Excitement in the air

On Sunday, WorldSkills London 2011 pulled out the red carpet for all Competitors during a London excursion and Welcome Reception.  Over 900 Competitors boarded London’s famous Routemaster buses to tour such famous sites as St. Paul’s Cathedral, Buckingham Palace, the London Eye and a cruise along the River Thames. Throughout the day it was hard to miss the enthusiasm of Competitors as they proudly wore their team jackets, posed for photos and regularly broke out in team cheers.

The evening concluded at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre for the Welcome Reception. WorldSkills London 2011 Chairman, Chis Humphries CBE and Tjerk Dusseldorp, President of WorldSkills International made brief remarks and welcomed all Competitors to the largest WorldSkills Competition ever held.

Following a short reception, the excitement of Competitors spontaneously took over. The entire room was filled with country flags, teams began cheering and Competitors broke out in dance. The excitement was contagious and the mood in the room was one of celebration and camaraderie.  If this is any indication of what kind of Competition lies ahead, it certainly looks like it will be an exciting and lively one!