Louis Smith Joins UPS Team as London Olympic Items Reach Quarter Million Count

London, September 02, 2011

British Olympic Hopeful Louis Smith Becomes Latest UPS London 2012 Ambassador

UPS today confirmed British gymnast Louis Smith as its fourth London 2012 Olympic Games Ambassador as the company passed another logistics milestone in preparation for the London 2012 Games.

Louis, who joins existing UPS London 2012 Olympic Ambassadors Ben Ainslie, Denise Lewis and Steve Rider, visited UPS's 2012 Logistics Centre in Tilbury to watch the 250,000th Olympic item being handled by the UPS operational team following the completion of first-round testing.

Last week, UPS successfully managed the logistics for two test events at the BMX track and basketball arena, both situated at the Olympic Park, which concluded an intense schedule of eight 'London Prepares' events over 15 days.

This followed similar operational testing at other key London 2012 venues this summer, including Equestrian and Modern Pentathlon events at Greenwich Park, the Sailing Regatta at Weymouth and Portland and Mountain Biking at Hadleigh Farm in Essex.

The events, organised as the first cluster of LOCOG's 'London Prepares' series, enabled UPS to test and observe the most crucial logistical processes that will operate at every stage of competition during the London 2012 Olympic & Paralympic Games – from initial venue delivery and installation, to transition between different sports and events through to final venue breakdown.

Louis Smith, British Olympic Bronze medallist, praised UPS's behind-the-scenes preparations. "It has been a fantastic experience to visit UPS's London 2012 Logistics Centre and see the hard work that has taken place over the last couple of months, testing the logistics set-up that will make each sport possible come competition time. It's great to see that it is not just athletes like myself who have spent the summer busily preparing for London 2012!"

As the Official Logistics and Express Delivery Supporter of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the live test events have allowed UPS to demonstrate its capabilities, executing complex logistics for LOCOG to very tight deadlines.

At Greenwich Park, for example, UPS managed the transition of the venue from equestrian to pentathlon competitions within a 48-hour timeframe, moving more than 5,000 pieces of sports equipment and almost 1,000 pieces of technical equipment through a single access point.

"Testing logistics at live events such as these has been invaluable, because it's the first time during our preparations for the London 2012 Games that we've been able to operate in an environment alongside athletes and organisers. They need the freedom to focus exclusively on the competition, without worrying about where their equipment is," said Alan Williams, Director, London 2012 Sponsorship & Operations. "It has been an intense period for the team, but also a rewarding one as we've seen first-hand the value of our rigorous planning. We now are looking forward to tackling the next cluster of London 2012 test events and the logistical challenges they pose."

UPS is responsible for virtually all the distribution and logistics services for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games via an integrated supply chain solution that includes venue logistics services, warehousing services and a distribution network that will collect and deliver everything from documents to heavy freight. UPS also will be responsible for all customs clearance, freight forwarding and courier services before, during and after the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. For more details, visit ups.com/london2012.