The Commonwealth Games Federation has approved the final list of venues for the 2018 Commonwealth Games, allowing the next stage of development work to go ahead aided by AU$156 million provided by the Australian Government.

The next phase of construction includes the new 2,500 seat Carrara and Coomera Sport and Leisure Centres. 

Some venues are already completed, including the redeveloped Gold Coast Aquatic Centre which Federal Minister for Sport Peter Dutton recently inspected. The Aquatic Centre will host the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships as its first test since the redevelopment work. 

“The Queensland Government and Gold Coast City Council have provided a world class facility for this international swim meet,” said Dutton.

“The new and upgraded venues will leave a lasting legacy for the Gold Coast, Queensland and Australia. Not only will the 2018 Games help usher in the next generation of elite Australian athletes, but the new and improved sporting infrastructure will greatly benefit grassroots sporting programmes across Queensland. This will help to encourage higher rates of participation and promote the many benefits sport and physical activity brings.”

The Ministry for Sport believes the 2018 Games will provide a positive legacy for Queensland and the Gold Coast and expects the event will reap long-term benefits for “tourism, business development and improved social outcomes.”

“The 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games will once again showcase Australia to the rest of the world as a first-class sporting destination, with first class venues,” said Dutton.

“After the success of the Glasgow Games, it’s clear that the Commonwealth Games are still viewed in high regard by spectators and athletes and remains an important part of the sporting calendar.”

15 out of 17 sports will be hosted on the Gold Coast, with track cycling and shooting to take place in Brisbane and some preliminary basketball games to be held in nearby towns.

Host City: 2018 has been a big year for Aggreko powering major events, starting with the Winter Olympics in PyeongChang – what were the biggest challenges there?

David de Behr: As with any winter event we do, the weather conditions are always the biggest challenge – and with the magnitude of the Olympics, the volume of equipment, processes and people needed to execute promptly are key.

We faced extreme cold temperatures and winds while building up the temporary power services requested to run the Games smoothly in PyeongChang – and this required a lot of endurance from our equipment and a lot of energy from our specialist engineers.

We adapted to meet these challenges head on. We modified all our fuel tanks by adding heat elements, generators were equipped to run in the cold climate and the project team had to plan all operations very tightly to meet the client deadlines.

The endurance level of our people deserves to be recognised; they never lost sight of the objective and their dedication in the face of some incredible obstacles was key to our success.

Host City: Your next project in 2018 was the Commonwealth Games in the Gold Coast – how did this compare as a project for Aggreko?

David de Behr: The Gold Coast Games were special as they were not located within one city but held in a region. Australia has always been very special to Aggreko as it is one of our oldest markets and so it was fantastic to see the synergy between Aggreko Australia and our experienced Major Events team putting together this project.

We worked with a very experienced organising committee (GOLDOC), which had a very clear view on how they wanted to deliver the Games, and the partnership with our experienced project team meant we had a very fluent build up towards the Games.

Using our design program to give financial transparency throughout the contract was appreciated by the organising committee and the rest is history: great Games in a beautiful region with enthusiastic engagement from the public – a job well done!

Host City: The European Championships in Glasgow was a new format of event, combining multiple sports – what were your perceptions of this and how did Aggreko contribute to its success?

David de Behr: Glasgow is and always will be special to Aggreko – our roots and our manufacturing plant are located in Glasgow.

This new format of event coming to our town, and being able to harness a lot of the infrastructure from the 2014 Commonwealth Games, made it a perfect match for us.

We were very impressed by the enthusiasm around the Championships and strongly believe it will grow as an event in the future.

For our teams on the ground it was a pleasant return to the venues we powered in 2014. Working very closely with the organising committee, we were able to tailor and deliver the event within everyone’s expectations.

Host City: After all those multi-sports projects, you also powered the Ryder Cup in France – what are the requirements there?

David de Behr: The difference with the other 2018 events is that the Ryder Cup is a massive single venue event.

It forms part of our long-term relationship with the European Tour. The exciting part this time, unlike our previous involvement with Ryder Cups, was that the 2018 incarnation was held outside of the UK, near Paris.

150 lorries packed full of equipment were delivered to install all temporary power and HVAC systems on the massive site. It was project managed by an English-French Aggreko project team with the first members of our team on the ground in May.

The beauty of such golf tournaments is also the main challenge – the players and public can walk almost everywhere – and so planning and design are key to the success of the event for us.

Another challenge is the seasonal weather – the climate could be very unpredictable and so we had to prepare for all temperature control eventualities. Our temperature control systems are designed to be able to cope with this changing environment.

The outcome was really impressive and the Ryder Cup week was one that many will not forget for a long time!

David de Behr is speaking at Host City 2018 on the topic of “Reimagining Major Event Delivery”. Host City 2018 takes place in Glasgow on 20-21 November

After steering Glasgow 2014 through its highly successful Commonwealth Games, David Grevemberg is relishing his fresh challenge: running the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF).

“Like Commonwealth athletes we celebrate our successes and get straight back to the training field pushing every day towards new and ambitious goals. The pace is fast with the focus over the coming months on key milestones for three future Games,” the former wrestler told HOST CITY.

“First up on the starting block in real terms is the Commonwealth Youth Games in Samoa which is in September and is such an important launch pad for the next generation of Commonwealth sporting stars.

“There's the Gold Coast 2018 team focusing on their core planning phase, then there's the bidding process for the 2022 Commonwealth Games which is in full swing.”

City stories: 2022 bids

The evaluation process for 2022 is being led by Louise Martin. HOST CITY asked Grevemberg to identify the most important contributions that the candidates for 2022, Durban and Edmonton, could bring to the Games.

"One of the most important things they can each bring to the CGF evaluation process – as well, of course, of demonstrating the technical capabilities – is that real sense of where the Commonwealth Games sits within the past, present and future stories of their city, how the Games fits within the aspirations of their citizens and communities and what further opportunities being a Host City could help them unlock.

“We're really fortunate to have in both Durban and Edmonton such incredibly dynamic yet different great Commonwealth cities with their own rich stories, distinct aspirations and goals.” 

The official Candidate City bid lodgement for the 2022 Commonwealth Games takes place in March next year with the formal announcement of the Host City of the XXII Commonwealth Games made at the CGF General Assembly in Auckland next September. 

“I'm really looking forward to hearing the visions and ambitions that are coming forward," said Grevemberg.

Youth appeal: Gold Coast

As for what the Gold Coast 2018 is doing to build the Commonwealth Games brand further, Grevemberg said: "The Gold Coast team is at an exciting stage in their journey and it's thrilling to see the next Commonwealth Games taking shape. Gold Coast 2018 will have its own distinct identity, create its own dynamic place in Commonwealth history and will connect new individuals and communities through the positive power of sport.”

Grevemberg is anticipates the Gold Coast having a particularly big impact on youth around the world. "Through sport we have a great opportunity to play an empowering part in realising the potential of young people.

“With 60 per cent of the Commonwealth's two billion citizens under the age of 30, this is our opportunity to impact positively on the next generation of Commonwealth citizens and leaders and I'm confident that the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games will deliver a world-class stage on which the elite athletes of the Commonwealth can inspire and engage across nations, territories and communities."

Why bid for the Games?

Taking to the helm of a federation that owns the rights to one of the world’s biggest event properties at a time when some cities are shying away from hosting mega events, Grevemberg is keen to stress the benefits of bidding for the Games. 

“Each Commonwealth Games is itself a great opportunity for cities and communities across the Commonwealth to see for themselves the potential that being a Host City can bring.

He cites Glasgow 2014 as an example. “Prospective host cities can look at Glasgow 2014 and see the potential for social impact hosting a Commonwealth Games can bring, as well as the opportunities a Games offers cities and nations to engage positively with the broader Commonwealth and beyond.

 “The Commonwealth Games played a core part in delivering on city and national ambitions for jobs and health, showcasing international excellence in complex event delivery as well as creating a world-class celebration of which the people of Glasgow and Scotland could really feel part of and feel incredibly proud.

“In achieving their goals and delivering the Games, the Glasgow 2014 Games Partners also thought carefully and creatively about infrastructural investment, making deliberate decisions to invest in improving permanent sporting facilities that are both world-class and community-relevant. 

“The decision, for example, to overlay a temporary athletics field of play in Hampden Park, Scotland's national football stadium instead of building a new athletics stadium demonstrated really well how using smart technological solutions could assist in creating sustainable and cost-effective alternatives to building new venues.

"Glasgow 2014 was a turning point for the Commonwealth sports movement. The Games in Glasgow demonstrated what can be achieved when people are united through passion, partnership and common purpose.”

HOST CITY: Bid to Win

During his transition from CEO of Glasgow 2014 to the Commonwealth Games Federation, Grevemberg enjoyed the opportunity to speak at HOST CITY Bid to Win conference.

“Sharing the experiences and ambitions of others is always insightful and energising. Sport creates so many powerful opportunities for innovation, collaboration and partnerships and gatherings such as this play a valuable part in sparking ideas and motivating ambition.

“Partnerships will be a core focus for the CGF and our job now is to harness all of that potential and use it to take Commonwealth sport to a new level.”