London 2017 has confirmed two key appointments through to the delivery of the championships in 2017.
Paul Williamson will head up ticketing and has already made an impact on the project having played a pivotal part in crafting the ticketing strategy for London 2017. The competition schedule and ticket prices for the World ParaAthletics Championships and the IAAF World Championships, which both take place next summer in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, were announced last month with tickets on sale to the Athletics family this week.
Williamson who has world leading experience in his area, previously led on the ticketing projects for London 2012, the Rugby World Cup in 2015 and many other global events in the last 15 years. He said of his role, “I am delighted to be part of a great team working hard to deliver the biggest sporting event of 2017. I am confident that yet again the British public will be enthused and excited by London 2017 and I am looking forward to filling stadia across both championships to really build on the passion and legacy of 2012.”
Lucy Crickmore has been appointed as Protocol Manager at London 2017, a role focused on the delivery of all official congresses, meetings and functions, as well as managing the in-stadium VIP and hospitality provision for both Championships.
Crickmore joins on secondment from UK Sport where as a major events consultant for the last eight years, she has worked with national governing bodies to manage UK Sport’s investment into and provision of technical support for major events. She brings with her a wealth of experience from across the sector and has been involved with London 2017 from the outset. She has also managed UK Sport’s investment into a wide range of events including the European Hockey Championships, World Canoe Slalom Championships, the IPC Athletics European Championships and the European Athletics Team Championships.
Finally, she was part of the London 2012 athletics team where she managed International Federation Services during the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
She said: “I am very excited about joining the London 2017 team as we prepare to host these key championships. I witnessed many magical moments in the Olympic Stadium during London 2012 and I look forward to being part of a team that will provide an environment where the world’s best athletes can once again produce those inspirational performances to make the nation proud.”
Cherry Alexander, Managing Director of London 2017, welcomed both Paul and Lucy. She said: “We are putting together a first class team to deliver these world championships next year. In the time that Paul and Lucy have already been on the project, they have already brought experience and expertise from delivering at the very highest level at recent major events hosted in the UK.
“It is a real coup to secure their commitment throughout the rest of the delivery of the championships and I am looking forward to working with them over the coming months as we work towards hosting an incredible summer of world class athletics in 2017.”
London 2017 will be the first time that both the World ParaAthletics Championships and the IAAF World Championships are held in the same city in the same summer. The World ParaAthletics Championships takes place from 14 – 23 July with the IAAF World Championships following from 4 – 13 August 2017.