West Midlanders are among the most excited in the UK about the forthcoming London 2012 Olympics, according to research by PwC. 41% of consumers in the region said they were looking forward to the event and the benefits it could bring. The region is the third most excited outside London, beaten only by the East Midlands (44%) and the South East (43%).

According to PwC, this regional interest may be linked to an appreciation of the economic benefits that the event could have on the UK economy as a whole. In the West Midlands, 57% of people believe the 2012 Olympics will have a positive impact on the UK economy, compared to just 44% of Londoners.

West Midlanders are not necessarily planning to attend the event, however. To date, only 3% of consumers in the region have successfully secured tickets to attend sporting events during the London 2012 Olympics, compared to 8% of Londoners. In addition, just 5% of West Midlanders have applied to be a volunteer during the Games or intend to do so in the near future, compared to 9% of Londoners.

Mark Smith, regional chairman at PwC in the Midlands, said:

"It is great that the majority of people in the West Midlands are excited about London 2012 and optimistic about the benefits the Games can bring to the wider economy. As the event nears, we can expect to see a higher level of engagement in terms of ticket buying and volunteering". 

"As the Business Survey highlights, employers should start to think ahead about how to manage their staff whilst creating positive workplace morale during the London 2012 Olympics".

With only a year to go until the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics, PwC surveyed over 2000 UK consumers including 180 in the West Midlands.  The firm also surveyed 500 UK businesses on topics relating to staff management and the economic impact of the Games.

Survey of UK Business Managers

Nationally, PwC surveyed 500 managers of more than five employees, to assess attitudes to how the London 2012 Games will impact their business.

Just over half of those interviewed say they are excited about the London 2012 Olympic Games and what they will bring to the UK, compared to just over a third who disagree.

It's interesting to note that the majority (63%) believe the Games will have little impact on their business, which may mean that managers haven't fully planned or explored how to take advantage of the Games.

69% believe there will be a positive impact on the UK economy in the short term, with 39% of managers believing that the impact will be positive in the long term.

A third of managers have considered how they will handle staff absenteeism during the Games. But a surprisingly high proportion (64%) have not considered how they will cope with this.

Of those that have thought about accommodating staff plans and ensuring business can continue as normal during the 2012 Games:

· 36% have considered allowing flexible working hours

· A quarter have considered allowing staff to work from home

· 17% have considered giving extra holiday to allow staff to watch the Games

· And almost a third have considered putting TVs/big screens in the workplace for employees to watch the Games

Nearly half of managers (47%) have not yet considered how they will manage any holiday requests during Games time.