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“ The‘ Instagram moment’ is vital in creating a legacy,”
– Neil Carney, project director, Birmingham 2022
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identity, and is keen to make its objectives positive and strong.“ Our intent is, by the Autumn, to have a vibrant brand and a clear ambition. We’ re setting our objectives, which won’ t be‘ wishy washy’. We want to tell the world the right thing.”
He adds:“ Training initiatives are being put in place aimed at ensuring participants gain some real skills to take home afterwards. We are also honing-in on the experience for consumers, and what that will means ten years on. The‘ Instagram moment’ is vital in creating a legacy, and we’ re looking at how people will know what took place in Birmingham, years later.” One busy organiser already gazing in the rear view mirror at their major event is Linda Apelt, agent-general for Queensland in the United Kingdom, who says the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, which took place in April, delivered on a lot of levels.
“ It was the first time the Games was held in regional Australian city, and we took the opportunity to show where we are, who we are and the passion we have. The aim is to unite the Commonwealth via sports and the core values of humanity, equality and destiny. The Games was also the first to have a reconciliation action plan for indigenous Australians.
Apelt can now report that the event created a AUS $ 2bn boost to Queensland’ s gross state product including A $ 1.7bn boost to Gold
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Coast.“ 16,000 full time jobs were created, and 15,000 games shapers got involved,” she adds.
The Rugby League World Cup 2021, meanwhile, will be hosted in England, and is hoping to up the ante for the tournament. Jon Dutton, its chief executive, says:“ Everything bigger, better, more ambitious. Our values are to be bold and brave, world class, authentic and inclusive. We’ ve recently secured significant funding from government, which we have to be very careful in spending. Patron Prince Harry is already making a magnificent contribution to the cause by his involvement.”
“ It will be negligible in its economic impact compared to the Rugby World Cup, but what’ s really important is the civic pride it creates. Our international development programme includes 16 workshops across the world.”
Steve Elworthy, managing director of 2019 Cricket World Cup, which will take place in England & Wales at stadia in cities including Manchester, London and Cardiff, also talked up the importance of event legacy.“ Our ambitious targets include a schools programme, gaining new fans and an ambition to reach one million kids under 16 via the tournament.”
PITCHING IN
Of course, getting involved
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in the afore mentioned events is the holy grail for many event suppliers and organisers. However, taking stock of the major event organiser’ s challenges is crucial.
Kidd says‘ integration’ is a key idea for Invictus Games.“ It’ s a struggle getting the right people to develop the right plans on the right timeline. The schedule is the thing that kills you as an event planner. The challenge is also getting the right people at the right level of the event’ s maturity. People are bought on to do what is asked, not what they want to do. It’ s an on-going tension you have to manage.”
“ Event people all come with experience from different events, but their templates are not necessarily appropriate. What works for the Commonwealth Games or the Olympics might not work for Invictus. The challenge is making your model appropriate for the budget and scale.”
A major event supplier, Rapiscan Systems adds that interaction can be key. Dan Venter, sales director, says:“ Sometimes you get customers who think they don’ t need to get the supplier involved with the operational side. This leads to significant problems. The organisers that want to know your experience, and the potential pitfalls, will mitigate risks and additional costs.”
Caroline Sheppard, business development manager at GLevents, UK adds:“ Be open and
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