The tickets have now gone on sale – what has the initial response been?
The response has been really fantastic. We’ve had more than 2.3 million applications for tickets which we see as an outstanding success. The interest has been in line with expectations and in some areas we’ve been oversubscribed.

Certain sports have been more popular than we expected. For example, the rugby sevens will be played at Ibrox, a huge venue with a large capacity. We never doubted it woud be popular but to have sold as many tickets as we have at this point has been a positive surprise.

Overall it’s been a great response and there is no doubt that we are still riding the wave created by London 2012.

Tell us about your ticketing policy
Our aim was to achieve three outcomes. Firstly, to provide a ticketing programme which will fill stadia; secondly, to meet our revenue target; and thirdly, to be accessible and inclusive. We’ve shown that we’ve really achieved all three.

In terms of the pricing, for example, we were able to ensure that 70 per cent of each session was open to the general public. We’re also proud of the fact that two thirds of the tickets have been priced at £25 or less – with public transport included in the price.

How have the preparations gone so far?
One of the things that has been fantastic on this journey is that we have consistently had significant milestones that we’ve been able to look forward to. It has helped to have been able to get ready for these milestones and we’ve delivered strongly on them.

As for the progress in terms of sites and venues, everything has gone to plan beautifully. The opening of the Hydro means that all the permanent facilities are now open and ready. The great thing is that they are already being used by the public, so when we take them over next year for the two weeks of competition, they will already be very much part of the Glasgow skyline.

In terms of our big procurement exercises around the Games, we’re just where we need to be in terms of bringing on the assets that are required to run the Games. On services, we’ve worked very close with the Commonwealth Games Federation and various client groups to define the service levels to make sure we get it right for the scope and scale of a Commonwealth Games. That is important and our approach has been not to try and be something we’re not. We’re not the Olympic Games, we’re the Commonwealth Games.We need to make sure we get it right.

Our communications drive has progressed well. Our promotions have succeeded in making people aware of the Games and getting them excited, and the use of both social and traditional media, such as promotional videos, has been helpful in mobilising support for the Games. It’s allowed us to create a sense of access and openness around the event and really sold the feeling that these are the ‘people’s Games’.

On the human resources side, our staffing levels are up to around 600 people at the moment and the figure will increase to 1,000 during Games time. We’re also well into the process of acquiring the 2014 volunteers. We had an enormous response to our call to action on the volunteering side – we received 50,811 applications for the 15,000 roles – a new Commonwealth Games record and more than Manchester and Melbourne’s total numbers combined.

Has the success of the 2012 Gamesmakers helped attract volunteers?
I’ve no doubt that the great success of volunteering during the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics contributed to people’s excitement and interest in our volunteering programme. We also opened it up to 16-year-olds as part of our commitment to youth: more than 40 per cent of applicants were between the ages of 16 and 24.

How are the partnerships working?
We’ve formed great partnerships with all the Games’ stakeholders: Glasgow City Council (GCC), the Scottish Government, Commonwealth Games Scotland and the Commonwealth Games Federation.

There’s a strong sense of collective ownership of the event which has been very helpful and there’s also been an acceptance of the responsibilities attached to the various roles each has, which has been equally important.

One of the things that has been extremely helpful is this ownership by both GCC and the Scottish Government of legacy commitments. There were two legacy frameworks established early in the process and the legacy ambitions were outlined clearly. That allowed us – the organising committee – to accentuate and connect with the legacy plans much more easily.

What challenges remain?
It’s a case of confidence but not complacency. We absolutely need to build on our successes now we’re very much into the detailed planning phase. Our testing and readiness programme will soon be starting up and that’s the stage at which you really start to see where you are with everything and where you might want to make adjustments and respond to any potential issues appropriately.

I think Glasgow is going to be a great host and it’s all coming together just as we wanted – but we certainly aren’t going to be naive and take our eye off the ball. Every remaining aspect and point will be approached with a sense of urgency, because at this stage it’s important that everything is done right.
How has the success of London 2012 helped Glasgow 2014?

It’s helped a great deal: London wiped away a huge amount of cynicism around the concept of ‘the power of sport’, which I think is particularly important.
There’s now a belief in what sport can achieve: there was a feeling in London that the nation was ‘winning together.’

As a result, there’s now more trust in major events and what they can achieve. London is a great reference point for us and I’m confident that we can deliver something similar next year.