SportAccord Birmingham West Midlands 2024
The ICC Birmingham dressed to welcome delegates to SportAccord
SportAccord 2024
In April 2024, Birmingham and the West Midlands hosted SportAccord World Sport & Business Summit at the ICC Birmingham. This attracted more than 1,700 attendees from 65 different countries to the region for a packed agenda of high-level meetings, conferences, exhibition, networking and social events.
To deliver this annual event, each year SportAccord work in collaboration with the destination. As the client, SportAccord require the destination to not only host but also co-produce a large proportion of the event, working closely with the SportAccord team throughout. This meant that far from just providing a geographical location, the West Midlands Growth Company and other stakeholders were required to deliver and be responsible for accommodation booking, event branding and Marketing, cultural and social programme, key events during the week and providing local content for the conference programme. In return this gives the destination access to a great number of opportunities to highlight and demonstrate the destination’s key messages as well as capabilities as a host of major business and sporting events.
The event is effectively known as the ‘Davos of Sport’ or the ‘Olympics for sporting event organisers’ with representatives from 125 global sporting federations in attendance. Two years on from hosting the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, this was an invaluable opportunity to further showcase the region’s bold ambitions as a major sporting events host and demonstrate why the region is very much the heart of sport in the UK.
The role of West Midlands Growth Company
SportAccord 2024 took place with the support from the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) Major Events Fund.
A heavily collaborative approach was taken to organise the event with multiple stakeholders coming together to plan and deliver including WMCA, Birmingham City Council, West Midland Growth Company (WMGC), DCMS, DBT and UK Sport. A Local Organising Committee (LOC) was established, led by Birmingham City Council and WMGC, convening a knowledgeable group of organisations including NEC Group and Transport for West Midlands.
WMGC were specifically responsible for five key areas of delivery which align to the company’s strengths and skillsets:
- Accommodation and Housing Agency
- Marketing and Communications
- Stakeholder engagement
- Exhibition, Sales and Partnerships
- Ceremonies, Culture and Events
A governance process was implemented to ensure effective and efficient project working practices were used both internally and externally. Working groups for all areas were run, along with the LOC meetings, an Executive Steering Group and regular touchpoints with the SportAccord team themselves.
Why bring SportAccord to the West Midlands?
The West Midlands has a rich heritage in the sporting world, from the invention of lawn tennis and the football league to medals and trophies for the likes of Wimbledon and the FA Cup being made in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter. The region is no stranger to hosting regular national and international sporting events, and it fully understands the positive impact these can bring from a reputational and economic impact. Recent research from WMGC revealed that sports tourism was responsible for one in seven visits to the region, adding more than £1.9 billion to the West Midlands economy. The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games alone contributed £1.2billion to the UK economy, with nearly half of that being in the West Midlands. Therefore the chance to bring this sporting community to the region was not to be missed.
Across an 18 month period, through a series of written proposals, meetings and visits to the region from the SportAccord team, Birmingham and the West Midlands was selected as the host for the 2024 event. An important task made all the more significant due to the event having not been held since before the Covid Pandemic, and having only been in the UK once before in its 20-year history.
Vital to ensuring success was secured, key strategic aims were outlined to demonstrate to both SportAccord and regional stakeholders that this was not just an exciting event, but something with real value and legacy. Whilst it was of the utmost importance to deliver a ‘memorable and meaningful’ SportAccord event, this was also a platform to tell the West Midlands story, to enhance our reputation and networks and develop our pipeline of future major sporting events. These strategic aims served as a guide throughout planning and delivery to maintain focus on the lasting benefits for the region.
Showcasing the region to SportAccord
After months of planning, the SportAccord event went live. Delegates were welcomed from first arrival whether at Birmingham Airport, New Street Station or straight to the venue. City dressing, volunteer welcome points and designated hotel welcome desks all contributed to a warm and friendly welcome for delegates.
WMGC delivered several pieces of key activity during the week including: city dressing, a West Midlands exhibition stand and interactive area, a programme of cultural excursions showcasing attractions and activities across the region, a VIP Dinner, complete with Peaky Blinders tribute actors and the official Opening and Closing ceremonies which profiled local cultural performers including dance-circus group Motionhouse and acappella collective Black Voices Choir.
Through all of these, WMGC was able to reinforce the region’s credentials as the perfect global sporting hub and backdrop to those who shape the future of sport. It was made clear to delegates that the region can provide sport and its federations with access to fans at unprecedented proximity and scale, fuelled by its passion for sport driven by its rich legacy. And the region’s transport connectivity and world-class sporting infrastructure, with settings such as Edgbaston Stadium and The Belfry – host to more Ryder Cup tournaments than anywhere else in the world – set for multi-million-pound developments, was in plain sight for all to see and experience.
But delegates weren’t the only important audience to be reached. It was also crucial to leverage the media interest in the event and WMGC was able to highlight the West Midlands’ sporting offer, infrastructure and ambitious future to a wide range of regional, national and international media. Across the week WMGC spoke with media from over 25 outlets including Sky News, BBC News, the Telegraph, the Sun, the Guardian and the i. Key announcements aligned to be delivered during SportAccord included the £1.2billion economic contribution of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and Knighthead Capital’s purchase of the 48-acre former Wheels site on Bordesley Park during the summit. This news highlights the region’s huge sporting ambitions and a commitment to delivering globally recognisable sporting and entertainment venues.
Other fundamental considerations for the West Midlands as an event host were integrated into the event, including sustainability. After conversations with the SportAccord team, WMGC secured a move away from printed Event Guides instead using a digital version and event app. Backpacks given to each delegate were made from recycled plastic bottles. And delegates were encouraged to walk around the city rather than use public transport with clear walking routes highlighted to delegates via digital communications and on-street branding.
The transformative legacy of major sporting events
After a successful five days of meetings, events and networking, it was important to focus back on the key strategic aim in hosting SportAccord of developing the pipeline of future major sporting events in the region. And that goal was achieved. Many new relationships were forged and strengthened with global sporting contacts, federations and rights-holders and well over 100 conversations and introductions took place with the WMGC Major Sporting Events team. Now is the task of identifying real opportunities to collaborate on hosting new and innovative major events which will add to the pipeline.
Through the planning that was undertaken, WMGC was able to ensure that all key messaging to support the region’s position as the heart of sport landed well with delegates and media alike.
The region is accessible, affordable and approachable with the venues, infrastructure and sporting history to ensure an outstanding, all-round offer for the international sporting federations who will return to the West Midlands with their event in future.
It is clear that the SportAccord effect will last long beyond five days in April 2024, and even clearer is that the West Midlands has successfully emerged as a distinguished global leader in sport, with a bright sporting future.
