New Commercial Development role at Lee Valley Regional Park
Date Published: 26/04/2010
Lee Valley Regional Park Authority (LVRPA) is delighted to announce the appointment of Adam Pritchard as Head of Commercial Development.
His role is to identify, develop and deliver business opportunities in the run up to London 2012 that will promote the Park as a visitor destination and create new and sustainable income streams for the Authority.
Adam is looking for corporate partners for a number of categories: sustainability; education; health, sport & wellness; culture and leisure & hospitality and is already in talks with potential partners.
“Sponsors are judged by the company they keep.” he says, “Each sponsor has to complement the others and the Park so that all the brands are enhanced by the partnership. Developing a coherent sponsorship strategy is an early priority.”
Other income generation ideas include ‘glamping’ or glamorous camping in and around the park, a literary, music or comedy festival, and corporate hospitality at the soon-to-be-completed Olympic White Water Canoe Course.
“The Park has an immense amount of untapped potential,” Adam says. “Over the next ten-years, I want LVRPA to become renowned for its world class events, so that from a commercial aspect, you’d be mad to miss out, and for the public to understand and engage with the Park as a whole, as a place where they can enjoy a range of active leisure pursuits, as a place which is at the forefront of nature conservation and environmental sustainability and as a place for which they feel ownership and support. Sponsorship and smart commercial development can help us to deliver on all of those aspirations.”
Adam began his career in the automotive industry in the West Midlands and in Yorkshire supplying components to Rover, Ford and GM. After trying his hand at politics in the 2001 General Election, he joined Yorkshire Forward (the regional development agency, charged with improving the Yorkshire and Humber economy), where he was responsible for key account management and inward investment.
In his final role at Yorkshire Forward, Adam was a member of the consortium that set up Legacy Trust UK, a charitable trust established in 2007 to support a range of cultural and sporting activities in connection with the London Olympics and Paralympics with the aim of providing a lasting legacy from the Games. In addition, he delivered the International Indian Film Awards (Bollywood Oscars) staged in Sheffield in June 2007. “Working with stars like Shilpa Shetty and Amitabh Bachchan was an experience I’ll never forget,” Adam commented, “but in addition to the glamour and fun, we delivered an event that helped to put the region on the international map, that brought together the diverse cultures of Yorkshire and the Humber and that delivered economic benefit to local businesses.”
Directly before joining the Authority, Adam was with Opera North, where as Development Director he was responsible for the delivery of £850,000 of private sector fundraising from companies, charitable trusts and private individuals.
Notes to Editors
Lee Valley Regional Park stretches 26 miles along the River Lee from Ware in Hertfordshire to East India Dock Basin on the Thames. The Park’s 26 miles comprise a diverse mix of heritage sites, nature reserves and open green spaces alongside world class sports venues; we attract over 4 million visitors every year.
Lee Valley Regional Park is playing an active part in the London 2012 Games. The new White Water Canoe Centre (just north of the M25 between Waltham Abbey and Waltham Cross) and the VeloPark and Hockey and Tennis Centres in Olympic Park will be owned, managed and funded by Lee Valley Regional Park in legacy. They join our existing sports facilities which include Lee Valley’s Athletics Centre, Riding Centre and Ice Centre to create a chain of sporting excellence across the region.
Press Information:
For more information please contact Lee Valley Regional Park Authority:
Michelle Rosenberg: 01992 709 830, (M) 07920 810 403, (E) mrosenberg@leevalleypark.org.uk