Recommendations for future host-city Chambers of Commerce

Commentary provided by Henrietta Brealey, CEO, Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce

1. Start early and build key relationships. Use the experience of past-host city Chambers of Commerce to inform your planning. Identify key people and stakeholder groups for engagement with or participation in and build those relationships early. We would recommend that future host-cities build local business engagement and communication activity into their planning from the start and resource it accordingly.

2. Keep in touch with your members. Whether through surveys or more informal engagement, continually check in on their perceptions and experiences of the Games, identify any priority areas or potential pinch points early and seek to mitigate them though proactive communication and engagement activity.

3. Understand the nature of procurement opportunities & advocate for social value criteria. Work with Games stakeholders to champion breaking down contracts in to lots suitable for SMEs to bid for. In our experience, this is not possible for all areas and a number of key direct contracts will be large, complex to bid for and in many cases, won by those with direct previous experience of supplying major sporting events. Advocate for social value criteria that places an onus on contractors to work with local firms (as was the case for B2022). Many of these supply chain opportunities may not be advertised on procurement portals, making communication between large Games suppliers and local businesses on the products and services they are seeking and how to engage with them, essential.

4. There’s more to Games opportunities than contracts. Not every business will benefit from contracts, but most businesses can benefit from the opportunities to engage their employees and tap into the civic pride generated. This could include supporting employees in volunteering, hosting customers or colleagues at Games events, building new partnerships or engaging with legacy programmes to support a positive social impact. At the GBCC, we love local and we also go global, giving our members the tools to trade internationally. We used the Games as a springboard for building relationships with partners in Commonwealth nations including signing five formal memorandums of understanding on facilitating bilateral trade. We continue to see positive outcomes for local businesses from these partnerships.

5. Get stuck in - don’t let the opportunity pass you by. You may find that momentum around the event only really builds up in the wider business community in the weeks or months leading up to the Games. Don’t let that phase you and ensure you continue to plan and engage early. As well as your external role, ensure you get stuck in as an employer. In addition to our work with the business community, the GBCC ensured our colleagues had the opportunity to engage with the Games, purchasing tickets to Games events and holding internal ballots for colleagues to attend as our guests. We also became a partner in Pride House, to support their work to engaging the business community in welcoming LGBTQ+ individuals and allies during the Commonwealth Games.

6. Be proactive on what happens next. As our research has shown, the need for proactive communication and engagement does not end with the Games. Build into your plans and stakeholder engagement activity what you want to see happen next to ensure positive legacy outcomes for your members and local businesses.