Businesses called to get involved in Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games

Businesses across the West Midlands will have the chance to discover from some of the contractors contributing to the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games how their services could be required in helping to deliver the global event.

David Grady, CFO at the Birmingham 2022 Organising Committee, has been confirmed as the keynote speaker for the Meet the Contractors Delivering Birmingham 2022 event, which is taking place virtually on Thursday, February 3 via the West Midlands Growth Hub website.

Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (CWLEP) Growth Hub, together with the West Midlands Growth Hubs, are hosting the hour-long free event, which starts at 9am, to make local SMEs aware of potential opportunities with some of the organisations appointed to deliver Birmingham 2022.

With the Games opening date of July 2022 fast approaching, this will be one of the final opportunities for SMEs in the region to become a supplier.

Craig Humphrey, Managing Director of the CWLEP Growth Hub, said: “We’re pleased to be helping businesses in the region with another opportunity to be involved in the ongoing work taking place ahead of the upcoming Commonwealth Games.

“By attending the free online supplier session, SMEs can engage with some of the contractors who are delivering the Games and find out if their business can supply the materials, goods and services that are required.

“Being awarded one of the supplier contracts on offer is a golden opportunity to be involved in one of the West Midlands’ most important events in generations.”

Local suppliers and SMEs will hear from Arena Events Group, Birmingham Ceremonies Ltd and Outdoor Delivery Production about how their businesses are assisting in the delivery of venue structures, seating and infrastructure, the Opening and Closing Ceremonies and the Festival Live Sites.

Euan Faulds, Head of Legal and Procurement at Birmingham Ceremonies Ltd, said: “In order to produce the Ceremonies, Birmingham Ceremonies Limited will rely heavily on a network of third-party suppliers. Although we are currently engaged in a number of procurements, there remains a number of supplier opportunities to support the Ceremonies and we actively encourage the local supply chain to get involved.

“We’re sure that the West Midlands Growth Hubs event will provide an excellent opportunity for Birmingham Ceremonies to provide further information on its remit, upcoming procurement opportunities and, most of all, provide a platform to engage with the local supply chain.”

David Grady, Chief Financial Officer at Birmingham 2022 said: “As the biggest sporting event ever to be held in the West Midlands, we are committed to making opportunities available for local businesses to support the Games. The West Midlands Growth Hubs event will

outline these opportunities and provide information about how local suppliers can play a part in Birmingham 2022.”

The speakers will discuss the operations, technical, production, site infrastructure and personnel supplier contracts available to businesses in the region and how to bid for the work.

Each presentation will also include background on each business, what the company will be contributing to the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games preparations through their contract and how suppliers can get in touch for further enquiries. A Q&A will follow each presentation, along with a general Q&A at the end of the event.

Sign up for the event is for businesses spread across the various West Midlands Growth Hub areas. Attendees can be from Coventry and Warwickshire, Greater Birmingham and Solihull, the Black Country, Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire, Worcestershire and The Marches.

You can book your place at the Meet the Contractor event by visiting https://www.wmgrowthhubs.co.uk/eventbooking/create/25562.