2.3 Jones Lang LaSalle tested the market between March and July 2001. Jones Lang LaSalle met some 150 groups or individuals, including a wide range of major leisure operators and property developers that had not been involved in the previous competitive process (See Figure 9). At that time only about six serious and credible operators were believed to be willing to proceed further. The results confirmed that there would be very little market enthusiasm for a rerun of the previous competition. In particular, the long running process left a belief in the minds of many private sector companies that involvement with the Dome would be a high-risk venture. Our discussions with the three bidders that emerged from market testing confirmed this. The bidders expressed doubts that they would have taken part in an open competition, citing high costs, political and media influences as generating risk to their reputations. Our advisers, Chesterton, agreed that the advice given by Jones Lang LaSalle to English Partnerships was reasonable.