Eden Project will be a “game changer” for Dundee’s economy says international attractions expert Pierre-Yves Gerbeau — the man who saved Disneyland Paris from closure.
Mr Gerbeau, who has worked on major leisure projects in three continents, will come to Dundee to speak at The Courier Business Conference next month.
He is best known as the man who turned round the fortunes of struggling Euro Disney before being recruited to address disappointing attendance figures and a catalogue of problems at the Millennium Dome.
He has seen how major attractions can go wrong, but more importantly what is required for them to be successful.
Currently leading France’s bid to host the Winter Olympics in 2030, Mr Gerbeau will share the wisdom of a colourful career to business leaders in Dundee.
18 months in wheelchair after injury
Mr Gerbeau first made his name as an ice hockey star. Aged 24, he was captain of the French national team and tipped to be the flag bearer for the 1990 Winter Olympics but a devastating injury finished his career.
“It was a friendly game against Finland and my skate got stuck in a gutter between the board and the ice,” he recalls.
“An opposition player turned me around – I broke my hip, my knee, my shin in three places and my ankle did a 180 around the foot.
“I spent 18 months in a wheelchair and six more months on crutches.”
At that time, he received a call from a friend-of-a-friend who was starting a consultancy business.
He was looking for a charismatic speaker to talk to executives about the qualities that led to sporting success and how they could transfer to business.
Within two years this business sold to Capgemini and Mr Gerbeau was approached by the then struggling Euro Disney.
Turning around theme park
There he was promoted six times to vice president and managed to help turnaround the attraction, which was renamed Disneyland Paris.
“Everything was an issue. Disney had a concept that worked in California and Florida to a place where it’s minus five degrees in the winter.
“All the signs were in English – they hadn’t considered that people talk other languages in Europe.
“And don’t get me started about them trying to impose American values on French people and the unions. That doesn’t work.”
He rose to prominence in Britain when appointed chief executive of the Millennium Dome in London in February 2000.
With disappointing attendances and reviews, the attraction was in crisis, haemorrhaging money and goodwill.
“Public perception was all wrong,” he recalls.
“I creative a positive culture for staff and visitors. By the end of the year we’d had six million visits.”
Eden Project impact
Since then Mr Gerbeau says he has successfully completed nine major turnaround projects. He co-founded X-Leisure, which grew into a £1.2 billion business.
He is president of the French Ice Hockey Federation and a member of the French Olympic committee.
And he is full of thoughts on why Eden Project will be a major success for Dundee.
He said: “It’s a massive opportunity for Dundee and for the region and the whole country.
“What Eden Project has done with the first venue is incredible with its focus on sustainability and environmental issues, while also delivering activities that are a lot of fun.
“The economic impact of Eden Project will be massive, with lots of direct and indirect employment.
“If anything, I think people underestimate the potential. It can be a game changer.”
But getting the right ingredients for success will be essential which comes down to the right management, vision and stakeholders.
He will describe ingredients required for Eden Project Dundee, expected to cost around £130 million, to be a success.
He adds: “It will be huge. Not just for the local economy in Dundee but for the overall brand and image of Scotland.”
The Courier Business Conference, in partnership with Henderson Loggie, will take place at Michelin Scotland Innovation Parc on April 24.
Tickets, priced £75 plus VAT, are available at www.thecourierbusinessconference.com.
Conversation