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| JTA founder Jon Tibbs |
British sports communications firm JTA is busy in Rio right now, handling media relations and communication strategy for a variety of blue-chip clients, from Los Angeles 2024 to the Int'l Volleyball Federation. I spoke with founder Jon Tibbs around noon on Day Four of Rio 2016 for a quarter-post status update.
■ How is Rio shaping up compared to your expectations?
TIBBS: It actually is exceeding my expectations because I think they’ve had a really tough buildup, tougher than any other organizing committee I can remember. They’ve had a really tough buildup. So I came here expecting the worst, and being very pleasantly surprised to see that, in the main, everything seems to be working. Of course there are things that could be better, there are areas of concern that stakeholders are expressing every day, but I think bit by bit, day by day, it’s improving, and of course the setting is magical. It’s the Olympic Games, which is one of the most powerful brands in the world, in Rio de Janeiro, one of the most powerful city brands in the world, and the two things together seem to help overcome all the issues.
■ There’s a feeling that the big things are going well here; the sports haven’t disrupted. But there’s this drumbeat of little logistical things — food lines, security lines, volunteers don’t know things. At what point do those little problems add up to something worse?
TIBBS: I think they are individually little problems, and I think the organizing committee is working hard to overcome them. They do become cumulative. The key thing is each day, the organizing committee to address the issues as they emerge, to make sure they’re seen to be addressing them, which I think they are, and for the stakeholders to feel they’re being listened to and there is some progress being made each day.
■ Are your clients accomplishing their goals?
TIBBS: Now that the sports competition has begun, everyone’s focused on the great athletic achievement, and the Olympic values are beginning to shine through. Our clients realize that things they experience on the ground here is not how their sports or their organization is being perceived worldwide. That is a very different thing. The little niggles we just talked about that are felt here on the ground are not being picked up worldwide. It’s truly coming across as everyone has hoped.
■ What’s been your biggest challenge?
TIBBS: Waking up on time in the morning to get to work. I’m finding it very hard with full days. I’m finishing around 1 (a.m.), half (past) 1 in the morning, getting up half (past) 6, 7 (a.m.). I’m finding it very hard to survive on only five hours sleep. But I’m finding no problem getting taxis, public transport’s working OK, I’m getting Ubers — that seems to be working pretty well.
