Member Article
World Corporate Games launch in Liverpool
Liverpool’s hosting of the World Corporate Games 2014 is to be launched to at the city’s St George’s Hall tonight.
The Games, which take place next June, are part of the International Festival for Business being held in the city next year.
As the world’s biggest annual corporate multi-sports festival, the Games are expected to generate more than £3m for the local economy.
Among firms already confirmed for the event are Asda, Lloyds Banking Group, IBM, Accenture and global professional services group Towers Watson who said they will enter almost 200 competitors from their 13 UK offices.
Originating in San Francisco in 1988, the Corporate Games will be brought to the city by the world’s largest annual corporate multi-sport festival, Provider’s, partnered by the International Festival for Business, Liverpool Vision and Liverpool Chamber of Commerce.
Thousands of athletes from across the world are expected to take part in the event.
Dr Maureen Johnston is president and founder of the Worldwide Corporate Sports Community which has more than 20 national and regional Corporate Games in progress.
She said: “The World Corporate Games is the ultimate in corporate multi-sports festivals and this is an incredibly exciting time for us, having recently celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Games on a worldwide platform.
“The Games brings people together, giving incredible opportunities to everyday athletes who play sport for fun and for the fitness it provides.”
Competitors can choose from 24 sports, including badminton, netball, tennis, dragon boat racing, golf, and football.
The Games will be staged at a selection of sports facilities around the area.
Games director Ben Sedgemore said: “As an ex-professional sportsperson myself, I can tell you that it is tough to replicate the camaraderie and team spirit that you experience in professional team sport when you move to an office environment. However, I am a firm believer that the Corporate Games is the perfect vehicle to achieve that.”
Liverpool Vision chief executive Max Steinberg added: “We are thrilled that we have been successful in winning the bid to see the World Corporate Games staged in our great city.
“We are very proud that the Games headquarters recognised the immense potential in the city when they successfully staged the UK Corporate Games in 2010 and therefore, we are delighted that we have been able to take our involvement onto the world stage.
“We would encourage all business people from around the world to join us and I know that we can guarantee you the warmest of warm welcomes.”
This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Simon Malia .