Forman's Riviera in Stour road, Fish Island

Salmon entrepreneur on Fish Island hits out over Olympic sponsorship protection

Else Kvist, Reporter Tuesday, August 7, 2012
2:40 PM

A businessman has hit out at Games organisers for making it difficult for small businesses to profit from the Olympics.

Lance Forman, pictured, has transformed a car park into a Riviera island where his customers can play beach voleyball, enjoy a variety of food and drinks, get a massage, and watch the games on the big screen.

Lance Forman, who adapted his traditional salmon smokery after being forced to relocate when the site of his former factory was earmarked for the Olympic Stadium, says sponsorship protection is a “nonsense.”

Mr Forman added a restaurant and event facilities to his new site on Stour Road in Fish Island, along with a pop-up venue for the Games, after a five year battle to secure a site close to his old factory.

Forman said: “Olympic organisers have mishandled and killed the whole thing. Even central London has become a ghost town.

“They made it difficult for small companies to promote their business and make money from the Olympics, which everyone should be entitled to.

“When I was trying to fill my suites for the Olympics, some corporate companies were reluctant to book because their legal teams were telling them they could not even mention the Olympics on party invitations to clients and staff. It’s ridiculous. Who are they trying to protect?

“I sell Coca-Cola in my bar and people can pay by visa. The regulations are a nonsense and not even good for the sponsors.”

“The food inside the park is dire and people should have a different choice.

“They justify it by claiming sponsors are paying for 50 per cent of the Games. But they are only paying 10 percent. The Games cost £10billion, not £1billion.”

Around 15,000 people packed into Forman’s for the opening night to coincide with the Olympic Opening Ceremony. But the following nights less than 1,000 people turned out.