Bristol business boom is the goal from 2018 World Cup bid

Business leaders have rallied behind the city's 2018 World Cup bid to ensure the city is much more than a spectator if England wins the right to stage the tournament.

Bristol has seen its twin cities of Bordeaux, Oporto and Hannover host matches in the 1998 World Cup, 2004 European Championship and 2006 World Cup respectively.

Now members of GWE Business West, a body which represents and supports local businesses, are adamant this city can join them in the global lime light and help host the 2018 World Cup.

The 'gateway to the West' is already recognised as a regional powerhouse, ranking higher than any UK rival outside of London and the South East for GDP per capita in a league table produced by the European Union. In layman's terms, we're on the right track.

There is a problem though as James Durie, Director of GWE Business West, told the Evening Post.

"Bristol is substantially above other British cities excluding London," said the 40-year-old from Barrow Gurney. "But we are guilty of hiding our light under a bushell.

"The success of the Banksy exhibition put Bristol in a different light. There are fantastic ingredients here for all sorts of events."

Bristol is one of 16 cities bidding to be one of the 12 venues selected by the England 2018 team next month.

Frenchman Serge Cren, Managing Director of the Bristol-based Difference Corporation who supply communication solutions to major brands, told the Evening Post: "I think any of these types of events would be fantastic for the area. I'm not a local boy and I don't support any of the local Bristol clubs. It doesn't matter who you support.

"If you are in business and you want a good place to work the World Cup is a cracking event to help that. There will be so many different facets to the place if we win that bid."

Mr Cren, 39, from France, studied on a European exchange programme at the University of the West of England and years later moved from the continent to South Gloucestershire.

And he believes the effects of hosting the tournament go further than people think.

"Obviously there's the catering and the hospitality," he said. "But there is a whole raft of more jobs. It is a service mentality. And all those people involved will receive training and job skills which will remain on their CV."

He cited the hypothetical example of a 40-year-old engineer who could use the event as an opportunity to find new work.

"It's what you make of it," he said. "If you are only a spectator on the touchline, nothing will happen.

"We're talking about thousands of people this would benefit. This is a real outcome and that's besides the other benefits of putting Bristol on the world stage.

"And if we win one (bid) we are likely to win another one because then we can show them a track record."

Mr Durie added that securing such an event would "give added impetus to push for the infrastructure we've been lobbying for".

Chairman of GWE Business West's initiative advisory board, Michael Bothamley, who is also regional managing partner for Beachcroft LLP, cited Cabot Circus and the Harbourside development as projects which the business community had helped to push through.

"The World Cup is a completely different order of magnitude," he said.

It is of a magnitude which would ensure Bristol's name is spread far and wide.

Sue Atkinson from the Bristol Junior Chamber of Commerce told the Post: "It would allow us to showcase everything Bristol has to offer from the ss Great Britain to the suspension bridge, bringing people to see something they are not aware of."

● Register your support for the bid by texting BRISTOL to 62018.