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Brisbane 2032 president Andrew Liveris has defended charging businesses $250 a head to attend the launch of the Olympic and Paralympic procurement program, saying the Games organising committee was unapologetically in the business of raising revenue.
Speaking at a Queensland University of Technology business leaders’ forum in Brisbane on Thursday, Liveris said it was appropriate for the Organising Committee for the Olympic Games to use the event as a fundraising opportunity.
Joining Liveris at the paid event at the Star next Wednesday will be Brisbane 2032 chief executive Cindy Hook, Paris 2024 Organising Committee chief finance and human resources officer Fabrice Lacroix and Queensland Sports Minister Tim Mander to open up the first tranche of opportunities for immediate expressions of interest.
Andrew Liveris and moderator Ellen Fanning at the Queensland University of Technology’s Business Leaders’ Forum.Credit: Joseph Byford/QUT
Liveris said, unlike government-funded vital infrastructure delivery, the event itself was privately funded through sponsorship and other fundraising.
“There’s no apology to charging to actually raise some revenue,” he said.
Andrew Liveris speaks at the forum at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre on Thursday.Credit: Joseph Byford/QUT
“We have sold out the event twice – we got massive interest, which is fantastic, and I think we now have 1000 people coming and still have people on the waitlist.
“It’s about the packages we’re going to release and yes, we are definitely going to be very transparent, unabashedly inviting Queensland business to be a big part of our procurement.”
Liveris said Brisbane 2032 would not be able to activate its Olympic and Paralympic marketing rights until January 2027, at which point the potential sponsors the organising committee had sounded out would be able to come on board, boosting the OCOG’s coffers.
“We have revenue in our future, not right now – we don’t get our broadcast right money until then, so we’re front-loaded in terms of cost, but not on revenue,” he said.
“We have to look at every revenue opportunity we can to absolutely, totally deliver no cost to you as a taxpayer. That’s our commitment in our bid, and we’re very committed to doing that.”
Liveris said planning was progressing well, with the long-awaited Brisbane 2032 branding to finally be released in the first half of next year.
But, seven years out from the Games, Liveris said some things were still keeping him up at night.
“Please build things,” he told the audience of business leaders.
“We need hotels, we need accommodation, but you know that, right? We’re growing and, on top of that, we’ve got the Olympics.
“... We need human capital like no tomorrow.”
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Liveris also responded to criticism that there was no longer an Indigenous voice on the Brisbane 2032 board, following the Crisafulli government’s revamp of Games governance.
The requirement that at least one member of the organising board be an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person was removed from the legislation that governs the Brisbane 2032 Olympics in amendments passed into law in May.
“Inclusiveness is a central part of [the Games] but it doesn’t mean you need to be a seat at the table of OCOG. In that sense, I need everyone at the seat of the table with the OCOG,” Liveris said.
“So there are other ways of doing it, and we’re definitely working on those.”
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