Bid Consultants Welcome Agenda 2020 Ethics Reform

(ATR) A leading Olympic bid expert tells Around the Rings the Agenda 2020 reform proposal to register consultants will help to expose "the chancers" who tarnish the sector’s reputation.

Among the IOC’s reform recommendations released Tuesday, which notably include efforts to cut the cost of bidding and make the Olympics a more attractive prospect for potential hosts, is a proposal to provide a check on consultants.

It says, "The IOC to create and monitor a register of consultants/lobbyists eligible to work for a bid city. Formal acceptance of the IOC Code of Ethics and Code of Conduct by such consultants/lobbyists as a prerequisite for listing in the register."

The measure aims to stem the wave of consultants who have been hired, at considerable expense, to help deliver the Olympics for cities in the past. But they have stayed away from the 2022 bid race following a warning to bid cities issued by IOC president Thomas Bach and uncertainties around his reforms process.

"JTA welcomes the concept of registering an approved list of consultants that each agree to sign a code of ethics," Jon Tibbs, founder of the international relations and communications strategists, tells ATR.

He said JTA proposed a version of this reform as part of the company’s submission for Agenda 2020 "as there are a number of highly experienced consultants with real expertise in the Olympic movement and I am proud to count JTA amongst them."

"However, there are also a number of chancers out there who give our sector a bad name; so we see this proposal as a way of helping Olympic family members be more discerning when seeking expert help," he added.

JTA worked on the Sochi 2014 bid and aided the organizing committee’s communications in its preparations for the Winter Games. In the past two years, it has expanded its portfolio of clients to include ANOC, the European Olympic Committees and several federations.

Mike Lee, chairman of Vero Communications, the company behind successful campaigns for Rio 2016 and PyeongChang 2018, told ATR that the IOC "deserve congratulations for the ideas and recommendations set out in the Agenda 2020 document, including those relating to the bidding process."

"With ‘Recommendation 3,’ I believe that the IOC are showing a positive way forward for bidding and this can only be good news for the 2024 Olympic bid race," said Lee, whose London-based company has grown its roster of clients to include international sports federations like the UCI.

"I particularly welcome the proposal for a register and codes of ethics and conduct for consultants working with bid cities. This is an excellent example of good practice which should be embraced by all those engaged in the business of sport."

The 2024 Olympic bid race is the first contest when the new rules will be in force, if the reforms are passed by the full IOC membership at the Extraordinary Session meeting in Monaco Dec. 8-9.

Tibbs said the new regulations would require some careful thinking on the part of the bids. A U.S. candidate and a German city along with Istanbul and Rome are among the expected bidders.

"The 2024 race looks like it will be a much more competitive race with some major cities involved. I am sure that there will be judicious use of the right type of consultancy at the right time," Tibbs said.

"I think all the IOC want is moderation and to eliminate excessive fees for unnecessary services."

Reported by Mark Bisson

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