Source: Sheffield First for Investment Press Release 06/10/06
Sheffield is to host the 2007 UK Corporate Games, the largest sporting event for businesses in Europe, bringing around 6,000 participants to the city and an expected boost to the local economy of over £2 million over one weekend in the summer of 2007.
Organisers see the event as a major boost to the local economy and an opportunity for the city to create a lasting impression on some of the most influential corporate decision-makers in the country.
The Corporate Games, running from 29th June to 1st July, will feature employees from over 300 organisations competing in 21 sports to a very high standard, utilising the sports venues in and around Sheffield.
Local businesses are being encouraged to enter teams, which can be a single person or as many as 400 people, to join some of the world's best known companies to compete for the medals.
Gary Clifton, major sports events manager at Sheffield City Council, says: "This is another excellent opportunity for Sheffield to demonstrate its ability to host a huge event and for both the sporting and business aspects of the city to shine.
"We are working closely with the Corporate Games company to make this their best ever event."
David Fletcher, director at Sheffield First for Investment, says: "The city was chosen to host the Games primarily because of its excellent sporting venues, but we are also going to make the most of showing our hosts a side of the city they may not have expected - that our lifestyle and our business life are second to none.
"We are planning to make a lasting impression on the competitors."
At past events blue chip corporations including British Airways, Legal & General, Microsoft and Morgan Stanley have entered teams and it is expected that they and others will be competing for medals in Sheffield next year.
Ken O'Bryan, UK Corporate Games managing director, says: "The facilities in Sheffield are the very best we have seen in the UK and we feel certain that next year's event will be of the highest standard.
"Companies take this event very seriously and each wants to be amongst the medals. Some of the largest teams have come from major companies such as Barclays, Waitrose and KPMG and we envisage local companies to enter their own teams to match these big hitters.
"The UK Corporate games represents an excellent opportunity for a city to benefit economically from a major event and Sheffield has made it clear that it intends to use this as a shop window with which to attract companies to the region."
The Corporate games began in San Francisco in 1988 and now run annually in the UK, Australia, Europe and elsewhere.
Competitors and their families are expected to arrive in Sheffield on Thursday 28 June and will stay until Monday 2 July, taking a huge percentage of the hotel rooms in and around the city.
Sports ranging from Badminton and Basketball to Volleyball and Hockey will be held at the many world class facilities managed by Sheffield International Venues.
Some of the other spectacular events will include Dragon Boat Racing and the Tug of War.
For more information on how to enter a team click here or contact the Corporate Games Office on 01733 380 888