Commonwealth Games business and Tourism programme
WHO IS INVOLVED IN THE commonwealth Games BUSINESS AND TOURISM PROGRAMME (BATP)?
The programme is being delivered in partnership by:
- The Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (funding partner)
- West Midlands Combined Authority (funding partner)
- The West Midlands Growth Company (delivery partner)
- The Department for International Trade (delivery partner)
- VisitBritain (delivery partner)
They are working closely with the Birmingham 2022 Organising Committee (OC), Commonwealth Games Federation / Commonwealth Games Federation Partnerships (CGF / CGFP), the GREAT Britain campaign and regional stakeholders.
HOW IS THE PROGRAMME FUNDED?
The £24m programme is funded by £21.3m from central government, announced in the Spring 2020 Budget, and a £2.6m investment from the West Midlands Combined Authority.
WHO AND WHERE WILL YOU BE TARGETING?
The BATP will target visitors, investors, businesses and event organisers to raise awareness of the West Midlands and the UK
Activity will primarily focus on the Commonwealth nations, plus the domestic UK market, plus other overseas markets when opportunities arise.
WHY IS THIS PROGRAMME NEEDED?
The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for the West Midlands and the UK. With a global audience of 1.5 billion tuning in, this is a unique chance to capitalise on the increased profile created by the Games and attract more businesses, investment, trade, visitors and events.
IS THE BATP AN OFFICIAL/ACCREDITED GAMES LEGACY PROGRAMME?
The programme aims to capitalise on the profile and economic impact that the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games will bring, and is fully integrated with the Games. We hope that it will become the very first economic legacy programme to be accredited by the Commonwealth Games, and are working with our partners to achieve this.
WILL THE BATP PROVIDE VALUE FOR MONEY?
After considerable work calculating the programme’s value for money, it is expected to generate a positive return on investment for the UK taxpayer. If pushed: the ROI for the BATP programme is calculated at 1.8 for the UK. So for every pound spent on BATP, the UK will attract £8 of spend and investment.
WHAT GVA WILL BE GENERATED BY THE PROGRAMME?
The BATP is expected to generate more than £49 million in net Gross Value Added (GVA) for the UK economy, of which £24 million will be in the West Midlands. GVA is the value of investment, export deals and visitor spend generated within the UK or regional economy minus the costs of inputs such as goods and services and staff sourced from outside the area.
HOW WILL AN EU EXIT AFFECT THE BATP?
The programme aims to boost tourism, trade and investment into the West Midlands and the UK, by maximising opportunities arising from the EU Exit.
HOW DOES THE BATP COMPARE TO OTHER ECONOMIC LEGACY PROGRAMMES?
We have listened to, and learned from, those who worked on the London 2012 Olympics, as well as the Gold Coast, Glasgow and Manchester Commonwealth Games, to build on their successes. The BATP is, to date, the only economic legacy programme to operate before and after a major sporting event.
HOW WILL THE BATP INTEGRATE WITH THE QUEEN’S BATON RELAY (QBR)?
The programme will deliver in-market campaigns – comprising showcase events and sales missions – in Commonwealth nations around the world, to support the QBR and its route. These events will celebrate the unique culture and business innovation in the West Midlands and UK. The BATP team will be working closely with the QBR delivery team to ensure that business and tourism events complement the Baton Relay and the celebrations surrounding it.
WHAT OPPORTUNITIES ARE THERE FOR COMPANIES AND VENUES TO GET INVOLVED WITH THE PROGRAMME?
The BATP team will be engaging with regional and UK businesses throughout the programme – for example, our business readiness programme will train hospitality, transport and retail staff to become ambassadors and hosts during the Games. There are also sponsorship opportunities for BATP, aligned closely with the Games sponsorship programme.
For potential suppliers, all tender opportunities can be found at https://wmgrowth.com/tenders.