Case Study - BIRMINGHAM

Birmingham was able to secure the 100th Rotary International Convention in record time, thanks to the strong partnership between the various agencies involved. While there is usually a seven year lead time to bid for the convention, Birmingham was asked to step in as the host city for the 2009 convention with less than two years to go, having originally bid for the 2013 event and narrowly missing out to Lisbon. With a tried and tested formula, Team Birmingham was able to turn around a new bid quickly and won the race to host the 100th convention. Team Birmingham encompasses all of the organisations across the city that pull together to bid for, secure and host major events that bring high visitor numbers, significant economic impact and media profile. The Rotary Host Organising Committee, Birmingham City Council, Marketing Birmingham, Advantage West Midlands, VisitBritain, The NEC Group, West Midlands Police, Birmingham International Airport, transport operators, hoteliers and restaurateurs all played their part in making the Rotary International Convention such a resounding success. Monthly planning meetings were held with representatives from all organisations to ensure that all bases were covered and that every party was fully informed throughout, creating a joined up team and a fully integrated event.

A warm Birmingham welcome was awaiting Rotarians on the evening of Tuesday 23rd June, with entertainment, shopping, museums, art galleries and world-class restaurants with a choice of food from every continent bringing the city to life. In one of the most impressive examples of any city welcoming a major event, Birmingham worked closely with the Host Organising Committee to create Birmingham Greets Rotary, which became an official part of the convention programme. Special performances were staged at city centre venues to encourage Rotarians into Birmingham, with the Treorchy Male Voice Choir performing at Birmingham Town Hall, ‘East Meets West’ at Symphony Hall and Birmingham Royal Ballet at Birmingham Hippodrome. A host of entertainment and activities were then scheduled around them in order to showcase the city and encourage Rotarians to explore.

Birmingham’s first International Food Fair was launched to coincide with the convention, showcasing food and drink from across the globe with over 60 stalls in Victoria Square and New Street. For Birmingham Greets Rotary there was additional entertainment in the form of street theatre and live music, and a special performance of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream on the Monarch Beach in Chamberlain Square. Live music was also staged in Brindleyplace, and shops in The Mailbox and in and around New Street extended their opening hours and offered exclusive discounts. The opening hours were also extended at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery for Rotarians to view an exhibition marking the bi-centenary of Matthew Boulton’s death and the world premiere of the Obama’s People exhibition.

Walking through Victoria Square accents from all over the world could be heard, as thousands of visitors soaked up the ambience of Birmingham. After dark, Rotary projected an image of its End Polio Now message onto the wall of Central Library, attracting crowds as people left the performances at Town Hall and Symphony Hall. This was Birmingham pulling out all the stops to welcome the convention and get the most out of it for the city, and leave a lasting impression on the thousands of Rotarians who visited.