Glasgow 2014: One year to go

Following hot on the heels of the triumph that was London 2012, Glasgow 2014 has a hard act to follow, but David Grevemberg, CEO of the Organising Committee responsible for delivering the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, is confident they are on track to make it an overwhelming success.

Grevemberg, 40, a former national-level wrestler from New Orleans, believes that Glasgow 2014 is not only going to be a spectacular sporting event, but also has the potential to be life-changing for many Scots, and particularly Glaswegians.

"This is the people's Games," he says, "and it's so important that the people of Glasgow and Scotland feel that."

The American joined the OC in 2009 as director of operations, and has been at the helm of the organisation since June 2011. He previously held the post of Sports Director at the International Paralympic Committee for eight years.

When I meet Grevemberg, he introduces the topic of legacy immediately. "We've stayed true to our bid commitments – the three pillars: legacy, community relevance and budget consciousness," he says. "When you look at what the OC is touching regarding legacy, the community relevance point is so important. The infrastructure is world-class, but also community relevant."

The legacy that was promised as a result of the London Olympics has, largely, failed to materialise, which perhaps make it even more imperative that Glasgow 2014 produces a benefit which will stretch long beyond the Games' closing ceremony next summer.

"If you look at Glasgow, the legacy has started already," Grevemberg says. "We're engaging kids around a sporting event unlike anything that's ever happened before. And the facilities which have been created as a result of the Games are incredible. For example, the velodrome in Glasgow's East End is a world-class venue, which is community-run. It's already one of the most used velodromes in the world."

This point is key. Innumerable major sporting events around the globe have left in their wake arenas which turn into white elephants as soon as their Games conclude. Consider the 2004 Athens Olympics or the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Grevemberg is confident this fate will not befall Glasgow.

"In addition to all these fantastic facilities, we've put sports initiatives in place. There are more people registering to be part of sport and activity programmes than ever before. There's a real buzz throughout the country."

That Glasgow 2014 comes just two years after London 2012 is a blessing and a curse. Grevemberg agrees that London 2012 is an incredibly hard act to follow, but the American is grateful for the benefits of the Olympic Games last summer.

"There's no question that London created the buzz. People realised the power of sport and want more of that. Sport is so hopeful, so positive," he says. "Sport feeds ambition and hope. What we saw in London, and what Glasgow 2014 is trying to instil is that it's not just about engaging people, or inspiring people, but about empowering people."

On the inevitable comparisons with London 2012, Grevemberg, pictured, says: "We're not the Olympics, we're different. We shouldn't belittle ourselves by saying we're the poor man's Olympics, because we're not. By July 23, 2014 we'll be able to showcase Glasgow on a global level."

That Glasgow 2014 will not match the scale of London 2012 is understandable when you consider that Glasgow's budget is just over 5% of the £9.3 billion that was at London's disposal. With public funding accounting for 80% of Glasgow's budget, every penny spent by the OC will be scrutinised. This puts added pressure on Grevemberg's shoulders, but he appears unfazed.

"With so much public money being invested, it makes it so important that we do things as an investment," he says. "It means that our margin for error is much smaller than London's, so we have to work smarter. For example, instead of going to an agency to design the mascot, we ran a competition and engaged thousands of kids."

London's ticketing fiasco is an obvious lesson learned by Glasgow 2014. London 2012's OC, LOCOG, were accused of over-pricing their tickets, whereas the Commonwealth Games tickets are much more affordable. Next summer, all sports will have tickets available for £15 for adults, £7.50 for children, and over two-thirds of tickets will be on public sale, so sparing Glasgow from similar criticism.

While Grevemberg's ambitions may extend beyond the 12 days of the 2014 Games next summer, he is also confident they will repair any damage done to the Commonwealth brand by the Games in Delhi four years ago, which, right up until the opening ceremony, was shrouded in doubt over the city's ability to hold the event. Glasgow's OC have now reached the sharp end of seven years of planning and if they were to fail to deliver, it could prove fatal to the future of the event. This, however, seems unlikely.

"We've already nailed some of our ambitions and expectations, others we're still working on. We've reached a defining time now," says Grevemberg. "We're pushing it as far as we can, and people are excited about that."