The hard-earned win came off the back of a four-month pitch. Although details are under wraps, it is understood Jack Morton - an Interpublic Group subsidiary - was one of 14 organisations initially invited to lodge expressions of interest for the project. "It was the most rigorous and arduous tender that I and all my colleagues have ever gone through," said Paul Kenny, Jack Morton Worldwide Australia managing director.
The group will start work next month and plans to shift a team of people into the Melbourne 2006 coordination offices to ensure the management chain is as tight as possible. The ceremonies carry a A$30 million (US$19 million) budget, an undisclosed portion of which will flow to JMW as management fee.
JMW is carving out a reputation as the key force behind major games ceremonies.
The Australian branch also recently won the production contract for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2004 Athens Olympics. It has also managed ceremonies for the Salt Lake Paralympics, Manchester Commonwealth Games and the Hong Kong handover - its first significant global public event.