British businesses urged to get behind London 2012

LONDON, July 19 (Reuters) Just like Germany and the World Cup, Britain will be consumed by a ''feel-good factor'' when it hosts the Olympic Games in 2012 and the country's businesses have a huge opportunity to benefit, officials said today.

Olympics Minister Tessa Jowell told a business conference in Leeds, northern England, that thousands of contracts would be on offer with businesses from across the country in a position to bid for work.

''Last month I saw how the World Cup changed Germany -- a nation that was lifted, a return of the feel-good factor,'' she told business leaders.

''Major sporting events, and there is none bigger (than the Olympic Games), have the power to lift people, to change the mood and to transform the nation's sense of itself.'' In a bid to reflect the size of the Games and the opportunities they bring, the London 2012 CEO Paul Deighton compared the Olympics to the highly successful World Cup which finished in Berlin on July 9.

''By way of contrast, the recent World Cup football finals -- a huge event, watched by capacity crowds in the stadiums and billions of people on TV across the planet -- are dwarfed by the Olympic and Paralympic Games,'' he said.

''Instead of the 32 countries taking part in the World Cup finals, it's over 200 in the Olympic Games -- more in fact than are members of the United Nations.

''This is the most positive thing to happen in this country in our lifetimes and we have to make the most of it.'' ''There will be opportunities for many, many companies, either directly or indirectly, to be involved in and benefit from delivering the extensive range of goods, services and resources needed to stage the Games -- from one person home-based operations to small-to-medium enterprises and big corporations.'' As an example of the variety of their needs, Deighton revealed some of the figures from the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000, such as the 12 million meals needed for athletes and spectators, 5,000 vehicles used and the 17,320 beds required in the Olympic village.

To help British businesses keep up to date with the developing opportunities, Deighton also announced a feature on the organisation's Web site, www.london2012.com/business, which will supply information and allow companies to register their interest.

Reuters YA GC0059