10/02/2010
Olympic Legend on track for Tourism Conference
Olympic Legend and middle distance running champion, Steve Cram, will be the keynote speaker at this year’s Destination Suffolk 2010 Tourism Conference at Trinity Park, Ipswich on Wednesday 3rd March, organiser of the event, Choose Suffolk, has announced.
As an Olympic silver medallist in the 1500 metres at the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984, Steve’s appearance at the Olympics built on his Gold medal win at the same distance in The World Championships in Helsinki during 1983, when he was also voted the BBC Sports Personality of the Year. In 1985, Steve capped his Olympic success by achieving triple world records in the 1500 metres, 2000 metres and the mile over a 19-day period in the summer of 1985. Nicknamed ‘The Jarrow Arrow’, Cram was part of the trio of middle-distance runners, alongside Steve Ovett and Sebastian Coe, who represented a golden age in British athletics. He is also the first man to run 1500 metres under three minutes and 30 seconds.
Since his retirement from athletics, Steve has represented British Athletics on the British Olympic Committee from 1995 until 1999 and was also part of the 2012 Olympic Bid Team. He was appointed Chairman of the English Institute of Sport in May 2000, and has been a member of the Lottery Awards Panel for Sport since 1997.
Steve is also a regular sports presenter and athletics commentator for the BBC, alongside working as a sought-after motivational speaker. He said, “I’m delighted to be part of Choose Suffolk’s Destination Suffolk 2010 Tourism Conference, and am looking forward to conveying some of the excitement that surrounds the Olympic Games. The London 2012 Games represents a huge opportunity for counties such as Suffolk, because the entire world will be watching us, so it’s an unprecedented opportunity to showcase the very best of the UK.”
Celia Hodson, Chief Executive of Choose Suffolk, said, “We’re thrilled to have an Olympic Legend like Steve Cram as the keynote speaker at Destination Suffolk 2010. Throughout his career as a world-class runner he displayed the unwavering discipline and relentless pursuit of excellence that is demanded of a top-level athlete. Today, it is those same characteristics that he displayed on the track that makes him such an inspirational speaker and I’m sure he will give delegates a fascinating insight into a truly global competition.”
The Destination Suffolk 2010 Tourism Conference will focus on the London 2012 Olympic Games and the opportunities it will create for the county’s tourism providers. The Conference will include presentations by other high-profile speakers, such as Simon Clegg, Chief Executive of Ipswich Town Football Club; Sandie Dawe, Chief Executive of VisitBritain; and Paul Simpson, Managing Director of VisitManchester. All of the speakers will seek to explore the connections between a sporting event with a global focus and the benefits to the tourism sector in the run-up to, during and following the event.
Chairman of Choose Suffolk, Andy Wood, will open the conference and introduce speakers, and Andrea Hill, Chief Executive, Suffolk County Council, will share her vision of Suffolk’s future and the role that tourism can play as a key economic driver.
Further information on Destination Suffolk 2010 Tourism Conference can be found at www.suffolktourismpartnership.org.uk/conference
Olympic Legend & Conference Speaker - Steve Cram