, according to the stats I saw on TV, British Columbian’s now owe almost $500 each (more).. on top of growing national debt. Yikes!