Tell us How a Past Olympics Have Benefited You!

Do you have an Olympic success story to share? An idea about how you and your community can benefit from a future Olympic experience here in Chicago? If so, please submit a video telling your tale and you’ll have a chance to win a chance to Vancouver in 2010. I recently spoke with a couple influential people from the most recent American host city with some interesting and uplifting Olympic stories to tell.

In 2002, Salt Lake City became the largest metropolitan area to ever host the winter Olympic Games. On the world’s biggest athletic stage, the region displayed its newly acquired status as a first-rate sports destination; in both economy and community. “It’s really hard to say anything negative about the Olympic experience. We had $91 million left over, so the nay-sayers who said we were going to be in a financial hole were way off. It was a lot about exposure and validation. People said hey, if they can host the Olympics then they can host our group and we can have a good time there,” stated Ski Utah President Nathan Rafferty. In the last year more visitors found their way to the region that hosted the 2002 Winter Olympics. “As the snow piled on so did the skiers,” remarked Rafferty. “Utah’s incredible snow, unparalleled accessibility and world class resorts continue to attract new visitors making it a crucial source of revenue for the state.”

The sports sector of Utah’s economy was thriving after 2002, and it continues to generate more positive return since. With the addition of a first-class soccer stadium/concert venue, sports and entertainment consumers are expected to increase in numbers and therefore provide more future growth. The University of Utah’s football program also got a boost from the 2002 Winter Olympics. The stadium underwent a $52 million expansion and renovation starting in 1997.

The US Men’s basketball team won Gold in Beijing with two members of the Utah Jazz, Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer, on their roster. Despite playing in the NBA’s smallest market, the Jazz are succeeding both on the court -currently in first place following back-to-back division title season- and in the board room. According to a Forbes.com study last year, the Jazz were ranked #16 in NBA team value at $342 million. Leading the way is Randy Rigby, President of the Larry H. Miller Sports and Entertainment group which owns the Jazz. Over the phone Rigby told me about the Olympic impact in the Salt Lake City metropolitan region. “One thing it did do was show people what a great place Utah is as a destination,” he said.

Do you have a similar tale? Then please submit a video for the contest and tell the world! Show the global community what the Olympics did for you and Why Chicago should host the Olympics.