Vancouver Bound

Excitement is growing as there are just 29 days to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic opening ceremonies.

Closer to home, it's less than a week before my own relocation to British Columbia for a six-week assignment via Edelman, the P.R. firm where I work.

Edelman's roster of Vancouver Olympic clients includes two Worldwide Partners, the leadership of the global Paralympic movement, top global and Canadian brands, nonprofits tied to Vancouver's organizers and one of Canada's national heroes.

I can hardly wait to hit the town and get to work!

My colleagues to the north set up Edelman2010.ca, accessible from January 12 to March 31 for information regarding clients:

• 2010 Legacies Now, the first of its kind nonprofit organization within the Olympic movement, focused on creating social legacies for all of British Columbia


• GE, Worldwide Partner of the Vancouver 2010 Games


• Hudson’s Bay Company, National Premier Partner and Official Outfitter of the Vancouver 2010 Games


• International Paralympic Committee (IPC), the global governing body of the Paralympic Movement


• LiveCity Vancouver, THE destinations to capture the colour and spectator experience of the Vancouver 2010 Games, including free family entertainment and performances from headline artists


• Oakley, supporting almost 300 athletes worldwide by providing customized eyewear for competition


• Panasonic, Worldwide Partner of the Vancouver 2010 Games


• Petro-Canada, National Premier Partner of the Vancouver 2010 Games


• Rick Hansen Foundation, Rick is a true Canadian hero, having wheeled 40,000 km around the world; he’s co-mayor of the Olympic and Paralympic Athletes’ Villages and will host "The Difference Makers," a 17-part program on CTV during the 2010 Winter Games

And the good word from Vancouver is that there are at least two more "to be announced" projects/partners on deck, while my colleagues in New York are working on sharing details about client Zagat, which just published its Vancouver 2010 Pocket Guide (I'm picking up a copy for my Olympic packing list).

This is my third Olympiad via Edelman, and the first where I won't be working at a B.C. Canada Pavilion (as in Beijing) or B.C. Canada Place (as in Torino), enriching experiences of 2008 and 2006, respectively.

Each Games, with then-client The Province of British Columbia, taught countless lessons about Vancouver, Richmond, Whistler and all the Olympic host province locales and offerings. It's very cool to approach the eve of actually residing in B.C., and to soon experience the region in detail, if only for 40-or-so days. Looking forward to creating new Games experiences and stories (and blog posts!) very soon.

Photo via Flickr user www.claytonperryphotography.com