It's cost £9billion. Are we going to make a profit? How?

It's cost £9billion. Are we going to make a profit? How?

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Discussion

AdvocatusD

Original Poster:

2,277 posts

236 months

Monday 30th July 2012
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The Olympics cost an eye watering figure, that has been expended over 7 years. How much do we expect to recoup over the 4 weeks, and beyond?

SystemParanoia

14,343 posts

203 months

Monday 30th July 2012
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we dont

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Gargamel

15,173 posts

266 months

Monday 30th July 2012
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And yet we spend 12 bn a Year on Overseas Aid.

rhinochopig

17,932 posts

203 months

Monday 30th July 2012
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Impossible to tell really, and there are lots of hidden benefits too. For example, if they inspire a generation of kids to go out and do some sport and lose weight, then it will save a fortune for the NHS. Besides, we can simply print some more money if we run out.

Ikemi

8,474 posts

210 months

Monday 30th July 2012
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Tourism? The Opening Ceremony persuaded me to want to visit London and I'm only 25 miles away smile

BlackVanDyke

9,932 posts

216 months

Monday 30th July 2012
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International relations, trade stuff will presumably be very affected by the general wave of positivity that an Olympic Games seems to generate. That could be worth a hell of a lot of money.

Squiggs

1,520 posts

160 months

Monday 30th July 2012
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I know there are 3 oylmpic size prefabricated training pools, identical in every way to the proper thing, starting blocks, lane floats, etc, etc.
I presume things like this can be sold off once it's all over.

AJI

5,180 posts

222 months

Monday 30th July 2012
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Have any previous olympic stages made any profit?
(I remember reading a while back that no previous Olympics have ever seen a return on the 'investment' put in).

TonyHetherington

32,091 posts

255 months

Monday 30th July 2012
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Squiggs said:
I know there are 3 oylmpic size prefabricated training pools, identical in every way to the proper thing, starting blocks, lane floats, etc, etc.
I presume things like this can be sold off once it's all over.
Thing is though, there's not a huge amount of demand for olympic spec swimming pools.

Same as the Olympic Stadium - as brilliant as it is, when the park's finished there's no call for an 80,000 athletics stadium. They've built it so the number of seats can be reduced afterwards, but even so they're still struggling to sell it on still.

Pixelpeep

8,600 posts

147 months

Monday 30th July 2012
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Ikemi said:
Tourism? The Opening Ceremony persuaded me to want to visit London and I'm only 25 miles away smile
lol - like that smile

Yachtworker

1,256 posts

160 months

Monday 30th July 2012
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I thought now it has finally started people might stop moaning about the cost, dig anywhere and you will find dirt. I honestly dont know what people expect the UK to do in these times. Look at any company that has a Marketing dept, all they do is spend money even when the rest of the firm is struggling, but its always necessary, just look at it like that.

Man-At-Arms

5,915 posts

184 months

Monday 30th July 2012
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AJI said:
Have any previous olympic stages made any profit?
(I remember reading a while back that no previous Olympics have ever seen a return on the 'investment' put in).
only the IOC makes any money out of the Games

And that's by all the corporate sponsorships

Bluebarge

4,519 posts

183 months

Monday 30th July 2012
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AJI said:
Have any previous olympic stages made any profit?
(I remember reading a while back that no previous Olympics have ever seen a return on the 'investment' put in).
The Atlanta games tried to, and they were among the worst in modern memory.

A lot of the cash will already have flowed back to the Exchequer indirectly via contracts placed with UK firms that generate taxable profits, plus a chunk of money that otherwise might have been required to re-build and police Stratford has now been saved.

It will be a massive boost to tourism and the UK's image as a modern nation, and there are hundreds of trade jamborees on the sidelines aimed at getting investment into Britain. A lot of the venues will be re-used for future sports events which will be cash-generators.

I reckon it will have been a good investment, but we may never be able to say "it turned a profit" because a lot of the benefits will be indirect and will not arrive in UK coffers marked "from the Olympics"

RemaL

24,989 posts

239 months

Monday 30th July 2012
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Ikemi said:
Tourism? The Opening Ceremony persuaded me to want to visit London and I'm only 25 miles away smile
just what the wife said when we watched it, my daughter wants to visit London. both my wife and myself have not gone inside the M25 for the last 20 years. had no need so never bothered before.

Only in Bristol ourselves but feel at some point int he near future we all will be visiting London as a family

MagicalTrevor

6,476 posts

234 months

Monday 30th July 2012
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Ok, it cost £9bn and there are 62.2million of us. That's £145 each, of which we'll recover part of that. I've not idea what we'll recover but there is the benefits that you simply can't calculate. I thought the opening ceremony was amazing and made me very proud to be British.

£145 (minus recoverables) well spent I say!

bigandclever

13,918 posts

243 months

Monday 30th July 2012
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AJI said:
Have any previous olympic stages made any profit?
(I remember reading a while back that no previous Olympics have ever seen a return on the 'investment' put in).
Wiki would have you believe that LA, Seoul, Barcelona and Atlanta all made a profit.

shirt

23,176 posts

206 months

Monday 30th July 2012
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Yachtworker said:
I thought now it has finally started people might stop moaning about the cost, dig anywhere and you will find dirt. I honestly dont know what people expect the UK to do in these times. Look at any company that has a Marketing dept, all they do is spend money even when the rest of the firm is struggling, but its always necessary, just look at it like that.
preceisely. plus a lot of the money has gone into uk firms and created british jobs. half the structural engineers i know have been working full time on olympic projects for years.

NDA

22,152 posts

230 months

Monday 30th July 2012
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If we hadn't bid for the games, there would be an equal number of moaning minnies. smile

I don't think you can operate a dollar in, dollar out formula for the Olympics. The benefits will be felt for many years I would have thought - and most of it indirect. The American couple who return next year and spend £2k in UK shops (for example).

The feel good factor is worth a fair bit too.

Fittster

20,120 posts

218 months

Monday 30th July 2012
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AdvocatusD said:
The Olympics cost an eye watering figure, that has been expended over 7 years. How much do we expect to recoup over the 4 weeks, and beyond?
It's going to cost £11 billion and won't make a profit and won't leave a useful legacy.

GT03ROB

13,533 posts

226 months

Monday 30th July 2012
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Compared to the money spent in benefit payments, it's good value! biggrin