Council wins gold for Olympic Torch Relay
08/03/13
The team behind Aberdeen's hugely successful Olympic Torch Relay event has won a prestigious award from the National Outdoor Events Association.
Aberdeen City Council's events team received the NOEA Scotland tribute award, which recognises events which have achieved the highest level of excellence or have made a major contribution to the professionalism of the industry in Scotland.
The Aberdeen leg of the Olympic Torch Relay included a two-hour staged evening held in the city centre, culminating with the arrival of the Olympic Torch.
Lord Provost George Adam said: "This is fantastic news and well-deserved. The two days in which the Olympic flame travelled through Aberdeen will be remembered by everyone for years to come. Its success was due to the team work of all involved and the support of the general public."
Council leader Barney Crockett said: "The Olympic Torch Relay was an event that brought the city together. This is not just an award for the council; it's for the whole of the city. The council staff did great work, but it required the cooperation of the whole population and we got that. Everybody pulled together, including members of the public and the private sector.
"The other thing that came through during the event is how pleased the Olympic organisers were by Aberdeen. They saw it was an unusual event."
Dawn Schultz, City Promotions Manager added said: "The Olympic Torch Relay event was a fantastic opportunity for us to showcase the strong partnership working that exists in Aberdeen in relation to the delivery of safe and enjoyable city events.
"It was fantastic that the residents of and visitors to Aberdeen City and Shire embraced the event in the way they did and made it such a memorable occasion giving Aberdeen its moment to shine."