Hannah Gallop
When Stoford first invited us to work on Typhoo Wharf, the site’s future was still being shaped, with an ambition to transform the former Typhoo Tea building and surrounding land into a major mixed-use destination long before its next chapter as The Tea Factory, the BBC’s future Birmingham home, had emerged.
Our first brief was to create a brand identity that captured the scale and ambition of one of Birmingham’s most exciting regeneration projects, drawing inspiration from Digbeth’s industrial heritage, street art and creative spirit before bringing that identity to life through the design and development of the Typhoo Wharf website.
Since then, we have continued to support Stoford with communications and digital content, helping to tell the story of Typhoo Wharf as the development has evolved and returning to the site more recently to mark another significant milestone: the completion of Phase I and the delivery of the shell and core of The Tea Factory to the BBC.
To celebrate the occasion, we were tasked with creating an event that brought together those involved in the project, as well as local stakeholders, political representatives and members of Birmingham’s business community, giving guests an opportunity to see inside the building and celebrate the progress made so far.
Delivering an event of this scale on a live development site presented a distinct set of challenges, with no running water or permanent event infrastructure, as well as limited parking and restricted access, all of which needed to be carefully managed without compromising the experience for our guests.
From issuing the first invitations to seeing the final guests leave, our team managed every aspect of the event, coordinating the guest list and attendance, sourcing the marquee and furniture, and organising the catering, drinks, glassware, staffing, decorations and entertainment while working closely with suppliers and the Stoford team to ensure everything ran smoothly on the day.
The event also provided an important opportunity to raise the profile of Typhoo Wharf and share its wider regeneration story, so we prepared media and social content and coordinated attendance from key stakeholders, including representatives from Birmingham City Council, the BBC and the West Midlands Mayor’s office, helping to generate valuable exposure while maintaining interest in the investment and partnerships needed to deliver the scheme’s future phases.
Wherever possible, we looked to Digbeth and the wider Birmingham community when shaping the event, with guests enjoying food from Original Patty Men and live music from MANI JNX, arranged through our partnership with BIMM Music Institute, while Birmingham graffiti artist Panda created a bespoke mural throughout the afternoon that brought another element of the area’s creative character to the celebration.
We also sourced boxes of Typhoo tea, kindly donated by Supreme, the owner of the Typhoo brand, giving guests a fitting reminder of the building’s rich heritage, as well as the chance to enjoy a good cup of tea at home.
Professional photographers and videographers were on hand throughout the event alongside student filmmakers Will and Max from MetFilm School Birmingham, with our team providing creative direction to ensure the project, its people and the significance of the milestone were captured consistently across every format.
Typhoo Wharf is a brilliant example of how we support property projects throughout their lifecycle, from developing the initial brand and digital presence to maintaining momentum during construction and celebrating key moments as the development progresses.
By becoming part of the wider project team, we build the strong relationships and deeper understanding needed to respond as a scheme evolves, identify new opportunities and ensure its story continues to connect with the right audiences.
With the BBC’s fit-out well underway, our work at Typhoo Wharf is far from over, and we will continue raising the profile of the area ahead of the BBC’s move while working alongside the project team to attract the interest and investment needed to unlock the next phases.
Anchored by the BBC and shaped by the creativity and character of Digbeth, Typhoo Wharf has the potential to leave a lasting legacy for Birmingham, and we are excited to help Stoford bring that vision to life while continuing to tell its story as the next chapter unfolds.