NEP opens operations HQ for 2018 Commonwealth Games

Yesterday broadcast operations giant NEP Australia officially opened its headquarters for the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games in Bundall Rd, Surfers Paradise.

NEP Australia 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). Seven Network and Sunset+Vine are production partners.

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, including 200 Queensland university students in a Host Broadcast training program.

Games Minister Stirling Hinchliffe was joined by Commonwealth Games Corp Chairman Peter Beattie, CEO Mark Peters, NEP Australia President Soames Treffry, Seven West Media’s Kurt Burnette and Head of Sport, Saul Shtein plus Giaan Rooney as MC.

“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,” Minister Hinchliffe 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 office opening represents a very tangible legacy for the Gold Coast and Queensland that is a direct outcome of the Games,” said Peter Beattie.

“There is the very obvious economic benefit of the many NEP staff relocating to the city in the lead up to and duration of the Games, but importantly the expertise they impart to students will enable them to kick start their careers with skills gained working amongst the world’s greatest multi-sport global broadcasters.”

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.”

Seven’s Head of Sport Saul Shtein said: “Seven is delighted to be joining with NEP and Sunset+Vine in what will be the biggest event to hit our shores since the Olympic Games in Sydney. We are looking forward to being a partner in the production of the global television coverage and bringing these Commonwealth Games to all Australians.”

As part of the training program, eight students have also been selected from six Queensland universities to be part of Seven’s Rio 2016 Olympic Games coverage at NEP’s studio complex in Sydney.

The Seven Network is the GC2018 Australian broadcast rights holder. Under the Host Broadcast partnership with NEP Australia and S+V, Seven will provide digital applications, specialty cameras and personnel, production and planning resources, and management personnel. Seven’s international multi-sport experience includes host broadcasting roles in several Olympic Games, the Rugby World Cup, the World Swimming Championships and the Australian Open.

World-leading sports television production company Sunset+Vine, part of The Tinopolis Group, has previous Commonwealth Games and Paralympic Games experience, most recently Glasgow 2014 in partnership with NEP Australia. The company was Host Broadcaster for the Volvo Ocean Race 2014-15 and was recently awarded ICC’s Live Events Production Services contract 2016-2019 which included the recent ICC World T20 Championships.