It’s a Tuesday – nine days till the Opening Ceremonies in Birmingham for The World Games 2022 – and Nick Sellers is rolling from one meeting to another as the clock keeps ticking.
Whirlwind is the word that immediately comes to mind on this particularly packed day as Sellers, the CEO for the World Games, and a hard-working staff keep multiple balls in the air as the mammoth event approaches.
“It’s all execution now; game-time execution,” Sellers says before joining a private briefing with a deputy secretary for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and more than 60 law enforcement officers from local, state and federal agencies who are involved in helping to keep safe the thousands of athletes, visitors and locals who are coming to the games.
Right after the briefing, Sellers joins Patrick Davis, the Secret Service special agent in charge of the security operation, at a news conference to update reporters about the many health and safety precautions in place, not to mention the many other elements reporters want to know about the looming event.
“We’re way past the new ideas stage,” Sellers explains before the media briefing. “It’s about moving forward with the plans that have been vetted and put in place.
“It’s the finishing touches: making sure we’re in a good place with the look and the décor of the city; executing on the logistics of getting all the officials, all the teams where they need to go; making sure that the fans and the thousands of visitors have confidence in where to go, where to park.
“Control the things that we can control, and deliver a great experience,” Sellers says.
Nick Sellers, right, talks to Hoover Police Chief Nick Derzis, left, and Hoover Mayor Frank Brocato at a security briefing for The World Games. (Michael Sznajderman / Alabama NewsCenter)
Nick Sellers, left, and Jonathan Porter hold a photo shoot at Protective Stadium. (Michael Sznajderman / Alabama NewsCenter)
Nick Sellers holds a media briefing leading up to The World Games. (Michael Sznajderman / Alabama NewsCenter)
Nick Sellers, right, and Jonathan Porter discuss remaining issues surrounding the upcoming World Games. (Michael Sznajderman / Alabama NewsCenter)
Nick Sellers, left, conducts a security briefing leading up to The World Games. (Michael Sznajderman / Alabama NewsCenter)
Tailing Sellers for a few hours on this day, it starts to sink in what a gargantuan undertaking The World Games has been for Birmingham and surrounding communities.
A few fun facts make it clear. In just a few days, some 3,600 of the world’s best athletes representing more than 100 nations are expected in Birmingham. The athletes will compete in more than 30 sports at venues across the Birmingham region.
As of this day, nearly 300,000 tickets have been sold in 40 states and 40 countries. Some 5,000 volunteers are supporting the games, filling 23,000 shifts at more than 20 sport venues and other facilities across the city. For the Opening Ceremonies alone, 600 volunteers are needed. More than 700 media credentials have been issued to reporters coming from as far as Europe, Asia and South America.
Davis describes it this way: “It’s like 10 Super Bowls over 10 days.”
After the two briefings, Sellers jumps on the elevator to return to The World Games offices, located in the Medical Forum building at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex (BJCC). The place hums with activity. So does the area around the BJCC, where the newly opened City Walk BHAM linear park is being transformed into the Regions World Games Plaza, the center for visitor activities and entertainment during the games. A few blocks away, banners are being unfurled at Protective Stadium, where the Opening and Closing Ceremonies will take place. At the other end of the BJCC complex, final preparations are being made to the international broadcast center, where the temperature is being kept at a cool 65 degrees to protect sensitive computers and equipment in multiple editing suites. And all across the city, there are fences, tents, digital screens and stands going up to accommodate officials and fans at the parks, college campuses, historic sites and other locations where athletes will compete.
Before lunchtime, Sellers has held brief sit-downs with several people in the leadership team, including Jonathan Porter, senior vice president of Customer Operations at Alabama Power and chairman of the Birmingham World Games Foundation; Kathy Boswell, the games’ executive vice president of community engagement; Pam Cook, chief marketing officer; and Nanette Baecher, vice president of corporate relations and community engagement. Sellers asks about any “pain points” that are on the top of the team’s priority lists, and they tackle them together. More than once, a quick phone call by Sellers – mid-meeting – to the right person helps smooth over a potential rough spot.
Nick Sellers meets with Kathy Boswell, vice president of Community Engagement for The World Games. (Michael Sznajderman / Alabama NewsCenter)
Nick Sellers, left, conducts a security briefing leading up to The World Games. (Michael Sznajderman / Alabama NewsCenter)
Nick Sellers presides over a meeting of venue representatives for The World Games. (Michael Sznajderman / Alabama NewsCenter)
Nick Sellers, left, and Jonathan Porter hold a photo shoot at Protective Stadium. (Michael Sznajderman / Alabama NewsCenter)
As the final hours before the games tick away, the World Games team is dealing not only with the ongoing, big-picture issues but countless miscellany: from refining specific event invitation lists and distributing credentials to government and sports federation officials and sponsors, to making sure the final wording is accurate in the multiple digital guides and handbooks needed by officials, athletes and visitors. Then there’s the task of filling holes in the volunteer needs for some events. Again, Sellers and the team are spontaneously phoning and texting community organizations and local leaders, seeking their assistance to meet the need. People respond almost instantly, offering to help.
At 3:30 p.m., Sellers makes his way across the street to Protective Stadium for a quick video shoot with Porter before the two preside over a meeting attended by more than 75 people. These are the lead volunteers and professionals who will be managing the many venues, providing volunteer coordination at The World Games sites, handling broadcast and production operations for each sport, timekeeping and scoring, and other functions that are key to the success of the games. Some of these people have just arrived in Birmingham from across the country and the globe. After the meeting, the group heads across the street to the Uptown entertainment district for a more informal get-to-know and some teambuilding fellowship.
And this group is a tiny fraction of all the professionals, volunteers, officials, law enforcement, medical personnel and others who are involved in putting on The World Games.
“This is a big moment – a big moment for the city of Birmingham, and for the state of Alabama,” Sellers says. His enthusiasm is undeniable as years of preparation and planning come together for arguably the biggest public event in the city’s history.
“This is going to be an exciting time,” Sellers says as the sun begins to sink in the western sky but with several hours to go before this pre-World Games workday is done.
“It’s an incredible opportunity, for Birmingham and for Alabama to showcase our true Southern hospitality,” Sellers says.
To learn more about the The World Games 2022 and buy tickets, click here.
