text: Exciting news to share!
  Birmingham 2022 has released the names of local businesses it will be working with over the next two years, providing a timely boost for the region’s marketing and creative services sector.
  Despite the difficult climate caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, Birmingham 2022 is continuing to appoint new suppliers and is focusing, where possible, on awarding contracts to businesses based in Birmingham and the West Midlands. The Games’ organisers want to ensure that the region reaps the benefit from hosting the biggest sporting event to be held in the UK since the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympic Games.
  Out of the ten businesses which have now been appointed to the Birmingham 2022 creative roster, eight are based in Birmingham or have offices in the West Midlands. They will help to deliver marketing and communications campaigns to support the Games over the next two years.
  John Crabtree, Chairman of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, said: “We are living in uniquely challenging times for business, so we’re pleased to be able to demonstrate our commitment to local companies by awarding these contracts. We remain focused on making sure that we use this once-in-a-lifetime event to bring benefits to Birmingham and the region. Of course, this has become absolutely essential today.”
  “Adding these businesses to our marketing and creative services framework is just the start and our procurement drive continues at full speed. Backing local business is just one of the ways the Games can help to benefit the local economy and local people. Our cross-partner Legacy and Benefits committee will approve and oversee the implementation of a full programme of activity over the next few months.”
  The agencies added to the bespoke marketing and creative services framework include:
  Gung Ho, Grayling and Pitch Marketing Group for PR support
  Outdoor Places Unusual Spaces (OPUS), TBA Group and DRPG for events
  McCann Central, for design and creative services
  Rainbow Productions, for mascot design and production
  BMG Research for consumer insights and polling
  Goodform for customer relationship management
  In addition to the agencies that have been added to the framework, MediaCom has also been appointed by Birmingham 2022, to undertake media planning services from the Crown Commercial Services (CCS) Communication Services Framework. MediaCom Birmingham, based in the city centre, will lead on the account.
  As well as providing a boost for these local businesses, the contracts will bring benefits to the local community, as Birmingham 2022 has incorporated social value into its tender process.
  The companies added to the framework have made commitments that include creating apprenticeship roles, upskilling local people on creative disciplines, school outreach programmes, and collaboration with local universities.
  The ten businesses will be working across seven different areas including design, creative services, PR, events, consumer insights and research, customer relationship management (CRM) and mascot design. The six-month procurement process followed government guidance and compulsory legal procedures, 130 bids were submitted.
  The successful suppliers will work on a large variety of projects, including the Queen’s Baton Relay, the art and cultural programme, community engagement, volunteer recruitment and the launch of ticket sales.
  Josie Stevens, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer for Birmingham 2022, said:
  “Birmingham is a city well-used to successfully staging major international events. The 2022 Commonwealth Games were awarded in extraordinary circumstances in 2017 and we have less than half the time of previous host cities to raise awareness and engage a hugely diverse population."
  “The current global pandemic also means that we’ll be operating in a very different environment - something we’ll need to carefully consider. The Games could be the perfect opportunity to bring the city and the country together, for an uplifting celebration of sport and culture.”
  “We are rising to these challenges with some bold thinking and we’ve chosen agency partners who are creatively brave, fleet-of-foot in delivery and hugely collaborative. Their passion for this city, the region and Games is clear.”
  The businesses announced today will be part of a long list of Birmingham 2022’s regional suppliers that by the end of the summer of 2022, will have benefited from an estimated £300 million worth of Games contracts.
  To help ensure this ambition becomes a reality, Birmingham 2022 has been regularly engaging with businesses from across the region over the last 18 months.
  Working with chambers of commerce and other organisations in Birmingham and beyond, Birmingham 2022 has already presented to more than 2,000 businesses and nearly 7,000 received notifications about Games procurement opportunities via Find It In Birmingham and the business portal created especially for the Games.