Chamber hosting John Furlong and Ron MacLean to talk 2019 Games

The Red Deer & District Chamber of Commerce will be hosting The Business of the Games lunch on September 18 with guest speakers John Furlong and Ron MacLean.

John Furlong was the CEO of the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Organizing Committee and the President of the 2010 Winter Olympics and 2010 Winter Paralympics. Furlong believed that the Games could be a true nation builder and in 2010 the Globe and Mail named him Canada’s Nation Builder. Among his many accolades he was named Canada’s Most Influential Sports Figure in 2009 by the Globe and Mail and by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, named an Officer of the Order of Canada and a Member of the Order of British Columbia in 2010.

Ron MacLean began his broadcasting career in Red Deer and brings more than 30 years of award-winning experience to his role as host of Hockey Night in Canada and Rogers Hometown Hockey and played an integral role in Red Deer’s bid to host the 2019 Games. In 2015 he was recognized for his work on Hockey Night in Canada with a Canadian Screen Award for Best Host in a Sports Program/Series adding to the 10 Gemini Awards he had already received.

“This is a once a generation opportunity to showcase our community and our region to the thousands of athletes, fans, and families that will converge in our city in February. We want to ensure that our region’s businesses are ready to fully capitalize on this incredible opportunity not just through the duration of the games, but for years into the future,” said Robin Bobocel, CEO of the Red Deer & District Chamber of Commerce. “We are thrilled to be hosting two of the most prolific, high profile sports professionals in Canada for what is sure to be an informative and entertaining luncheon that will help transform Central Alberta into a region of global significance.”