Commonwealth Minister opens Gold Coast 2018 Host Broadcaster HQ

The global headquarters of the Host Broadcaster delivering the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games television broadcast has been officially opened by the Minister for the Commonwealth Games, the Hon Stirling Hinchliffe MP.

Led by NEP Australia, with the support of production partners the Seven Network (Seven) and Sunset+Vine (S+V), the Host Broadcaster will produce high definition multi-camera television coverage across 11 days of sporting competition plus the Opening and Closing ceremonies (with the Opening Ceremony also to be produced in 4K Ultra HD) for delivery to rights-holding broadcasters around the world.

The Host Broadcast team currently numbers 20, comprising the key management group and broadcast training manager, two venue-planning teams and administrative staff. It will expand to 30 members in early 2017, 60 over the course of next year, and reach a Games-time workforce of more than 1,200.

In addition to the Minister, guests at the launch – held at the Host Broadcaster’s Bundall Road HQ – included Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Corporation (GOLDOC) Chairman Peter Beattie AC, and CEO Mark Peters; NEP Australia President Soames Treffry; Seven West Media’s, Event Director – Rio Olympics, Commonwealth Games and Chief Revenue Officer, Kurt Burnette and Seven Network’s Head of Sport, Saul Shtein; sports commentator and Olympian Giaan Rooney OAM, who also acted as event MC.

Commonwealth Games Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said GC2018 would be the biggest televised sporting event in Australia this decade. “With an expected television audience of 1.5 billion people worldwide, it is vital the broadcast is provided by an organisation with exceptional expertise and experience,” he said.

“I congratulate NEP Australia on the opening of its Host Broadcast operations on the Gold Coast and welcome the opportunities they will provide, including valuable work-experience and training for university students, and jobs for local industry professionals. This is a great example of a unique industry coming to Queensland because of the Games and I am delighted their team will call the Gold Coast home for the next two years.”

NEP Australia President Soames Treffry said: “As our previous Commonwealth Games experience has shown, detailed forward planning is key to getting a project of this complexity off to a flying start. We hit the ground running, with our core team in place more than two years from the Gold Coast 2018 Opening Ceremony.”

Jeff Foulser, Chairman of Sunset+Vine, added: “After the success of the Glasgow Games it’s great to see the team making great strides towards Gold Coast 2018. Together we’re covering all the bases to provide an innovative, high quality and reliable Host Broadcast service.”