By Duncan Mackay

February 3 - Visit Britain has made a key appointment to help it maximise the legacy of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games around the country by giving Paul Gauger (pictured) the role of trying to use the Games as an opportunity to turn the events into a "worldwide TV advertisement".



He has been given the new role of Global Leader for 2012 Games Media, a position he will officially take up in April. 

Gauger is currently Visit Britain's public relations director for the Americas and brings with him experience in working with American broadcasters such as NBC, who will broadcast London 2012 in the United States.

He previously worked in London as head of Publicity and Destination PR in Visit Britain's London head office from 2003 to 2005.

This will not be Gauger's first involvement with the Olympics.

He previously worked for the Australian Tourism Commission and was responsible for all aspects of the organisations' Sydney 2000 Olympic Games media programme, which generated worldwide publicity worth an estimated $2 billion (£1.2 billion).

During this period he sat on the board of management for the Sydney Media Centre which was a facility specifically for 5,000 non-accredited media. 

Gauger's focus in his new Olympic role will be on building relationships with broadcast media worldwide to ensure that the eyes of the world are focused on the nations and regions of Britain as 2012 approaches.

Gauger will also work alongside Visit London in establishing the London Media Centre - predominantly to address the needs of non-accredited media in Britain during 2012 - and advise the tourism industry on media opportunities.

The new position reports to VisitBritain’s director of marketing, Laurence Bresh.

He said: "Paul is the ideal candidate to turn our ambition to deliver a worldwide TV advertisement for Britain into a reality.

"Before working for Visit Britain in one of the most valuable markets for inbound tourism, Paul worked on the delivery of the media programme for the Sydney Olympic’s and Paralympic Games for Tourism Australia - giving Britain the opportunity to learn from and build on Sydney's success.

Gauger said: "My goal is to build on previous Games-related destination PR to help widen broadcast exposure for Britain’s destinations, attractions, accommodation and experiences."

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