University of Surrey hosts conference on the Olympic Games and Social Exclusion

Wednesday 25 January 2012

On January 23rd 2012, the Surrey Tourism Research Centre, in cooperation with the Higher Education Olympic and Paralympic Games Special Interest Group hosted a conference entitled: ‘A legacy for All? London 2012 and Social Exclusion’. The conference attracted 50 delegates from a range of UK universities, and presented the work of 5 speakers.

 

The keynote speaker, Stephen Frost, head of Inclusion of the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games, outlined the ways in which LOCOG has implemented London’s promise to become ‘the most inclusive Games ever’. He highlighted the main successes and challenges for the organisation and provided many examples of inclusive social legacies. 

Dr Lynn Minnaert, of the University of Surrey, presented her work on the role of the IOC in achieving social legacies. Her presentation was followed by Professor Gavin Poynter (University of East London), who outlined the main role of governments in regeneration and legacy development.

Mumtaz Bashir, head of the ‘Personal Best’ pre-volunteering programme, provided a fascinating account of inclusive legacy strategies in action. The seminar concluded with a presentation by Peter Vlachos (University of Greenwich), who discussed the impacts of the Olympic Games on small businesses in Greenwich.

Several presentations from this seminar can be downloaded from the event page. 

For pictures of the event, visit the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management Facebook page. 

If you would like further information about this seminar or about Olympic research at the University of Surrey, please contact: