1. Chamberlink July Aug 1-30.qxp_Chamberlink 29/06/2021 11:52 Page 7
Chamberlink special: 12 months until the Games
Business News
NEC is ready for the international stage By Jessica Brookes Visitors watching action-packed sports during the Commonwealth Games will provide a ‘poignant moment’ for the live events business, according to Phil Mead, NEC Group head of Commonwealth Games. The NEC Group is one of several iconic competition venues dotted around Birmingham which will host sporting events during the Games. Boxing, badminton, weightlifting, para powerlifting, table tennis, para table tennis will be held at the NEC, netball at the NEC Arena (Resorts World Arena) and gymnastics, both artistic and rhythmic, at Utilita Arena Birmingham. Hotels located on the NEC campus will also host more than 1,600 athletes and team officials in three ‘campus’ villages. Phil said: “It is an honour for the NEC Group venues to play host to what will be an historic event. To have a global audience of up to 1.5 billion, including thousands of new visitors through our doors to watch the sessions in person, will be a poignant moment for us as a live events business. It is no secret that the past 16 months have been
extremely difficult for our industry, so to have this to look forward to and help deliver at such scale is incredibly exciting. When the lights of the opening ceremony rise, I can imagine it will be quite moving for all of us involved in the delivery.” The work in the build-up to the sporting extravaganza has been full steam ahead since it was announced in 2017 that the city would be hosting the Games.
“This included project and event management, operations and security to marketing, catering, traffic management and everything in between. “The idea behind this was to have a conduit for all those associated with the Games, to filter into the Group so we can provide
‘The idea behind this was to have a conduit for all those associated with the Games’ Phil explained: “Following the announcement that Birmingham had won the Games towards the end of 2017, we knew there would be a plethora of enquiries into our venues in terms of technicalities, logistics, from world governing bodies, the media etc, so we straight away created an NEC Group Commonwealth Games Delivery Unit that represented the expertise we have across the Group.
Honour: Phil Mead
outstanding support to the Birmingham 2022 team. “While we’ve been in the midst of Covid, work has continued to progress to meet what has been a short lead time for an event of this nature.” Phil, like many others in the business community, is extremely optimistic on how the Games will help propel the Midlands onto an international stage. He added: “The Midlands has so much to offer, whether it be culture, tourism or inward investment opportunities, and the Games will provide the perfect platform to showcase the region domestically and internationally. It will generate huge legacy benefits. “Most notably an enhanced profile for the region, but also encourage further events, it’ll positively impact the culture, technology, improve transport and infrastructure and support more community cohesion. My hope and my belief is that all those involved will come away with positive experiences and unforgettable memories, and I’d encourage all those reading this to engage in this great festival of sport.”
July/August 2021 CHAMBERLINK 7
