Vancouver Round One

The Games are on and there’s one week down. What a rollercoaster ride it has been so far. No doubt you have read about all the controversy and celebration. The US is leading the medal count right now and there have been some surprises. But my ruminations in this post are more about the visitor experience that is not in the news. The rest you can get on NBC (although it’s broadcast 3 hours late on the west coast) or CBCTV if you live in Canada or elsewhere around the world.

The first obstacle of attending the 2010 Olympic Games is that you have to get to Canada. Crossing the border at the “Peace Arch” or the “Truck Crossing” is your first decision. The lighted “Crossing Update” sign read “5 minutes” at either point. We locals like to think the “Truck Crossing” is our little secret but in reality I’m sure it’s used as much as the “Peace Arch” is.

I decided to chance the “Peace Arch” and as I approached there was absolutely no traffic. This was mid-morning and I have never seen it so devoid of cars. As I came over the hill, I saw 12 brand spanking new crossing booths, all open, all manned and not a single car but mine to be seen. It was so easy it made me uncomfortable. I felt like I was cheating…but so be it.

The drive into downtown Vancouver, about 30 miles, was equally pleasant. I even took my favorite route, Cambie Street, and hardly missed a light. This was all really surprising. Vancouver is the largest city to ever host a Winter Olympic Games and, at the very least, you would think that traffic would be a problem.

When I arrived in town, I quickly parked in a covered lot near False Bay for $12 a day. Then, after a great lunch of cooked-to-order chowder and fried oysters at Rodney’s Oyster House, my favorite hole-in-the-wall, I began to explore.

The new subway system had just opened and I had to give it a try. Easy access. Two routes, not too confusing. It takes you within a five minute walk of any downtown neighborhood or the waterfront for $2.50 and the ticket is good for 90 minutes. Truth be told, there are signs that say you must have a ticket and may be asked to show it but no one ever did.

The powder blue jackets of the Games volunteers stood out everywhere. There are reportedly more than 25,000 and I had trouble stumping them with questions about the activities and directions in the downtown corridor. And they were eager to help.

The Olympic Flame and Cauldron was my first real objective. It had only been burning for a couple of days since The Great One touched the flaming torch to it. When I reached the waterfront and asked which way, the hand pointed down the street and the young volunteer said, “You’ll see the crowd!” And what a crowd it was. Probably 500 people were jammed up against a 10-foot-high, chain-link fence about 30 yards from the Flame. It looked like the Berlin Wall. People were climbing the fence and building human pyramids to get a better look or to take pictures. The rest kept maneuvering forward until they could stick their cameras through the links to get an unobstructed photo. The plaza around the Flame was beautiful, with the water and the mountains behind North Vancouver, but only a handful of VIP’s were walking around it. This was the first critical point of connection with the public and it was a huge mess.

Then I decided to try the Official Olympic Merchandise Shop. To get there, I had to go down Robson Street, a major retail thoroughfare. It is blocked off to cars for the Games and the crowds full of Canada-capped, red-jacketed, Maple-Leaf-mufflered revelers were stifling. But everyone seemed to be happy and having a good time.

The shop is located in a large section of the main floor of the Hudson’s Bay Company. The checkout line was more than 6 blocks long and they were letting new shoppers through a stancioned- entrance ONE AT A TIME. It’s good to be popular but not that popular. I asked some visitors on the street (mostly Canadians from other provinces) where they bought their souvenirs and they directed me to the nearby Sears store that has a good selection of Official Merchandise and no lines whatsoever. The hooded sweatshirts are still $80 though.

The International Media Centre was my ultimate goal to meet with the VANOC (Vancouver Organizing Committee) folks I would be working with during the Games. It’s in a perfect spot near the Pan Pacific Hotel on the waterfront and a stone’s throw from the chain-linked cauldron. The offices are small but comfortable and there are battalions of paid and volunteer workers whose job it is to make these Games comfortable, entertaining and successful for the athletes, the spectators, visitors and dignitaries alike.

The Games were never out of sight. Every restaurant, bar and retail shop had big screen TVs with CBC's live coverage from Whistler and Vancouver/Richmond in full view. Even several high-rise buildings had jumbotron sized screens mounted on the exterior walls for street viewing. The city is immersed in the Winter Olympics.

Strategy is my game and I’m there to help communicate and promote in the most effective ways possible. VANOC and the sponsor group are my clients. They are already facing many unanticipated problems but I’ll talk about that in my next post.

Hoteliers and restaurateurs who I spoke with had seen great opening weekend business but by early this week traffic was dropping off quickly. Hotel rooms were readily available at significantly reduced rates and there were no long waits at most restaurants. Tickets to the competitions were being sold on the street for a fraction of face value. Ticket scalping is legal in Canada and the VANOC officials say they simply don’t have time to discourage it. Almost any venue imaginable was available for $50 or less per ticket.

For me, this first trip was to get the lay of the land. From the Opening Ceremonies to Canada’s first Gold Medal on Canadian soil, the host city was gracious, attentive and welcoming in every way. They were dealing with their problems head-on and the objective was always what was best for the athletes and the visitors.

When I drove back to Seattle and came to the Peace Arch crossing, the sign still read “5 Minutes”. The difference was that the US-maintained side of the crossing was unfinished. Construction equipment and piles of dirt and debris were scattered everywhere. It was like a slalom course to reach the crossing booth but there was one open with no wait. “What did you do while you were in Canada?” the guard asked. “Saw a lot of Canadians,” I said. He laughed and waved me on.