The countdown is nearly over. As I write this column, just 129 days remain until the start of the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, with the opening ceremony taking place on 28 July.

Across the globe, 72 nations are set to send teams to England to compete in the second biggest sporting event ever held in the UK – with more than 5000 athletes taking part in 283 events, across 20 sports. Those talented individuals are, of course, in the final stages of their personal preparations, reaching peak fitness with their sights set on gold.

And as the final touches are applied to the venues and excitement builds for the arrival of the Queen’s Baton Relay, we are also working hard to ensure that the region’s businesses are also match fit, and ready to take full advantage of the huge opportunities the Games will bring.

I’m proud to have played my part in securing the Games early in my Mayoralty and have seen the people of the West Midlands embrace the opportunity of hosting such a massive event.

And the areas around Digbeth, the spiritual home of Brum’s Irish community, will see much of the action - the central Smithfield site will house beach volleyball, basketball and wheelchair basketball as well as serve as the starting point for the marathon.

In this column I want to explain how we have been preparing the ground to ensure that, alongside a sporting spectacle that the nation can be proud of, the Games also deliver an economic legacy that will benefit local people for years to come.

At the heart of this is a £24million Business and Tourism Programme. While it is early days – the Programme will run until 2023 – there are already very encouraging signs that it is delivering against the tough targets we set.

First of all, we have already landed two more major events. During the Games the first ever Commonwealth eSports Championships will be held at the International Convention Centre in the heart of Brum, giving out medals to the best in the ever-growing field of virtual sport. Then, in 2026, our region will host a world conference on Women in Sport, which is apt given that the Birmingham Games will, for the first time, offer more medal-winning opportunities for female entrants then male.

Early signs also show that hard work to bring inward investment on the back of the Games is bearing fruit, from places like Australia, India, Malaysia and Singapore.

The Queen’s Baton Relay, which is weaving its way across the Commonwealth on its journey to England, has also provided a fantastic opportunity to build trade partnerships.

Then, of course, there is the economic benefits that the exposure the Games will bring us, as well as the visitors. Birmingham is truly a global city, being home to people from more than 180 countries, and we have tried to shape this summer’s event as the 'Games for Everyone'.

Now the world is coming to us. It is estimated that 1.5 billion people will tune in to the watch around the globe, with huge amounts of visitors expected.

So, the programme also helps businesses here prepare to make the most of this global spotlight and the crowds it will bring.

Our Getting Ready for the Games scheme supplies an e-Learning course to 7,000 businesses, providing insight and information to ensure the region delivers an outstanding visitor experience and showcases the very best of the West Midlands.

Finally, the Global Growth Programme provides free support for companies wishing to enter the UK market via the West Midlands, while selecting 25 local businesses for help in boosting exports. The exposure provided by the Games is proving to be a powerful tool for trade.

All of these economic benefits come on top of more than a billion pounds of inward investment in preparing for the Games, with 70% of contracts going to businesses that have a base in the West Midlands.

Ultimately, all of this should translate into jobs and opportunities, starting with 35,000 projected jobs across the city this summer.

We have been looking forward to this summer for a very long time, and we are ready for the eyes of the world to fall on us. However, the indications are that the economic benefits of the Games will still be benefitting the people of the West Midlands long after the medals have been handed out.

Welcome to another Birmingham Irish Association news update

We publish news and project updates keeping you up to date with details regarding our services and events, as well as other local developments and other news that will be of interest to our clients as well as other visitors.