Business on the Move set to go Global!

Following the success of our national launch just over 20 months ago, we are now seeking international sponsors to launch a new Global edition of our popular educational resource. Indeed we are delighted to announce  the agreement of our first sponsor, DP World, one of the largest marine terminal operators in the world by throughput.

The initial launch of the UK version of Business on the Move received the backing of 50 corporate sponsors enabling a production run of 2,800 copies of the original game. Around 1,900 of these have either already been or are due to be distributed free-of-charge into schools and colleges nominated by the participating corporate sponsors. Sales revenues from the remaining games will help underpin future production runs, and despite the UK-centricity of this first version, almost 1-in-5 sales have been to purchasers overseas with orders placed from five continents!  

It’s this international demand that has inspired the game’s creators, Andy Page and Pat Smedley, to devise a Global edition. “With the UK version of the game being a resounding success, we would now like to take Business on the Move to the next level with the development of the ‘Global’ edition which will feature international trade between global companies from across the world. Our vision is that by 2020, over 200,000 people will have played Business on the Move,” commented Andy.  

To make this vision a reality, organisations that are involved in global supply chains are being sought to actively feature in this Global edition of Business on the Move.

Commenting on their decision to become the first sponsor, Kathryn Wightman-Beaven, Director, Global Sustainability, DP World explained: “We see this as a fantastic opportunity to support and promote the importance of the global supply chain to the future workforce. Business on the Move is a great way to excite and inspire young people about career opportunities in the logistics and supply chain sector, as well as business as a whole. We’re delighted to be involved!”  

Business on the Move has been designed to teach young people of all ages about the importance and complexity of global supply chains. The aim of the game is for players to move goods from one side of the world to customers on the other side of the world by land, sea and air, as quickly, as profitably and as responsibly as they can.

 Commenting on the rationale behind the game, Pat explained: “We share a passion for educating young people about how business works and the exciting opportunities it can present, particularly in the world of supply chains and logistics. The game aims to inspire, excite and educate young people from the age of 9 to 19, and beyond by challenging them with difficult decisions similar to those they will be faced with in employment.”

The educational benefits and versatility of the game have been endorsed widely with sales of the UK version additionally going to more than 70 Universities or Higher Education institutions including the Universities of Huddersfield, Portsmouth, Sheffield, Southampton and Wolverhampton, Westminster Business School, as well as much further afield to the American University in Cairo and the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology in Canada. In addition, localised versions of the game are being developed in regions as far afield as Liverpool, Humber and Queensland in Australia.

 Various sponsorship opportunities within the Global edition of the game exist, allowing the brands involved to feature as themselves throughout the game with appropriate product placement opportunities. Packages can be tailored to individual corporate requirements.

“Integrating key companies involved in the sector into the game will deliver both the realism that engages young people and the branding and product placement opportunities that share the costs of the game’s production run,” explained Pat.

To find out more about the sponsorship opportunities available just visit our ‘Global‘ page.  You can also  see the UK version of the game in action and hear the comments of company managers, teachers and young people of all ages by visiting the game’s ‘Gallery‘ page on our website at www.businessonthemove.org