Jilted Gold Coast Commonwealth Games bidders demand probity review

THE awarding of a key Gold Coast Commonwealth Games contract to a US-based company has sparked calls for a review of the tender process.

MUST CREDIT: Glen McCurtayne... NEWS: Australian major events producer Ric Birch in Santa Monica, California, is the man behind numerous productions such as Olympic Games opening and closing ceremonies and Sydney New Years celebrations. His company Spectak is suing the Indian government after they failed to pay Spectak and several other Australian companies for there services during the 2010 Dehli Commonwealth Games.

THE closest the company that was controversially awarded the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games ceremonies contract has got to the Glitter Strip is a share of an office above an eyebrow bar and cafe in Newstead.

Probity auditors have been called in by the State Government after The Sunday Mail revealed last week that Aussie companies had been overlooked for the prestigious contract to produce the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2018 Commonwealth Games in favour of US-based Jack Morton Worldwide.

GAMES MINISTER: Winning bidder is actually an Australian company

The decision has sparked outcry, with jilted bidders, including Olympic Games ringmasters Ric Birch and David Atkins, writing to Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk to demand a review.

The Premier yesterday said governments should not “interfere” in tender processes, and she noted that JMW “has an Australian affiliate here”, repeating the argument from Commonwealth Games Minister Stirling Hinchliffe last week that Jack Morton was an Australian company “with overseas owners”.

Boston-based Jack Morton Worldwide lists its Queensland office as being at 1/29 Doggett St in Brisbane’s inner- city suburb of Newstead.

As well as producing ceremonies for the LA, Barcelona and Sydney Olympics, Ric Birch was behind the 1982 Commonwealth Games in Brisbane. Picture: Glen McCurtayne

That office, above a brow bar and cafe, is occupied by advertising agency Universal McCann, a New York-based subsidiary of JMW’s parent company, Interpublic Group.

The probity auditors are expected to examine aspects of the ceremonies tender process, including the appointment of former long-time JMW executives as key advisers to the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Corporation (GOLDOC).

Husband-and-wife team Mik Auckland and Celia Smith, through their company Red Thread Solutions, were hired by Commonwealth Games organisers as technical advisers for the ceremonies tender.

Until last year, Ms Smith was working for Jack Morton after nine years with the company. Mr Auckland also spent nine years with the company as a senior technical director. He left in 2010 but was head of ceremonies delivery for last year’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, where JMW staged the opening and closing ceremonies.

David Atkins, who choreographed the Sydney Olympics’ opening and closing ceremonies, has written to Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk to demand a review of the tender process..

Mr Auckland has now been appointed full-time technical director for the 2018 Games.

Sources say he was flown from London to help evaluate tenders for the Gold Coast Games ceremonies. Attempts were made to contact the pair.

But GOLDOC spokesman Marcus Taylor said Red Thread “had no role in recommending or appointing the ceremonies contract, which was performed through an evaluation panel that they were not part of”.

“Red Thread was appointed through an open tender process to provide technical advice to GOLDOC for the ceremonies tender,’’ he said.

“GOLDOC led the development of the tender documentation. The (evaluation panel’s) recommendation was ultimately approved by the GOLDOC board ... which includes members from the private and public sectors.

“The tender process was undertaken through the QTender (State Government tender) system and met all appropriate probity and legal requirements of a call-for-tender process.’’

Celia Smith and husband Mik Auckland have been hired as Games advisers, yet both have worked for the company chosen to stage the opening and closing ceremonies. Picture: Sara Nixon

Former Commonwealth Games Minister Kate Jones announced on May 21 last year that expressions of interest had opened for the ceremonies contract. But according to the Commonwealth Games contract website, expressions of interest closed six days later.

Mr Taylor said the EOI actually opened on June 12 and closed a month later.

“There was an opportunity prior to June 12 for anyone to pre-register to be informed when the EOI was opened,’’ he said.

Jack Morton produced ceremonies for the 2004 Athens Olympics and the Melbourne and Glasgow Commonwealth Games. It also stages London’s New Year’s Eve fireworks.

Mr Birch staged the ceremonies for the 1982 Commonwealth Games in Brisbane, was director of entertainment at World Expo in 1988, and produced ceremonies for the Los Angeles, Barcelona and Sydney Olympics.

Mr Atkins was artistic director of the Sydney Olympics and has produced events including Expo 2010 in Shanghai, the 2010 Winter Olympics opening and closing ceremonies in Vancouver, and the 2011 Rugby World Cup opening ceremony in New Zealand.

The Premier said her clear message to JMW was that locals needed to be front and centre during the production.

“It is my clear expectation that there will be a lot of local content so local people will be involved, children will be involved from the Gold Coast,” she said. “We want to make sure that we’ve got that Gold Coast flavour and Queensland style right across (it).”